Both captain-coaches have called it a mini-final of sorts on Saturday for the right to play hosts in their cutthroat semi encounter next week.
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ACL will be home first to Beaconsfield in the only TCL Premier League match that still has a reward on the line.
The winner between the Barry-McKay Shield rivals is set to gain the home ground advantage when stakes will be higher than the last round.
Beaconsfield's Sean Barry called the coincidental first of the back-to-back clashes "a bit of a strange situation".
"Both teams are missing at least four players, so I am not sure how much this week's game will have a bearing on form for finals," Barry said.
"It's a big game because we want to secure a home final, which will be a really big thing for our club in the first year back in the top grade."
Key pair Chris Walker and Daryl Clayton are the biggest names out for the Swans.
Their rivals will also be without its evergreen leader John Kedey, Kieran Davey, and Luke and Matthew Oates.
Barry admits that a third Premier League victory over ACL does little to cinch up another come the finals, but it does go some way towards aiding their hopes for a clean sweep over the Bluebacks.
"We've beaten them every time we've played them, but that doesn't really mean a lot when it comes to the end of the season," he said.
ACL hold a 6-6 record with two draws, one win ahead of Beaconsfield, but behind the Swans on net run rate.
"Look it's going to be a challenge with half our team out this week," Kedey said.
"So we'll go into the game as clear underdogs, but that's a challenge the boys that are playing will take up because there is a couple of positions up for grabs for the first final."
Trevallyn is keen to end its ordinary season on a high note after pulling off an upset over Beaconsfield last week.
That performance had not been entirely lost on Trevallyn captain James Whiteley ahead of facing Hadspen.
"We had our strongest team for the year then, which would have been handy in November," Whiteley said.
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"So we're only now starting to piece things together and it just goes to show that we have really good talent and blokes that want to be there even when we're completely out of the finals' race.
"We've got a bit of momentum heading into Hadspen where we're home again and it could be a big game for us, so I wouldn't sleep on us."
Hadspen will be avoiding a second loss heading into a finals campaign that was secured weeks back.
Chieftains captain-coach Liam Reynolds said the third season loss to Longford hurt.
"We're disappointed as a group with our batting unit. We were a bit off last week, so we need to fine tune a few things leading into finals," Reynolds said.
"From here on in as the last game, we are treating this like we're playing a final anyway in preparation for the coming weeks."
Longford has little to play for - except its unbeaten run.
Only three games affected by washouts has stopped the Tigers winning all 14 times.
Captain Jackson Blair said there is still a resolve for the dead rubber against Perth.
"The attitude is still to go out there and perform well, so to get another another win on the board," Blair said.
"I mean momentum plays a big part in sport and we want it going our way the whole way through to finals.
"There won't be too much change, but maybe one or two guys might get a go up the order a bit more."
The wooden spoon may belong to Perth, but skipper John Hayes is also optimistic.
The players, he said, are hoping to be the first to knock off Longford in a boilover.
"You might say we don't have a lot to play for, but internally we really want to end out season on a high, playing at home and the last game of the season," Hayes said.
"A win would certainly be something to keep our chins up over the offseason."
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Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
