A 62-point fourth-quarter blitz from the Queanbeyan Tigers inspired a miraculous come-from-behind 17.13 (115) to 11.7 (73) win over the Belconnen Magpies on Saturday.
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The Tigers had been chasing the game up until the fourth quarter, but once Andrew Swan kicked them the lead, they never looked back at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval.
The win sets up a grand final showdown with last week's opponents Eastlake, leaving Tigers head coach Adrian Pavese speechless.
"Something must have really resonated within them," said Pavese.
"I mean, I'll take it but I don't have the answers. I think it has just been the building and the way they responded was fantastic."
Pavese said the hardships the team had faced in recent weeks had provided motivation, with the Tigers again losing two players through injuries.
"We had some setbacks, down to two players again on the bench. It seems to be the norm for us at the moment," he said.
"But just the adversities they have faced last week really helped today. I think they just kept believing and there was this feeling if we could just get in front, we could get the ball rolling. The boys were great."
Magpies coach Brock Weston was equally as speechless but said not turning up for four quarters had been their Achilles' heel throughout 2020.
"I think to do so well for the first three quarters and take that momentum and confidence into the fourth quarter, disappointing is really an understatement," said Weston.
"We probably haven't played too many four-quarter games. I think the last week against Ainslie [a 77-point win] was the one where we kind of put it all together.
"We thought coming into today if we came out with that intensity and that intent, purpose and pressure the result will look after itself. And you only need to go asleep for two or three minutes in this competition and teams like Queanbeyan will run over the top of you."
Despite losing to Eastlake [9.10 (64) to 5.8 [38] in last weekend's major semi-final, Pavese said his Tigers would be ready for the rematch.
"[The win] gives us a chance next week, we will be battered and bruised but we will give everything we have got," said Pavese.
"We get Will Griggs back next week who was missed by suspension and a couple of blokes we didn't select this week will be back in contention.
"They are going to be tough, Eastlake. We will prepare well and hopefully we can put up a good show next week."
