Forbes Foxes have secured the Lachlan Amateur Soccer Association minor premiership and they've got their sights set firmly on the finals as the regular season wraps up.
Finishing runners up in 2023 has seen the side inspired for this year's campaign, team manager David Hodge said, and it's all coming together.
The players that took the Foxes to the grand final last year have returned, still under the leadership of Jack Janetzki, bolstered by some returning players from earlier years.
Goal Keeper Ash Milford is among those who hadn't played for a few seasons, but whose return has been welcomed.
"The team's grown a lot, and we're a lot hungrier," Hodge said.
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They've gained momentum and confidence from the season's wins - as well as building the team camaraderie.
"We're training hard - we're a lot better side this year," Hodge said. "Our team's getting stronger and stronger."
Foxes have dominated the competition so far, notching up 10 wins with two draws and just two losses - one of those just 1-0 last Sunday.
The competition's final round is on this Sunday, with Foxes on the road to Parkes to take on the Wanderers at 11am.
Forbes has already secured hosting rights for the major semi-final on September 1, and it's understood to be the first time we've a men's senior semi-final here since 2015.
Just who they'll face in that game will be determined this weekend.
The Wanderers, and fellow Parkes team the Renegades, are expected to be the Foxes' keenest challengers for the premiership but there's not much in it - at least as far as the ladder goes.
"There's only a handful of points between second and fifth on the ladder," Hodge said, the Wanderers in third.
The winner of the major semi-final gets to host the grand final on September 15 and Forbes isn't shy about the fact they're eyeing that prize.
Going down in such a close contest in last year's grand final has fired them up.
"We want to get back to that spot, but we want to win it, we want to bring it back home to Forbes," Hodge said.
