2009 sees the return of Central ABL Rivalry Week and in rounds 6 and 15 traditional foes are pitted against each other, with more at stake than just another game.

A cursory glance at the men's premiership table would indicate that the Sturt v Forestville matchup deserves game of the round status, though with Sturt not at full strength, fans might have to wait until July 18 for a better predictor of title favouritism. Nevertheless, despite a scare against Woodville last round, Sturt has still managed to put together a 4 and 1 record and a win against Forestville could see it become part of a tantalising four-way tie for first place. The corresponding women's derby has the potential to be even more entertaining with both the Eagles and Sabres part of a five-way tie for second place, though after this weekend, a maximum of three teams will break away into a mini-group behind the undefeated Bearcats.

All matchups between South Adelaide and Southern are tough contests but cross-pollination has created some added spice, with 2 men and 8 women in Saturday's contests having previously played for their opponent's club. The Tiger women's only two losses have been by two points and with twin Victorians Tracey Tuesley and Stephanie Gates at or near double figure points and rebounds, Southern would hope a victory could springboard them into a tough May schedule that features Forestville, North and West. South's men broke through for a much-needed victory last round and always bring their A-game (and A-crowd) for these derbies. Another win could see them move from last to sixth in the space of two weeks.

2007 Men's Grand Finalists North and Norwood square up with vastly different lineups than 18 months ago. Without Dusty Rychart or Jason Reardon, Tracy York has blooded Nick Mikic and SA rep Rhys Elliott, who helped lead North to an Under 20 State Champs Grand Final last week. Max Papendieck returns to the Flames after a two year stint at a US college, to join a Norwood lineup that is well on its way towards a third consecutive Grand Final appearance. The women's game has the same significance as the Foro-Sturt affair, the winner elevated out of the pack and the loser dropping out of the top five.

In yet another matchup between tied teams, Eastern and Central Districts men also have a lot to play for, with the winner escaping from last place. Eastern's best performance came with a 40 point haul from Brad Hill while the Lion's sole win was helped by a 24 point/13 rebound effort from Lachlan Parker. Expect defensive matchups to play a key role in the outcome of this one. Despite the pre-season loss of Amanda Williams, Eastern's women have claimed the scalps of Southern and South, and would be desperate to cement victories in games over Centrals and Woodville before rounding out May against Sturt and Forestville.

The derby in the West is also sure to feature some fire. West's women are on a roll, and the Warriors will find it difficult to shut down Bearcat trio Nikki Martin, Sam Woosnam and Trudy Holland. Woodville still relies on Jodie Barratt's rebounding but at least has Brooke Gathercole, Katherine Perkas and the injured Ursula Richards scoring more points than her this season. The men's game will be vertically diverse, the Bearcats boasting one of the tallest lineups in the league, the Warriors the most even. Josh Knight and Ryan Kersten are ranked 2 and 3 in the league in scoring but expect this battle to be won on the boards.