The Women's Super League season reaches its conclusion for the majority of sides this weekend, with Round 21 set to play out on Saturday. With the Strikers already crowned as Champions and most sides locked into their final ladder positions, it's not the most high-stakes final round we've ever seen but there are still some interesting storylines to follow along.
The biggest of those storylines will come at KGV where the Devonport Strikers will be looking to complete an undefeated season when they take on the Glenorchy Knights. The competition newcomers are now all that stands between the Strikers and achieving the feat to go with their League/Cup double. Funnily enough, it's the Knights that are all that has denied them a perfect season, with the surprise 2-2 draw they played out back in Round 7 still the only time a side has taken points off the dominant Devonport outfit all season long. It would be a big upset if the Knights were to play spoiler again, but this impressive young side has defied expectations all season.
The other watch will be Whitney Knight who has been in absolute scintillating touch over the past couple of months and has emerged as a front-runner for the competition's major awards. She enters the final day 2 goals clear of Hannah Walsh and Josi Mamic in the Golden Boot Race, and another best-on-ground display on Saturday could yet seal a Best and Fairest award to go with that.
At Lightwood Park, the Kingborough Lions will take on Launceston United in a battle of third and fourth on the table. Whilst the Lions may have fallen short of the targeted top-two finish they will still look back on Cameron Heazlewood's maiden coaching campaign as a major success, achieving their best-ever points return in a WSL season. The two prior clashes between these two sides have been two of the best games of the year, ending 4-3 in Kingborough's favour in Round 7 and a 2-2 draw in the most recent Round 13 clash. There hasn't been much between the two sides all year and that should ensure an exciting finish to the season for them both in this one.
The most interesting clash for this weekend is arguably the one that is taking place between the competition's bottom two sides in Taroona FC and Riverside Olympic. With just one point between the pair, and everyone else locked into their finishing positions, it's the only game of the weekend that will directly impact the final table.
The two sides have met twice so far this season, with Taroona shading the head-to-head courtesy of their Round 13 victory. That was a 3-0 win, as they found the second-half breakthroughs to claim what remains their lone win of the season. The Round 7 match ended locked at 2-2 with Taroona striking late to sneak a point in a game that Riverside looked to have locked away before the late drama struck.
A win or draw in this fixture would see Riverside avoiding last place, though even if they do fall to defeat, it wouldn't guarantee them that fate, as they will play South Hobart in a catch-up game next weekend.
With the title race settled, there was no imperative for that game to be played before this weekend, and so it will take place next Saturday afternoon, ahead of the Football Tasmania Awards Night later that evening.
Round 20
Saturday 7 September
Kingborough Lions v Launceston United, 12:15pm, Lightwood Park LIVE STREAM
Glenorchy Knights v Devonport Strikers, 12:15pm, KGV LIVE STREAM
Taroona FC v Riverside Olympic, 4:30pm, Wentworth Park LIVE STREAM