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At one stage, the Pies kicked 13 straight points and went exactly two quarters without a goal, finishing with 11.24 (90) to 8.8 (56) at Corowa's John Foord Oval.

Wodonga Raiders kicked 8.24 (72) to Albury's 10.8 (68) in the 1998 qualifying final, before claiming the premiership.

Qualifying finals started in 1972, with the O and M using a top four system prior to that.

"We won't lost any sleep over that inaccuracy, it's not through lack of skill, finals bring about that," Wangaratta coach Luke Morgan said.

"We've had 35 shots on goal, when you have that many, you usually win."

It was billed as potentially one of the best qualifying finals in years given it was the grand final re-match of the past two years.

But it was a fizzer and was realistically over at the 22-minute mark of the first quarter when the Pies opened a 32-point break.

Albury was terrible in the first half and didn't kick its first goal until the 20-minute mark of the second term.

However, to the Tigers' credit, they were out-scored by only a point after quarter-time.

"I don't think I've ever seen us so fumbly, balls on the ground, guys who are normally really clean coughed it up, that's the pressure 'Wang' put on us and then it becomes perceived pressure," Albury co-coach Tom McGrath said.

Wangaratta did an Albury on Albury.

The Tigers have won seven of the past 10 flags through their frenetic pressure, exquisite skills and aura of invincibility, the latter at least for part of that decade.

"We matched their physicality, we definitely beat them on the spread on the outside," Morgan said.

"Our ability to make use of our forward entries, that's something we really talked about pre-game."

Wangaratta didn't have a poor player, particularly in the first half, with Joe Richards (20 touches) weaving his way through traffic time after time like he was untouchable.

In his first game for four weeks, Michael Newton (19 disposals) kicked four goals against teen Ben Kelly, but also struck seven behinds.

Defender Michael Bordignon was superb, while Matt Hedin, Nick Richards and Daniel Boyle featured.

Meanwhile, Albury named only two players in defender Jessy Wilson and Shaun Daly.