Wangaratta Rovers' coach Sam Murray took one of the greatest marks of his career with 12 seconds left to hold out Lavington in a riveting three-point game in the Ovens and Murray Football League on Saturday.
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The former Collingwood defender climbed on top of 191cm Tim Oosterhoff to drag down the leading contender for mark of the year after five rounds.
"Dad (Peter) reckons he used to take some big marks out here playing for 'Lavi', so I thought I had to show him up today (Saturday)," he laughed.
Peter Murray was in the jubilant sheds, while another former player who could take an exciting mark in Sydney Swans premiership player and Lavington coach Adam Schneider could only praise the leap.
"It's a coach's mark, to stand up like that and you could see it coming, unfortunately he took it, so well done," he remarked.
The final quarter had a stack of highlights with four lead changes.
Rovers, who had led for most of the game, had a four-point advantage, but a superb left foot snap by Lavington captain Tom Hargreave after two minutes regained the lead.
Murray's trusty left foot set up another chance for Shane Gaston, who kicked his sixth.
In fact, five of the Hawks last six goals to that point were kicked by the veteran, who turns 36 in July.
"I reckon four would have been my best and that's going back a few years now," he confirmed after the game.
At the 13-minute mark, Lavington's Sam Hargreave weaved the ball through from short range for a three-point lead and shortly after Gaston had the chance to snatch the lead.
He was running into an open goal, but Jono Spina stopped his kick, a la Heath Shaw's 'smother of the millennium' on St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt in the 2010 grand final replay.
Schneider played for St Kilda that day as Collingwood won by 56 points, but this time the team with the near-miss grabbed the win after Lavington's Drew Beavan pushed over Will Christie in a desperate defensive move under extreme pressure and the big man responded with a composed 35m effort, in front of the Lavington Sportsground grandstand.
But the home team still had chances, Billy Glanvill with a miss from 40m.
Murray gave an indication of what was to come with a strong mark from an Adam Butler entry and then Jake O'Brien looked likely to score from close range, but Rovers' defence swarmed.
Murray then capped his high-possession game with the flying mark as Oosterhoff suggested to the umpires he deserved a free kick as he rubbed the back of his head.
It was a thrilling finish to a game dominated by two vintage performances by veterans.
Gaston's six goals was almost matched by Brodie Filo's wizardry, particularly in the first half.
After only four minutes, the 34-year-old picked up the ball and drilled an extraordinary running shot from 47m and only 10m from the boundary, in front of the old scoreboard.
Filo put his hands up in the air, which is something he has done consistently in his O and M career after kicking goals that few others have been capable of.
He had only four touches in the first term, but set up two other goals as the visitors carried a 13-point lead into the second term.
The teams kicked only three goals for the quarter, with Filo and Christie combining for a Gaston major and an equal match-high 24-point lead, before the lively Shaun Driscoll landed a clever effort over his head to cut the margin to 18 points at half-time.
Former Carlton player Lochie O'Brien landed a 52m effort to push it back to four goals, but Lavington dominated from there, lifting its intensity.
Oosterhoff took a series of strong marks against miserly defender Jace McQuade, kicking his only goal, as the Hawks took that four-point lead into the break.
Apart from Gaston and Filo, co-captain Tom Boyd showed why he's the league's leading intercept marker, while Xavier Allison is the team's 'clean-up' defender, constantly relieving pressure.
The Panthers' midfielders Tom Hargreave, Glanvill (two goals) and Ben Ashley-Cooper were outstanding, Spina was superb in defence, with strong support from Jesse Hart and Chris Annett, while Driscoll was dynamic with three goals.
Lachy Gaffney was forced off a handful of times with a right knee injury.
"I'm proud of the way they went about it, they never gave up, but I've had enough of these honourable losses," Schneider explained.
Rovers is now 5-0, which is one better than 1994 when the club last won the premiership, while Lavington is 2-3 heading into a crucial away game against Wangaratta (1-4).
