Qualifying final special: North Warrnambool Eagles defeat South Warrnambool in extra time

Each one takes on added significance when a match goes down to the wire.

Take Austin Sinclair's clever snap to level the scores in Saturday's Hampden league qualifying final for instance.

Sinclair's North Warrnambool Eagles had led all game until a James Hussey goal late in the final term helped a barnstorming South Warrnambool edge a goal clear.

It appeared the Roosters, who didn't kick their first goal until the 20-minute mark of the second term, had lifted themselves off the canvas for a memorable victory.

But the script took another turn when Sinclair received a handball from Adam Wines and kicked a goal.

Extra time was required - five minutes plus time-on each way - to decide who would move through to the second semi-final.

The dangerous Ollie Bridgewater gave South Warrnambool the lead early before Wines responded down the other end to ties scores again. A rushed behind put South Warrnambool up before North cobbled together two points to regain the lead.

Billie Smedts then had the final say, converting a set shot to sew up the Eagles' 9.14 (68) to 9.7 (61) win at Koroit's Victoria Park.

Eagles coach Adam Dowie described the result as "unbelievable, amazing, just incredible".

"I reckon we deserved it. I feel like we've done a lot right the last few years," he said.

He conceded it felt like "death by a thousand cuts" in the second half after the Eagles let a 21-point three-quarter-time lead slip.

"I have to take my hat off to South Warrnambool - they had no (Ricky) Henderson, no (Jack) Dye, no Isaac Thomas," Dowie said.

"The second half they were coming. I felt like we were plugging holes a bit.

"I was proud of the players for finding a way."

Dowie, who praised defender Joe McKinnon for his job on Shannon Beks and dynamic duo Bailey Jenkinson and Jett Bermingham, said it was a gruelling contest.

"The game was played in good spirits," he said.

"For South Warrnambool, it's heartbreaking for them (to lose) and they still came over and lined-up for Tommy Batten's 250^th (milestone game)."

South Warrnambool coach Mat Battistello said he was "disappointed but proud".

"We were outplayed for three quarters but to still be in the game and still have the want to win was the most pleasing part," he said.

"They outplayed us around the footy for three quarters and that is something we have prided ourselves on for the whole year and we lowered our colours.

"We'll get to work and get some good learnings from it and move onto next week."

Battistello credited a shift in mindset for the Roosters' comeback, which included the first four goals of the final term. But he lamented a slow start - something which has plagued the team for the past three weeks.

"They had far more contributors across the board than we did and that is something we're working really hard on," he said.

Archie Stevens did his best to lift the Roosters, kicking three goals, including two final-term gems, while midfielder James Hussey was a consistent contributor.

Forward Jack Dye missed with injury - he'll have a scan on a suspected corkie/calf complaint. Battistello said the Roosters needed more out of their attacking end.

"We haven't kicked a winning score so anyone forward of the ball who hasn't hit the scoreboard or applied a lot pressure, there's a fair area of improvement for us there," he said.

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