At half-time of the AFL Central West under 17s grand final, Orange Tigers seemed destined to fall agonisingly short of their first flag as a team.
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Down by 11 at Tiger Park and not playing well against Bathurst Giants, players huddled together ahead of the final half of footy many of the team would play for the juniors.
Coach Matt Shephard, who had spent five seasons with the same crop of players, said the team emerged determined to not let one game define their time together.
"It was emotional at half-time because we were behind," he said.
"We hadn't played well and we were 11 points down. They all knew it, every one of them knew they hadn't played well but players like Blake Dwyer and Harvey Shephard just kept us in it, they battled and battled.
"We had a bit of a chat at half-time about not wanting a poor performance to define our season and the years leading up to this.
"Credit to the captain Calum Duncan and a few other kids like Luke Reed and Harrison Coleman in the back line. They lifted and we just took control."
For Shephard, the Tigers' 45-35 win was the perfect ending for the team after battling through the COVID years.
"As a team we worked hard all season to achieve what we did and it was quite a close contest so there was excitement and relief at the same time," he said.
"I've coached five or six for four years now so just seeing them grow has been amazing especially through COVID where we missed the chance to play finals.
"It's been a four or five year conquest to try and win a premiership with this group."
Tiger town turns it on
It marked a successful day for the club on Sunday (August 27) as they hosted all the grand finals at their home base at Waratahs.
In addition to the under 17s, the under 12s and youth girls sides also emerged victorious on the biggest day of the year.
AFL Central West community football and competition manager Casey White said the facilities were "fantastic".
"It was a great day of footy with some really impressive displays from the kids," he said.
"The Orange Tigers hosted the day brilliantly, and it was great for their club to pick up three wins from three.
"The complex was fantastic. The new scoreboard created a point of difference from past seasons' matches at Tiger Park. The field was in the best condition ever, and it was a perfect day for finals footy.
"Each game had its own story. The Under-12s was probably the closest contest although the scoreline favoured the Tigers by the end.
"The 14s showcased how impressive the best talent in the region are, that Giants' team are phenomenal.
"The 17s and Youth Girls both showed that the future for our senior competitions is bright."
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