IN WHAT can be described as one of the greatest grand finals in recent memory, the Daylesford Bulldogs came from the clouds to overrun Hepburn and claim the club's second CHFL premiership in three years.
Daylesford trailed by as much as five goals earlier in the game, but its never-say-die attitude got the team back into the contest as it chipped away at the Burras' lead.
With scores tied early in the final term, Hepburn kicked away to a two-goal lead only to have Daylesford fight back one final time, ending the game in a dramatic way when full forward Andrew Button goaled from the boundary to snatch the lead back for the Bulldogs.
With the game being built up during the week as cross-town rivalry, it is little wonder that more than 6000 spectators showed up at the titanic contest.
After some cat-and-mouse going-ons, with players starting in different positions at the opening bounce, Daylesford failed to be competitive in the opening 15 minutes, with Hepburn piling on five goals to streak out to a 25-point lead at the first change.
With the wind advantage in the second term, Daylesford was able to work its way back into the match by locking down opponents and not allowing them the free ride they had in the opening term.
Goals soon came for the Bulldogs through Toby Hughes and Nick Cronin, and when Ben Broadway snapped truly Daylesford was back within eight points at the main break.
Hepburn lost key defender Brendan Sheppherd for the second half after a mysterious illness struck him down, leaving the Burras undermanned in defence.
After being kept goalless in the second term, Hepburn began the third term with a hot start, kicking the first two goals as it tried to build an insurmountable lead.
Once again though Daylesford reeled the Burras back in. With some fantastic midfield work by Luke and Joel Adams, who were getting supreme service from ruckman Scott Winduss (who dominated all day), Daylesford worked its way into the lead at three-quarter-time by a solitary
point.
The running theme of the day continued into the last quarter, with Hepburn again starting well and building an early lead. With just 20 minutes to go, an Ashley Wedding mark and goal gave Hepburn a two-goal buffer.
Scores remained the same for some time until Nick Cronin was able to kick truly to reduce the margin down to a goal.
A frantic five minutes of play ensued, including a magnificent bit of play by Jordan Alexander, running down the much bigger Ashley Wedding from behind resulting in a turnover.
This seemed to kick start another Bulldogs revival when coach Luke Beattie goaled from a set shot to tie the game with under five minutes left.
Hepburn had its chances to seal the game, but missed opportunities from Wedding and Matthew Peake handed Daylesford the ball and so began the final piece of play.
After a long kick in, a kick came out to Joel Adams on the wing who found himself with plenty of space. A long 55-metre kick from the midfielder then hit the streaming Andrew Button on the chest 45 meters out from goal on a tight angle.
With not long to go, Button wasted no time, nursing the ball beautifully through for his fifth goal, giving the Bulldogs a five-point lead, sending the Daylesford faithful into raptures.
Just 15 seconds later the siren sounded, with fans storming the ground to celebrate with Bulldogs players. While Button was the hero with the final goal, the best on ground medal went to Scott Winduss, who was no doubt the catalyst for Daylesford's comeback.
The game capped a terrific season for the Bulldogs, who have undergone quite a makeover since last season. The rise of their young players such as Hughes, Alexander and Nick Sullivan coupled with the experienced key performers in Winduss, Luke and Joel Adams, Clayton Scoble
and Cade O'Brien proved to be a fantastic mix for season 2009.
FINAL SCORE: Daylesford 10.12.72 def Hepburn 9.13.67
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