But The Rock-Yerong Creek's Farrer League success of 2015 is remembered as a glorious, sometimes hilarious, pleasure.

It didn't climb out from under a burden of expectation, or shake in fear of failure. They simply executed a miracle against East Wagga-Kooringal. And it makes them smile.

Ask Tom Yates, who won three senior premierships at the Magpies (2004, 2006, 2015). He also won three with Albury Tigers (2010, 2011, 2014) as well as an Ovens and Murray League seconds flag (2009).

"It was probably the best grand final I've ever played in," Yates says.

"Jut for the fact that we were 30 points down or whatever it was, and we were the underdogs. I've played in some good grand finals but for mine, that comes back as a memorable one.

"Big Undies (Andy Carey) playing with a couple of broken bones in his lower leg and still kicking four. Yeah it was... it was amazing really."

It was so much fun, the winners are still ribbing each other. Aiden Ridley is in the middle of saying he cops plenty about his run-up for a fourth-quarter goal that levelled the scores and Bryan Ball wanders past laughing, and mimicking the stuttering steps.

The funny thing is, it's the most important goal Ridley has ever kicked.

"Oh by far. By far!" Ridley says. "I still get crap put on me about my run-up but it's whatever works.

"But the first thing I remember (about that game) is that we weren't meant to win it. No-one gave us a chance and we pulled it off."

Ball agrees with both of his premiership teammates.

"How big of underdogs we were, in all honesty, is the first thing that comes to mind. Obviously East Wagga were the team to beat," Ball says. "It's fairly likely to be my last ever first grade grand final so it sits pretty fondly in my memory."

The Hawks were unbeaten through the home-and-away season but had lost a couple of key players to injury heading into finals, and then lost their first final to TRYC. Still, the consensus was it was a 'loss they had to have' and they were red-hot favourites to rebound at Robertson Oval.

It certainly seemed an indisputable truth by quarter-time, after the Hawks had absolutely dominated play. They led by 22 points but could've kicked double their three goals with the time they spent forward.

Meanwhile, the 'Pies were scoreless. They had gone inside their own forward 50 just once and when they did, Carey was crushed under full-back Chris Jackson.

"My mum watched it back the other day and said it was the most one-sided quarter she'd ever watched. She still doesn't know how we won it! We were lucky to get away with it I think," Ball laughs.

At the time they weren't laughing. But nor were they panicking.

"We were fairly well experienced and it probably did hold us in good stead," Ball says. "If we hadn't had that experience in grand finals we could've easily been blown out of the park and been belted by a hundred points probably.

"It definitely could've gone one of two ways in that second quarter. We could've lay down and just let them pump us. Or stand up and fight. And we stood up. I think it would've come from the experience we had in grand finals."

They were certainly underdogs but coach David Pieper had been confident, particularly after their strong semi-final win. He believes they just lost their way in the first term but says 16 players had featured in first grade grand finals before and knew not to panic.

"Our game plan was always quick play that year. We'd trained on it and worked on it since 2014, the wheeling and going and moving quickly, always getting a hand-ball off to a runner. We did implement that in the first quarter, watching it, but we were a bit slack with our forwards up the ground. They were too deep," Pieper explains.

They identified it at quarter-time and worked on rectifying it, but the Hawks kicked the first goal of the second term (as they did in each quarter) and were up by 27 points.

Yates kicked TRYC's first goal, in the 11^th minute of the second quarter. It was the first of five for the 'Pies, including two to Carey who was on one leg playing in the goal square, and one to Ball.

They went to half-time 16 points down but had had passages of momentum, and were about to get more.

From the 10^th minute to the 20^th of the third quarter, Carey, Mitch Ward, Yates, Justin Driscoll and Ball hit the scoreboard. Five goals in 10 minutes and they'd gone from 20 points down to 11 in front.

Hawks' star forward Marc Geppert kicked one either side of three-quarter-time to give EWK the lead again but the Hawks then added four behinds.

TRYC's defence had been almost overwhelmed in the first term and were under the hammer again.

"We'd really come together really tight that year as a back six," Ridley says of the defensive posse, including Casey Hillary and Denis Pedemont.

"We used to have a bit of a joke between us and we had that mateship. They had the opportunities, they had a few more scoring shots than us but I reckon our pressure around the footy helped and we took our chances at the other end."

EWK had used their 20 scoring shots (to TRYC's 14) but led only by a goal when Ridley floated forward late in the last quarter.

"Pip always backed us to run, run forward and attack when we can. I pushed forward and someone crossed it and I found myself on a bit of an angle," Ridley says.

"When I marked it, I didn't think I'd have the distance but it was one when you hit it and straight off the boot you just knew it was there."

Scores level and minutes later, another TRYC clearance sent the ball sailing forward... towards new full-forward Dale Hugo, who'd been shifted to replace Carey when he could no longer stand on his broken leg.

Pieper and his right-hand man, Mark Driscoll, had both wondered the night before what they'd do if Carey went down. Hugo was their answer, and it proved 'a masterstroke' as Pieper says now.

Hugo marked, the umpire ignored claims of a push-in-the-back, and he kicked truly - for a memorable premiership.

"He's always reminding us of it. He's got every right to. It was a great goal. He's always been very reliable in front of goals," Pieper says.

"I don't think there's been a day go by that he hasn't (reminded me): 'Remember that premiership I won you, Pip?'

Ah, you've got to laugh.

It was a premiership to savour. Midfielder Andrew Saddler was best-on-ground. Ball says they were all pleased to deliver for the coach.

"It was obviously a relief for Pip for him to finally get the win (as coach). He's been around the club a long time and coached us for a long time. To get that monkey off the back it was fantastic for him," Ball says.

"And he earnt it. He definitely earnt it. He's easy to get along with and he tells you how it is. He was a fantastic coach to have."

Pieper says the satisfaction wasn't personal.

"I don't reflect on it personally. It was very satisifying to see the boys be so mentally strong in the grand final...

"It was just so satisfying for the club. They put a lot of time and effort into it."