Lavington fell to Albury in 2015-16, while the Pies also fell to the Tigers last year.

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Wangaratta was ambushed by Albury in that clash, with the latter kicking five goals to two against the breeze.

It seemed incomprehensible that could happen again, but Lavington had the match by the throat with a 6.6 to 0.1 first quarter blitz.

"The game right there," coach Luke Morgan said after the players had held an extensive debriefing, not coming out of the meeting room until 5.53pm.

"Start of the game we didn't turn up and we were very poor, that is the game."

It was almost impossible to find a decent player in the Pies' camp in the first term, while it was the opposite for the rampant Panthers.

Wangaratta had won all three clashes this season and while the Panthers adopted a different tactic this time, playing a variety of players one out in the goal square, Morgan says his players weren't shocked.

"No, we knew they were going to try one of their midfielders out of the square, they were just better, consistently better," he said of the 34-point loss.

Matt Kelly sparked the club's fightback with a strong patch in the second term and he continued that in the third, finishing with a club-high 26 disposals.

Jessie Smith and Matt Hedin also had their moments.

To highlight the club's favouritism, not one opposition coach tipped Lavington in The Border Mail's grand final preview edition.

Given Albury is expected to reload, Myrtleford signed GWS big man Dawson Simpson and Wodonga Raiders should improve, the challengers will line up.