FOR some teams, Round 14 of the TAC Cup will be a final chance to stake their claim for finals.

Others will look to the weekend as a way of cementing a double chance, or taking away a top eight spot from an opposition team.

A number of clashes are expected to highlight the round on both Saturday and Sunday which should provide entertaining matches.

Kicking off the round is arguably the match of the round when Sandringham Dragons host Dandenong Stingrays at Trevor Barker Oval.

The Dragons are marginally ahead of the Stingrays by two points, so this game could alter the top four places.

With a win, Sandringham will at worst, move four points clear of third, while if the Stingrays get the points, they will leapfrog the Dragons and put pressure on the top-of-the-table Falcons.

Across at Preston, Northern Knights take on the Eastern Ranges, in a match that will have greater ramifications for the latter if the result causes an upset.

The Ranges seem home and hosed inside the top eight, but a loss could see them drop to the edge of the eight and potentially only percentage ahead of Western Jets – the side they dismantled last week.

For the Knights, finals has been a fair way out of the picture, and barring an unbeaten run to the finish, will be eyeing off impressing recruiters and trying to wreck the Ranges’ finals chances.

Up north, Murray Bushrangers host Western Jets in Wangaratta.

In what could be the strongest Bushrangers side to date, the Jets would be forgiven for being a little daunted on the bus trip north.

Coming off a hiding against Eastern Ranges, they will look to bounce back against the Bushrangers, however Murray will be keen to secure a top four spot with a win.

If the Bushrangers win, it is going to be tough for anyone to push inside the top eight, with an eight-point gap potentially opening up between eighth and ninth.

The one match not too many people will cast an eye over is the Gippsland Power and Geelong Falcons match.

But don’t be fooled, while it may appear as a one-sided contest between first and last, there will still be plenty of talent on show.

Both sides have talented bottom-age players who could stake a claim early for next year’s draft, while there is not only pride on the line for the Power.

If Gippsland shock the Falcons, it will give the Power confidence heading into the final rounds and could get off the bottom with a win against the Knights in the final round.

For Geelong, they simply cannot lose. If they do, then they will forfeit top spot, but win and they could maintain a gap on the rest of the competition and officially claim a double chance.

In the last game on Saturday, Oakleigh Chargers will effectively play off for a top eight spot with the Bendigo Pioneers.

Win, and the top eight seems done and dusted with an eight-point gap.

Lose, and suddenly it could be wide open with the Pioneers and Jets both chasing that eighth spot.

It will mean more for the Pioneers to win after two disappointing losses against sides it would have hoped to have beaten, and if they lose here, it will be curtains on their season.

Win, and their finals hopes still have a heartbeat, albeit a faint one.

In the final match of the round and the exclusive Sunday game, North Ballarat Rebels will take on Calder Cannons in a battle of fifth versus sixth at Eureka Stadium.

If the Rebels win, the top five are settled, however lose and the Cannons draw level and all of a sudden the sides could battle for the two spots.

It is unlikely Calder will challenge for a top four spot being 10 points behind, however if the Rebels win, they could draw within as little as four points.

Keep an eye out on AFL Draft Central for the recap of all the games.