North Adelaide Rockets (5-4, 4th) v Sturt Sabres (4-5, 7th)

North Adelaide could potentially be going for a seventh straight victory when it faces Sturt at Hillcrest on Sunday.

The last time the Rockets faced the Sabres, they were trying to avoid a fifth straight loss.

That was exactly what they did, upsetting the reigning champions 85-81.

That win has acted as a turning point in this season of surprises.

North sits in fourth position ahead of the weekend, while Sturt is seventh.

The Rockets have had a very even spread of scorers, with six active players averaging double-figures, including Ryan Franceschinis and Josh Bond.

Darren Ng, Jacob Holmes, Tom Daly and Jan Warbout are the key players for the Sabres.

Last year, Sturt and North split their matches, each winning on the other’s home floor.

I think that might be the case again, although I would not be surprised if the Rockets continue their streak.

Southern Tigers (2-7, 9th) v Eastern Mavericks (3-6, 8th)

The Mavericks will make the long trip south to tackle Southern on Sunday, in what is a must win game for Brad Hill’s men.

Going into the weekend, Eastern has lost its last four matches, and with a road match against the Bearcats, that streak may well hit five by Sunday.

Hill, Ben Madgen and Aaron Bruce have been putting up big offensive numbers, but the Mavericks have failed to get the job done defensively.

The Tigers could not be more different to Eastern; a side who is reasonable at the defensive end, but who struggles to put points on the board.

Southern has failed to crack the 60 mark in one third of its games.

Its highest score this season is 78, which came in its lost to the Mavs in the teams’ corresponding game.

That was Eastern’s best defensive performance this season.

Overall, the Mavs should have too much offensive talent and obtain a crucial victory.

Woodville Warriors (5-4, 5th) v South Adelaide Panthers (4-5, 6th)

The Warriors host the Panthers on Sunday in a match that could go a long way to deciding the final five.

Going into this weekend, Woodville sits one win above South on the Premiership Ladder.

This is largely thanks to its 102-99 victory in the teams’ last meeting, so the Panthers will be after revenge in Round 11.

Stopping Daniel Johnson will be the key to the Warriors picking up a win.

Johnson had 26 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks and 3 assists the last time the two sides faced off.

With Mitch Creek absent, Shane Boal is the Panthers’ next highest scorer at 12.1 ppg.

Colin Matteson has been impressive since entering the Warriors’ line-up, while Josh Knight, Zane Reeves, Cameron Wilson and Gary Birmingham provide plenty of offence.

This is a tough one to call, but with the Warriors the home side, I will give them the edge.

Forestville Eagles (6-3, 3rd) v West Adelaide Bearcats (7-2, 9th)

Sunday’s Match of the Round is Forestville’s home encounter with West Adelaide, in a potential playoff for second spot.

The Eagles have won three of their last four matches, while the Bearcats have won four of five, although both lost in Round 9.

It will likely take all of 40 minutes to find a winner in this one, with a recent history of close games between the two sides.

Last time they met, Forestville led for most of the match, but was outscored 12-26 in the fourth period, going down by seven.

Last year, the Eagles won at Port Adelaide by one point, before the Bearcats bounced back at Wayville, winning by six.

Jeff Dowdell has been in super form for West, while David Nurse has also been excellent.

Rashad Tucker and Brad Sullivan have been getting the job done for Forestville, while Brad Haydon and Nic Blair can get hot at any time.

Neil Mottram, who did not play in the teams’ last match, has been a major inclusion for the Eagles, averaging 10.7 rpg and 9.3 ppg.

With Mottram in the side, Forestville will be hoping to do a bit better on the boards; in Round 5, West won the rebound count 51-30.

Another match that could go either way; I will go with the Eagles in a thriller.

By James Woite