As the clock ticked towards zero at Euroa Memorial Oval on Saturday afternoon, the top-six clash between Euroa and Mooroopna was on a knife’s edge.
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The Magpies clung desperately to the most narrow of advantages over the Cats in the dying stages of the game – a one-point lead with less than 30 seconds to play.
Mooroopna, desperate to earn its biggest win of the season to date, was throwing everything forward.
Euroa, keen to avoid a third narrow defeat at home, was doing whatever it could to repel the onslaught.
With 20 seconds left and the ball in the centre square, a whistle sounded.
Mooroopna’s Ethan Hunt has been held without the ball, providing the Cats with one last chance to attack.
Eleven seconds to go – Hunt’s 36th possession is a kick that sends the ball long and deep into Mooroopna’s attacking 50.
With the game in the balance, a pack forms.
Among the bodies, with seven seconds left remaining, one player rises to the top to take the mark that would clinch the game – Euroa’s Nate Trotter.
It was one of Trotter’s five intercept marks on the day but it was by far the most important.
The siren sounded shortly after, sealing a 9.8 (62) to 9.7 (61) win for the Magpies.
“I had a good run and jump at it, a little bit of wind carried it that extra bit over the first few people and luckily it stuck,” Trotter said after the game.
“The exact same thing happened three times during the day and I had gotten nowhere near a mark, then luckily the last one just opened up nicely and I had a good run and jump and luckily it stuck.
“The siren went just after I kicked it, there is no better feeling really.
"We have had a few losses to good teams through the year at our home ground, so it feels good to get a good win against a good team at home.“
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Under pressure: Mooroopna’s Ben Hicks gets his kick away just in time. Photo by Bransen GibsonImage 2 of 6
Set shot: Jett Trotter uses some grass to judge the wind before taking a shot on goal. Photo by Bransen GibsonImage 3 of 6
Flying high: Mooroopna’s Keelin Betson and Euroa’s Cohen Paul compete in the ruck. Photo by Bransen GibsonImage 4 of 6
Out of the middle: Max Gleeson sends Euroa inside 50. Photo by Bransen GibsonImage 5 of 6
Clearing the danger: Ben Woods boots the ball from Mooroopna’s defensive 50. Photo by Bransen GibsonImage 6 of 6
On the ball: Euroa’s Lachlan Hill in action against the Cats. Photo by Bransen GibsonTrotter’s mark was the final moment in an almighty display of defensive resiliency for Euroa.
The Magpies led by just over a goal at both quarter-time and half-time, before extending the advantage to a handy 16-point buffer at the final change.
Kicking with the wind, Mooroopna cut into that margin when Ben Hicks kicked truly from a set shot, only for Jett Trotter to push Euroa’s lead back out down the other end.
But that 16-point gap did not last long.
Two goals in the space of two minutes from Jack Johnston and Jackson Trengove suddenly had the Cats back within a kick with 11 minutes still to play.
From there, the game turned into a contested slog.
Mooroopna players kept the ball pinned inside the attacking 50, but try as they might, the Cats couldn’t find that crucial breakthrough.
Down by four points, the Cats had three separate scoring shots, anyone of which would have put them in front – but all three were wide of the mark.
As Mooroopna rolled the dice one last time, it would be Trotter’s mark that kept them at bay for the final time.
Watching the clock wind down from the interchange bench, Euroa coach Scott Rowan said he had full trust in his side’s ability to hold on to the narrow lead.
“Pendles [Ryan Pendlebury] has taken control of the back seven,’’ Rowan said.
“He has some experience and some very good footballers down there.
“I said with three minutes to go there is not much we can do.
“We had our best side on the park at the moment so it was up to them, the players did a fantastic job.”
Rowan said the win was an inspired performance from his side to come away with the four points, especially with a number of key players out of the line-up.
“It was a fantastic effort,’’ Rowan said.
“To hold a quality team like that off with the decent old breeze that there was, I was really pleased with the effort of the boys.
“In the last few weeks, we have lost four key forwards, our ruckman and a couple of quality midfielders.
“Just to be able to come together as a group and hold off and fight like we did, I thought that was pleasing.
“It gives the boys the belief that no matter what 22 is on the park that we can get wins against good sides.
“Darby Wilson, a 17-year-old at half-back, had a fantastic game.
“He was close to best-on-ground, he is a superstar in the making.”