Our favourite sideline moments from Group 16 grand final day

The Bega Recreation Ground was packed with footy fans of all ages, bodies painted, pennants flapping and passionately vocal.

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Here's a taste of our views from the sideline.

Harper Jessop led the huge crowd in the National Anthem ahead of the first grade game, his powerful voice belying his young age

Without music accompaniment and facing a packed grandstand and hill filled to capacity, his voice left everyone in awe and singing his praises.

Check him out in the video above. Definitely a youngster to watch.

While the results were mixed and the main game's scoreline not what they were after, fans on the hill were right behind their Tathra Sea Eagles.

The Tathra club had all three of its senior teams make the grand finals. While the league tag team went down to Bega, the reserve graders gave fans something to cheer about, downing Eden 24-6.

The wave of maroon flooding the hill was lively all day - not least the lads with body paint spelling out "Go Tathra!"

Similarly Merimbula-Pambula's fans in the stands were vocal all day - and they had plenty to cheer about.

However, it was local hero Grant Moon who enjoyed the loudest accolades, with deep-throated "Mooooonnnn" ringing out anytime he was handed the ball - or even just when he walked back to his spot passing the blue-soaked grandstand.

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Never let it be said Tathra first grade captain Mitch Carter doesn't know how to lead by example.

Early in the game a heavy contact in defence wasn't enough to keep out a Bulldogs try, but it did see Carter heading to his bench nursing what appeared to be a badly dislocated finger, yelling for someone to "fix it" - he had already tried to wrestle it back into place himself.

After getting it seen to and with his fingers taped up, Carter rejoined the field - and promptly scored Tathra's first try for the day.

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Pacing back and forth up the sidelines on the northern end of Bega Recreation Ground, a proud aunt cheered in decibels equal to the Bulldogs fan base on the opposite side of the field, her nephew representing Merimbula and Pambula in the blue and white.

With such cries as "Keep them pinned down there Dogs", "Go, go, gooooooo!" and "C'mon, get it!" her squeals of excitement were unmatched by those in close proximity, but she was overjoyed by the scenes taking place.

She twisted her right wrist in the air as though she was a jockey whipping a horse up the straight at the Bega cup.

"I've always been like this," she said with a smile, even though she admitted a game like this increased her blood pressure.

A man in a Bega Roosters jersey shared how he was standing in the very same spot 30 years ago when Warren Schafer captured the attention of fans by scoring a try, which helped secure the Bulldogs' last premiership in 1993.

READ ALSO: Eden Tigers' father-son duo to play side by side in the grand final

Children enjoyed the opportunity of half time breaks and time between games to establish their own version of the game.

Young players and future stars of Group 16 twisted and side-stepped one another before the crescendo of a diving try around the base of one of the field's flood lights.

And, as the clock ticked down with the final seconds of the grand final, a young boy in full Bulldogs gear and vivid red footy boots, nervously yet excitedly bounced on the sideline.

As the whistle sounded he sprinted to greet the winners in the middle of the field, a swarm of fellow fans following.

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