Reserves coach Tom McGrath was given some nervous moments as the Magpies kicked the first three goals of the match.

But the Tigers soon settled when Bobby Griffiths kicked his first and marked the game’s change of direction.

“When they kicked the first three, you start to wonder,” McGrath admitted after the match.

“But we’ve got a lot of good kids and they just got on top of their run.

“The boys turned it around themselves — they weathered that first early storm and, once Bobby got that first one, it gave them all a bit of confidence and they got themselves going.

“It’s good — flags are hard to come by so you take every one you get.”

McGrath said the bigger ground had been to his team’s advantage.

With 11 players who could play under-18 and 16 yet to turn 21, young legs dominated.

“That kind of big space suits the kids,” McGrath said.

“They’re just a bunch of young fellas, improving their footy and you hope they’ll play seniors one day.”

One player who has seen plenty of senior action was Josh Maher.

Dropped from the seniors line-up a fortnight ago, he made a huge impact with nine goals and was best on the ground.

McGrath praised his leadership on the ground.

“He’d have been disappointed having played seniors all year but he came back and kicked nine,” he said.

“He deserves a lot of credit for the way he bounced back and for his attitude. He was great with the young fellas.”

For Maher himself, it was a bitter-sweet win.

“It feels great,” he said.

“We went and watched them at home last week against Lavington so we thought it would be tough, but the boys came out and put on a show.

“Our kids — they’re fit, they’re nice and quick, and we’re a skilful club.

“And nine goals isn’t bad — it’s nice to show the selectors.” 

Zac Hedin was named the Magpies’ best, with single goals from Zack Carmody, Sam Neave, Cam Potter and Beau Wheeler.ALBURY’S talented young guns out-ran, outclassed and out-scored Wangaratta in a one-sided 28.18 (186) to 4.4 (28) grand final.

A GOAL to Wangaratta’s Gerard Sharrock after the siren sent the Ovens and Murray thirds decider into extra time and delivered the Magpies their second premiership in three years.

Trailing Lavington by almost five goals early in the third quarter, Wangaratta charged back into contention with a stunning fightback.

Even at the 17-minute mark of the final quarter the Panthers still held an eight-point lead.

But two behinds, the second hitting the post, put the Magpies within one straight kick.

Sharrock marked inside the 50 metres and on his approach the siren sounded, the ball sailing between the uprights to send the game into five minutes each way of extra time.

Both sides kicked two straight to go into the final five minutes at 70-all.

But Wangaratta struck first and held off the Panthers on the siren to win 11.11 (77) to 11.10 (76).

Coach Carl Norton, who made it two under-18 premierships in three years, praised their fighting spirit.

“To be honest the last 10 minutes were just a blur,” he said

“But at half-time we mentioned that things weren’t going our way and a few boys were dropping their head and it’s a testament to their character to come back like that.

“We have been tested a couple of times during the year and the boys had responded and today on this stage they did it again.

“In extra time it felt like we were getting on top, we were winning the ball at the stoppages, our forwards always seemed to be in front and their work rate after that amount of time was just fantastic.”

Matthew Campbell was awarded both best and fairest medals for the Pies but Norton also praised captain Matt Teasdale.

“He has been crook all week and only got out of bed for the first time in three days this morning,” he said.

Campbell said he thought they had lost.

“That was just amazing, the last 10 minutes just crazy,” he said.

“I thought we had lost because the siren went as he kicked it so when they turned us around for extra time it felt like it was ours to win from then on.”