The sporting dynasty. Resilient, powerful ... almost unstoppable?

There's lots of reasons to get swept up in sport. Reasons to stop and take notice. Reasons that speak to even the most lackadaisical of sport admirers.

But the fairytale and the dynasty (for want of a better term, but we'll pinch the often-used American one) are surely two that capture the imagination the most.

Sunday afternoon in Orange, and most invested in rugby union in the city would have conceded an Orange City victory up the Mitchell Highway against Roos was a touch fanciful.

The Lions, just the week before, were made to play for their season. Their spot in the Blowes Clothing Cup finals.

They came up trumps in that game against Forbes, though, showing a ruthlessness we've not seen from a City side in well over two years, and the running Viv Paasi's side mustered in that 41-3 victory over the Platypi conjured up the sort of belief that can spark something special.

Down by six with time seemingly gone at Apex Oval, the Lions found that something special.

City scored well into injury time and Duncan Young then stepped up to kick the go-ahead conversion, ensuring the drama reaches fever pitch by nudging his kick towards the right-hand upright before it bounces back through the posts to gift City the unthinkable - a place in this year's grand final.

Dare the Lions dream? Why not? This is a club that just six weeks ago hadn't won a game since 2017 before this year's campaign.

Realistically, a victory, just the one, would have been deemed a success in 2020 for Orange City and after they scored that in Forbes during the first round Tom Nell declared the club "on top of the world".

Four wins, including one in a semi-final, and a grand final berth in the bag.

What planet are Nell and the Lions on right now?

This is a fairytale few expected in 2020. Which is understandable, really. Among the lockdowns, the restrictions and those insidious ooshies we're being subjected to, right now, expectations in 2020 are pretty low.

The Lions, though, they're bucking the trend in 2020. A light in the dark. Belief among the despair. The Bat Out Of Hell version of Meatloaf opposed to the AFL Grand Final version of Meatloaf ... too far? Maybe.

But just how far can these Lions go against old rivals Orange Emus?

Can the fairytale take down the dynasty?

History will say no. The Lions haven't sung the team song after a derby with Emus since round 18, 2015 - a 34-26 victory before a thrilling finals series that ended with Emus' first premiership in this current run.

In total, it's 14 derby games, and no wins for City. The closest the club has come to a win over Emus was that 22-all draw in the all-Orange opener in 2019.

Clubs often experience flashes of brilliance over periods of a year or two. Narromine from about 2009 through to 2011. Parkes in that period too. City's unbeaten premiership wins in 2012 and 2013 were stunning.

Since 2014, though, it's been largely Emus. Forbes has popped up in that time. Bulldogs too. And both clubs have a title to boast.

But no side has been at the top of the tree, in the last 20 years, for a long as Emus, an outfit that qualified for its seventh straight Blowes Clothing Cup grand final last week when they knocked off premiers Bathurst in a gruelling encounter.

The Greens win on Saturdays. You can set your clock to it. But three premierships and three grand final losses in the deciders they've contested since 2014 is a modest record, you'd have to say.

Anyone would take three titles, but, come Saturday, ensuring that grand final wins column, and not the losses, chalks up to four is a must for Pete Bromley's side.

This season has been a strange one, sure.

Emus boss Campbell Hedley put it best on Monday after he was asked if fans and families will be allowed on the field post-game to enjoy premiership celebrations with players.

The answer was no, and quickly followed by ... "it will be weird but what hasn't been in 2020?"

Would anything be weirder than a City win on Saturday? Tom Nell putting Nas Havealeta on his back, maybe ...