In a day of drama, Old Xaverians collected their 89th and 90th premierships in 94 completed VAFA seasons. Unfortunately, the U23s went down in a Grand Final heartbreaker, while the WOX 2s ended a year of challenge and achievement when they fell short in their Preliminary.

After establishing an early lead and a sixteen point lead by quarter time, the WOX guns went silent, managing just 1.4 in the final three terms.

Westbourne were scoreless in the first and third quarters and the Xavs had an opportunity in the premiership quarter to build on their lead. They managed just four points and were held scoreless in the final term when the Westies came home hard.

Congrats to Seb Knox and his team for their grit and numerous wins under trying circumstances.

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After the game, club legend Peter 'Porky' Rhoden addressed the team. His grand-daughter Eiliza Forrest is a team member.

The Crocodiles survived a great challenge from Old Carey to take their 24th premiership at Whitefriars. The Panthers, who had suffered badly at the hands of the Reptiles turned on a desperate first quarter defensive effort and the Emaerald Hose were only able to muster three behinds when kick downhill and with the breeze.

The Diles restored their ascendancy in the second term and Carey struggled to provide the offencse to match their back half performance. The teams scored two apiece in the third term and a massive upset was still on the cards at the lemons, with just eight points separating the teams. With the famous words of former Crocs supremo Scotty 'Dusty' Denison - "Now is not the time to panic" - ringing in their ears, the Crocs set out on their final assault. However, Carey would not let go and it wasn't until late in the piece that Xavs' best Sean 'Stinga' Stanley kicked a straight one to seal an unbeaten/untied year and a well-deserved premiership.

See Bridget Wilson's galleries here and here

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See Bridget Wilson's gallery here.

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The Menages secured their eighth premiership with a four-point nailbiting win over St Kevin's. From the outset, the Tricolours looked up for the challenge. Bill Curtis kicked a sixty metre goal to open Xavs' scoring with the wind in the first term but the only other strike for the quarter came from Pat Cockerill. Josh 'Tooka' Hanger kicked a sizzler in the second term and Curtis added another. The X-Men led by by seven points at the half.

The teams kicked three goals apiece in the third, with Hanger (again), Will Mantesso and David Nash popping through goals, though this was the end for Nash who went off to join Chopper Niall on the injury bench.

In the final stanza, Luc Strathdee goaled after five minutes and Xavs looked good things, but the Kevin's kicked on ten minutes and then another five minutes later. With Xavs becalmed, it took a desperate struggle for the defense to hold out. They did. Ed Ponari won the David Windlow Medal for best afield.

See Bridget Wilson's gallery here. See Ari Hatzis Gallery here. See Savanna Villis Gallery One here. See Savanna Villis Gallery Two here.

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If there hadn't been enough drama already, the Premier Thirds decider had more twists and turns than are contained in most full seasons. There was wind, sunshine, then some rain, some thunder, and as SKOB had taken its first lead of the game with 2:50 left in the third term, the umpires noticed lightning, and quite rightly directed the players to the sheds.

As the rules require, there are 30 minutes for the lightning to clear. If the game cannot resume, it is called, and game is in the second half, then the team leading is declared the winner., It took all of that before the men in green recalled the teams with some blue sky emerging. As the ump was ready to throw it up in the centre, there was another flash. Off they went again, but no sooner had they gone inside, the sky turned blue, the sun came out and there was a rainbow away to the east.

The remaining minutes of the term saw SKOB score a behind and the umpires ordered a changeover for the final term without a lemon time huddle. Just as the players flipped the field and took their positions, the news was delivered to the arbiters that the rules also required said gathering and traditional coach's rev. And then finally, football again, and it turned into a mad mud wrestle, with SKOB looking certain winners by midterm before two very special roosts from Sam Asdagi - BOG by a mile -that brought the margin inside a goal with only minutes left.

The Xavs attacked relentlessly as SKOB defended desperately. Finally, the siren beat Paul Connors' team, ending a great contest that will forever be remembered and discussed.

See Ari Hatzis Gallery here