Not satisfied with beating Wodonga in the grand final 12 months earlier, the Tigers mounted another flag assault in Paul Spargo’s third and ultimately final season in charge.

Albury had never completed back-to-back premiership wins since legendary goal-kicker Doug Strang was at the helm in 1939-1940 and was well placed to finish the home and away rounds in pole position.

But the Tigers stumbled at home against Wodonga Raiders and allowed a resurgent Lavington to finish minor premiers.

Seven days later, the Tigers were on the brink of a remarkable early finals exit when they lost to a Rob Walker-inspired Wangaratta Rovers in the qualifying final at the Norm Minns Oval in Wangaratta.

As well as suspensions to Jeremy Masterson and Michael Buchanan and injuries to Marc Duryea and Leigh Newton, who would win the Morris Medal in 1996, the Tigers were the victims of some strange finals scheduling.

The Tigers were drawn to play Wodonga Raiders in the first semi-final at the Raiders’ home ground, Birallee Park, and, on this occasion, were justified in thinking the world was against them.

A day earlier, Lavington marched into the grand final with an 80-point walloping of Wangaratta Rovers in the second semi-final at Bunton Park with Blues’ full-forward Chris Stuhldreier edging closer towards Strang’s long-standing O and M goal-kicking record of 126 goals.

Desperate times required desperate measures and the Tigers made four changes from the qualifying final, but no one outside the Albury inner sanctum would have counted on one of the inclusions.

Spargo played two games early in the season before succumbing to a shoulder injury, but replaced Duryea, who was always considered unlikely to pass a fitness test on the morning of the match.

In a shock move, the coach took the field in a long-sleeved No.56 jumper, the number he first wore at North Melbourne, and immediately set about wreaking mischief and mayhem.

The Tigers scraped home against Raiders and went to Wangaratta and beat Wangaratta Rovers in the preliminary final to earn a shot at Lavington in the grand final, which just happened to be played at the Blues’ home-ground.

“We should never have won it,” Spargo said.

“But we had played some of the best footy in my three years as coach in the second half against Wang Rovers in the preliminary final.

“We knew we had made all the sacrifices because of the injuries, suspensions and the draw for the finals.

“It galvanised us.”

But some tough decisions had to be made in the lead-up to the grand final.

Masterson and Buchanan returned from suspensions and Duryea and Newton were passed fit to play after missing the preliminary final.

Among the hard luck stories was Mick Brunner, who was dropped in the lead-up to the grand final two years in a row.

“He epitomised what we were all about,” Spargo said.

“He was shattered, but not once did he complain or make a scene.”

The Tigers were well equipped to negate Lavington’s three star forwards — Stuhldreier, Tim Sanson and Shaun Myles — in the grand final with Andrew Harrison, captain Brian Kelly and Jeff Duck respectively.

Stuhldreier was held to four goals by Harrison and could only equal Strang’s record.

The Tigers held a slender four-point lead at half-time before opening a 27-point break at the last change with wingman Paul Hallandale running amok against his former club and Did Simpson Medal winner Stephen Ash dominating in the centre.

But the arduous finals series and a warm day started to take its toll.

Lavington closed to within 11 points in the last quarter before, fittingly, Spargo, in his final match of his career, and Stuart Hodgson booted two late goals to seal the win.

The Tigers reserves also won the flag in 1996 to provide some consolation for players who had been on the fringes including Brunner, Glen Harrap, David King and club stalwarts, Tom McGrath and Stuart Thompson.

“They could have gone anywhere in those years, but they were the heart and soul of the place,” Spargo said.

“They kept the place together and stopped blokes getting ahead of themselves.”