© Kelly Rose Photography

Week 9 of the 2011 season and some very intriguing match ups with enormous implications for the play offs only 6 weeks away.

Saturday 2nd July we headed to Corio where the Bay City Buccaneers hosted the league leading Croydon Rangers. With top spot essentially on the line and very little splitting these two sides, it ended in a thrilling draw 14-14 with the Rangers now holding the tiebreaker.

Following this game the Monash Barbarians went up against the Croydon Rangers2, with the Rangers2 taking control early and winning easily 38-6.

On Sunday morning at Monash University Clayton, the hometown Warriors hosted the Berwick Miners and motored to a big win 42-12, whilst later in the day the Melbourne Uni Royals and the Gippsland Gladiators fought it out to the wire with a thrilling 14- 13 win to the Royals.

Also on Sunday afternoon in Reservoir, the Northern Raiders hosted the Ballarat Pioneers and confirmed their status as the division 2 pacesetter with a 19-3 victory.