The club’s premier 2 side will host Taieri in the final on Saturday and, if it wins, may opt to play the bottom place premier side Pirates in a promotion-relegation match.
Eastern president Jeff Grubb was guarded when asked whether the club was eyeing promotion last month and stuck to the same script yesterday.
"We haven’t [made a decision]. We have to win the final first," he said.
However, the club has clearly given promotion some thought.
There are other criteria to consider than just beating Taieri on the weekend.
The challenging club must be in a position to support a premier team by fielding another two open grade teams.
Eastern has a second senior side but it does not have a colts team, so it falls short on that score.
"We’ve only got an under-18 side at the moment ... so our club has to do a lot of work over the summer to justify us going up."
Eastern pulled out of the premier grade in 2000 but returned the following season, with the help of the Dunedin club.
The Eastern Sharks, as they were called, dropped out after just one season, so it has been 15 years since Eastern last played in the grade.
Pirates, meanwhile, has not played since July 23 when it was beaten 62-12 by Zingari-Richmond in the wooden spoon game.
Metropolitan Rugby Council vice-chairman Mike Reggett said Eastern was not required to signal its intention to challenge in anticipation of winning the final.
However, if Eastern does mount a challenge, then it would only be fair for Pirates to be given some time to prepare for the promotion-relegation match.
"If that occurred, it most probably would not be next weekend. You have to give Pirates at least two weeks notice, I’d imagine," Reggett said.
Asked if it was fair for Pirates to be left in limbo so long, Reggett said the format for the competitions were set by the clubs at the start of the season.
A club forum is planned for August 17 and will be chaired by Otago manager Grant Hubbard.
"It is basically just to look at the state of Dunedin club rugby to be honest," Reggett said.
It was a tumultuous season for some clubs. Pirates threatened to default but battled on without much on-field success.
Taieri, the 2014 champion, defaulted a playoff game and also sacked its coach midway through the season.
Zingari-Richmond was thrashed 137-0 by University A, and briefly considered forming a closer relationship with Harbour, under which the clubs would have shared the cost of a rugby development officer and fielded combined teams in all grades below premier level.
Reggett, who has been on the council for 10 years and involved with the Southern club for 40 years, hopes the forum will generate some new ideas and help find some creative solutions.
"We actually want new ideas and that is what I hope comes out of Wednesday night."