Guts, determination and genuine poise were necessary for Katunga to hold off a fast-finishing Strathmerton and claim the Picola District Football League under-17 flag.
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Having been four goals down in the third term, the Bulldogs refused to quit and peppered the goal through the final quarter, but inaccuracy combined with a stubborn defence meant the Swans would hold on for an eight-point triumph.
The result turned the tables from last year’s decider, where the Bulldogs upset the previously undefeated Swans to nick the title.
Katunga had fired the first bullets, with two goals in the game’s infancy giving it the ascendancy before Riley O’Kane put the Bulldogs on the board with a classy set shot.
The Swans were eight points up at quarter-time, but took things to another level in the second, with sublime play building them a cool lead.
When the Swans found full flight they were borderline unstoppable, slicing through the middle of the ground like a sharp knife through a hunk of meat.
That transition generated a five-minute flurry in the second term, with Sam Arho goalling twice with Max Hendy adding a long bomb from beyond the arc to swing the game drastically in Katunga’s favour, the Swans 20 points ahead at half-time.
The sides went goal-for-goal in the third term to have the Swans turn for home 18 points in front, but the Bulldogs grew another leg and had chance after chance, with Dylan Craven slotting the term's opener to give his side a sniff.
But it would the quarter's sole major as Katunga's backs stood out to grind out the eight-point win.
Katunga coach Wayne Jackson said his young side was prepared for Strathmerton to keep fighting.
"They were always going to come, we knew that. But I thought to the boys' credit, we just didn't give in," he said.
"We had some easy turnovers, but then they tried to get them back and I thought that was the difference. Especially in that last 15 minutes, I thought our commitment to the ball and ball use was probably a little bit better than theirs.
"I could tell even early on the boys were switched on, they were going to have to be an exceptional side to beat us today."
Max Hendy, who co-captained the side with Harry Hill, won the AFL Victoria Country best-on-ground medal, while Will Sefton won the PDFNL's award.
"Max is our captain and that's what you expect from your captain, to lead from the front - but he does that every week," Jackson said.
"And Will is our vice-captain, he looks uncoordinated sometimes, but he just gives it everything.
"He's got a heart as big as a car and Max Hendy is just Max Hendy, he's one of the best juniors going around."
Arho was also brilliant, with strong lead-up play and marking having him stand out as the game's most dangerous forward, finishing finish with three goals.
Aaron Macfadyen, Haydn Wyatt and O'Kane (two goals) were the pick of the Bulldogs.