Best Battles rebuttals | Triple overtime thriller between Merrigum and Lancaster
Each week after Best Battles is released, we search far and wide for suggestions contrary to what we initially included.
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This week we are glancing back 20 years to arguably one of the most extraordinary games of football to have been played in the Goulburn Valley.
Merrigum v Lancaster
Semi-final, 2000 at Rushworth Recreation Reserve (Ironbark Stadium)
Merrigum 9.18 (72) d Lancaster 9.12 (66)
What makes a game of football memorable?
Many people argue it's the toughness and big hits, the bags of goals kicked or individual highlights of a champion that make games long remembered.
But what most fans agree on, is that whenever extra minutes are needed to decide a winner, that lifts the match into legendary status.
And this semi-final showdown between two Kyabram District League rivals went to not one, but three overtime periods to decide the winner.
It was the first KDL match to enter into extra time, as the players battled through three periods of two five-minute halves.
And it was reported at the time, that no football match in country Victoria history had ever descended into the chaos of three periods of extra time.
Even without the extraordinary time added on, this match had it all.
Controversial incidents, bruising football, individual brilliance and a kick that was immortalised for the winning team — Merrigum.
Former Lancaster utility Tom Roberts remembered the match as a whirlwind affair.
“It was an extremely tough game of football,” Roberts said.
“An absolute arm-wrestle really, it was pretty crazy, goal for goal.
“Merrigum controlled the game, but we always clawed back.”
The News' match report labelled the contest "like every epic tale there was a hero and a villain".
Coincidentally, the hero and villain on that day belonged to a pair of brothers from Merrigum, the talented Grieg boys.
Hulking forward Glenn, a former star with Shepparton United, kicked the winning goal with the last disposal of the epic encounter.
Meanwhile, his brother Scott — the Bulldogs’ playing coach — received a yellow card and was reported for charging Lancaster's star player Andrew Thomas in the first term.
“We lost one of our best players in Andrew Thomas early in the match, he copped a big hit from Merrigum's coach Scott Grieg,” Roberts said.
“A few of us younger guys, myself included, had to shoulder the ruck work for the rest of the match.
“Merrigum had some gun players, the Grieg boys, Leigh Allan, Anthony Mann, and countless others.
“But we had some stars of our own, with Thomas and midfielder Corey Carver, who was best on that day.”
After a see-sawing four quarters of football, scores were tied on 57 points apiece at the end of regular time.
Each side had its chances to win the match during the following minutes that ensued, however, it was Merrigum's hero that held on to the chance when it beckoned.
The classy forward plucked a ridiculous one-handed grab millimetres from the turf and 25 m out from goal.
Unknowing of how much time was left in the marathon match, Glenn calmly focused on the task at hand.
“I didn't know how long there was to go,” Glenn said after the match.
“So I made sure I kicked a goal.”
The siren sounded seconds after the impact of the ball on Glenn's boot deafened the crowd, which was followed by a grand final-like atmosphere as Merrigum supporters rushed the ground.
The Bulldogs had defeated the Wombats by six points.
“It was just magic, we were swamped.”
On the opposite side, Lancaster players were left slumped on the ground, trying to come to grips with what had just transpired.
Roberts believed that epic encounter was a defining moment in the history of the Wombats.
“I believe it was the making of Lancaster that day,” Roberts said.
“After the match in the rooms we said we'd commit to next season and let that loss fuel our hunger.
“The boys then went on to win the flag the following year.”