The Rats are coming off a 10-goal loss to Horsham Saints in round six but have had two weeks to work on some things at training, courtesy of a bye during the long weekend.

Both teams have struggled in the first half of the season with the Tigers and Rats only having one victory to their name each.

The visitors sit one spot behind Nhill on the ladder, due to a lower percentage but will move closer to a potential finals spot with a victory.

Ararat has struggled in transition from the defensive half and will need to link up well through the ground if the Rats are to get the points away from home.

Despite the Rats being two games out of fifth position, with 10 matches still to be played in the season, there is time to build some momentum on the field and make a late charge towards the top five.

But if Ararat is to return to finals action, the team will need to click into gear soon and a strong performance against Nhill could be that catalyst for just that.

The team could also be boosted by the return of some key players for the match and will be hoping to get some continuity on the field which will help with their connections and transition across the ground.

The first bounce between the sixth and seventh ranked teams is at 2.20pm at Nhill’s Davis Park.