Yarrawonga defeats Albury by four points in O and M grand final

The Pigeons led by four points after an enthralling battle at Lavington Sportsground, with Albury's former AFL player Jeff Garlett missing a shot from 40m, just off centre, with around 30 seconds left.

Albury players slumped to the ground as the siren sounded, while Yarrawonga celebrated its first premiership since 2013, during the wonderful Brendan Fevola years.

The Pigeons were beaten by Wangaratta by three points in last year's decider.

Yarrawonga and the Tigers played a league record six straight grand finals from 2009, with four close margins and the 11.10 (76) to 10.12 (72) result had the bumper crowd of 10,156 mesmerised from start to finish, in glorious conditions.

"The game ebbed and flowed and at times, we looked in control, other times Albury looked in control, the character to come back in that last quarter, when it looked like the game might have been beyond us, was massive," delighted Pigeons' coach Steve Johnson offered.

There were seven lead changes, but Albury held its greatest break of eight points at the seven-minute mark of the final quarter.

The Tigers were strangling Yarrawonga's ball movement, but former Geelong superstar Johnson made three crucial tactical changes in the final quarter.

"We moved (Bailey) Frauenfelder forward (from defence), he kicked an important goal and he inspires his team-mates, put (Kyal) Tyson into the ruck and thought he had an impact and Jordy Urquhart went into defence and had some really important touches," he revealed.

When Albury went forward in the final seconds, Pigeons' captain Leigh Masters took a spectacular pack mark

Last year's Morris medallist had injury concerns this season, but that mark, which has typified his stint in the league after joining from VFL club Williamstown, will go down in league folklore, almost a Leo Barry-type moment.

"Nothing changes (in the final minutes), I'd been pretty ordinary all day, so I had to do something," the defender suggested.

As expected, Albury's Jake Page tagged Willie Wheeler in the middle, while the Tigers' George Horlin-Smith didn't play after he fractured his eye socket in the qualifying final.

Albury's Brydan Hodgson grabbed the first goal with a superb running shot from 35m.

Superb work by Wheeler and Leigh Williams set up Dylan Conway for the first of his two first quarter goals, the latter a terrific shot from 50m as the Pigeons took a three-point lead to the break.

The Tigers had suffered a major blow when representative defender Jessy Wilson was forced off with a knee injury at the 22-minute mark.

Yarrawonga pushed the lead to a match-high 16 points midway through the second term, but the Tigers moved the ball exquisitely for veteran Brayden O'Hara to drill a 45m running shot.

But Hodgson, best on ground in the first half, levelled the scores at half-time.

The Wheeler brothers - Willie and Harry, in his first game for 78 days after a knee injury, kicked quick goals to regain the lead by 12 points, but the next 10 minutes was a gripping stalemate.

Tiger Tom O'Brien tore through the centre of the ground to set up spearhead Jacob Conlan's only goal and when O'Hara kicked a behind from 45m, the slight underdogs had a one-point lead at three-quarter time.

Riley Bice's classy 40m effort handed the Tigers a seven-point gap and suddenly they looked just one goal from stealing the win.

The action was pulsating but when Logan Morey found space, he nailed a running effort from 45m.

Ninety seconds later Frauenfelder handed his team a five-point break and then Michael Gibbons and Williams combined to find Ryan Bruce unmarked in the goal score after 17 minutes for an 11-point lead.

But Albury kept coming, with AFL prospect Connor O'Sullivan marking the ball on the boundary line and snapping the major.

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Hodgson had a running shot from 40m for a behind, with Masters' mark sealing a win which will never be forgotten by those at the ground.

Conway and Nick Fothergill finished with two goals apiece, Gibbons winning best on ground, while underrated defender Nick Irvine was outstanding.

Albury ruck Isaac Muller dominated Lach Howe in the second half, forcing the change with Tyson, while Hodgson (three goals) and O'Hara (two majors) were also superb.

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