A farmer stands to lose his land due to an ancient law. His neice Hilary, PJ's old flame, returns to Mt. Thomas to help her family retain their property. The property dispute culminates in arson.

Jack scores a place on the Mudlarks football team when its star player is killed in a suspicious road accident. It's not quite the way he planned to earn his guernsey. PJ recalls the dead boy was a troublemaker and suspects he was drunk at the time. However, Senior Constable Robyn Taylor from Melbourne's accident investigation squad has sharper ideas and gives PJ a run for his money on the investigation. He's feeling pretty poorly without Maggie around. Whether PJ likes it or not, Robyn will be his partner in crime until Maggie returns from the witness protection program. She's just moved to Mt. Thomas with her husband, Jeff, and baby daughter, Lucy. After a quiet wake for the Mudlarks' star player, Jack and a few of the team head off to enjoy a more appropriate celebration. The drinking gets out of control and Jack's new mate, Matt, entertains the group with some dangerous driving. Afraid someone will get hurt, Jack brings them into line, but pulling rank on mates only earns him their

The prospect of the Racing Club Carnival dance has the Heelers in a frenzy to find partners.There is little to celebrate when an armed robbery of the race takings leaves a security guard seriously wounded. The only clues, a Mudlark's Grand Final Pin is found at the scene of the crime. Could one of Jack's fellow football team be responsible? The Heelers call in football coach, Ian Waldron, to find out which Mudlarks's players have pins but the carnival atmosphere fades for all when Ian tells them that his son Matt, Jack's good friend, is dying from a brain tumour. Ian has spent his company's fortune trying trying to find a cure for Matt in Brazil and must close his factory. There is little chance Matt will survive to see his wife deliver their first child. Jack finds it difficult to confirm the alibis of his football buddies for the time of the robbery and is puzzled by the behaviour of his mate Scott who has been acting strangely since Matt returned from Brazil. Jack is certain som