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Essendon are within touching distance of an AFLW finals spot but old enemy Carlton are determined to end their season with an upset win.
The equation for Essendon is simple: beat Carlton and an AFLW finals berth is theirs.
Unfortunately for the Bombers, the Blues are ready to ruin their old enemy's week.
Essendon (eighth, 22 points, 94.3%) play 14th-placed Carlton at Ikon Park on Saturday night and will know exactly what they need to do to seal a top-eight berth.
Geelong (10th, 18 points, 111.4%) face Adelaide (fourth, 28 points, 179.8%) on Friday night while Melbourne (ninth, 20 points, 75.1% play Collingwood on Saturday afternoon.
"Big game for us and looking to put on a show," Essendon midfielder Georgia Nanscawen said.
"We know that the finals is there and what that means.
"But as we've said right through the season, we've really been focusing on developing what our purpose is and our identity, and we showed really good signs of that in Darwin (against Richmond).
"We feel like if we can bring that this weekend, that will set us up really well for whatever might come afterwards."
The Blues' finals hopes are over but they are keen to spoil the Bombers' party in what looms as retiring stalwart Jess Dal Pos's final game.
"We're really excited to play a rival in Essendon," Carlton veteran Harriet Cordner said.
"The rivalry's gone back a long time.
"We're excited to be back at home and a good week to be playing Essendon - try and keep them out of the finals. So there's a bit of flavour in this one."
The last time the Bombers and Blues played at Ikon Park it was an AFL game in 1992.
David Parkin was Carlton coach while Mark Harvey played for the Bombers, with both on hand at Thursday's media conference.
Parkin was delighted at the thought of Carlton ending Essendon's season.
"That would be, in my opinion, just the nicest thing that could happen," Parkin quipped.
Essendon will have to overcome the heartbreak of ruck Steph Wales's season-ending ACL tear, plus the physical toll of backing up from their draw with Richmond in Darwin.
But Harvey backed the Bombers to deliver.
"They're mentally tough and we know what's at stake," he said.
"So they're ready to go. Don't worry about (them being) tired coming back from Darwin - they're ready to go."
Parkin went one step further, bringing along his game notes from the day.
"I was just actually looking at some of his notes back from 1992 just seeing if he had any inspiring words," Cordner said.
There are plenty of finals ramifications in the last regular-season round.
North Melbourne can seal the minor premiership with a win over Gold Coast on Saturday, when St Kilda play third-placed Brisbane and Sydney host West Coast.
On Sunday, top-four hopefuls Richmond play second-placed Hawthorn, fellow top-four aspirants Fremantle host the Western Bulldogs and seventh-placed Port Adelaide play GWS.
