Victory couldn't have much a tighter hold on the Premiers' Plate and home-ground advantage throughout the finals than it does - without having actually taken possession of the trophy.
It leads the competition by three points from the only other team that could possibly finish first - Sydney FC - and also has a goal difference that is seven goals superior to that of its traditional rival.
The challenge for Sydney is to beat Wellington Phoenix on the road in the early Sunday game to at least keep the battle for the plate alive.
Then, for Sydney to actually take the trophy, Victory would have to lose in the late game at home to Central Coast Mariners and the goal difference would have to be turned around as well.
If Sydney draws or loses, then Victory will finish the regular season first regardless of its result against the Mariners, but Victory central defender Nick Ansell says the team is trying to ignore the equations and simply concentrate on winning.
Ansell said coach Kevin Muscat had spoken to the players early in the week about taking the right approach, but that Muscat wouldn't need to keep at them about it because everyone had the right idea.
"We're not thinking as if it's all over - definitely not," Ansell said.
"All the boys are really happy with the position we've got ourselves in and we're really focused on this week's game. We're not going to let it slip up at all.
"We've earned that lead, but you never know what might happen in football and we're not going to go out on the weekend thinking we've already got the Premier's Plate sewn up. We're all determined to go out and get the three points and secure it - definitely.
"I think it's pretty obvious to all of us that we're all on the same page. 'Musky' has had a word to keep everyone focused, but no-one's straying. All we're thinking about is getting the three points.
"If Musky thought people weren't switched on at training, he'd let us know. He'd definitely give us a talking to."
Sydney obviously has the potential to keep the Premiers' Plate alive going into the Victory game. Sydney is unbeaten away from home this season and recently beat Phoenix 3-0 in Wellington.
And even though Central Coast wasn't good enough to make the finals this season, it's game against Victory will be the last for its 10-year player and captain of its 2012-2013 championship-winning team - John Hutchinson.
Mariners will be desperate to send Hutchinson out with a win, which makes this a potential banana-skin game for Victory.
Ansell is only 21 and said he had learned an enormous amount about central defensive play from his partner in the centre of the defence at Victory - Matthieu Delpierre. That vastly-experienced Delpierre turns 34 on Sunday.
"Matthieu's had a great career and you can see when he's playing how good he is and how calm he is on the ball," Ansell said.
"His defending and his positional play is outstanding. All I can do is learn off him and it's a real honour to play alongside a player like him, who has done so much in his career. He's a great player.
"When the ball comes to him at the back he's very calm and he picks out a pass and very rarely misses it. How to stay calm is probably the most obvious thing you've got to learn as a central defender, but also the hardest thing.
"I'm learning from him all the time."
