Tigers Mark Stewart and Josh Guiney embrace victory.
IT is called the premiership quarter for a reason.
Merrivale kicked three unanswered goals in the third term against Kolora-Noorat in the reserves grand final, setting up a match-winning lead.
It was a low-scoring, dour affair with six goals kicked between the two sides for the game. There was a solitary score in the final quarter, a behind to the Power.
The Tigers won 4.6 (30) to 2.3 (15).
Merrivale coach Daniel Roberts said the Tigers stuck to their task and adapted to the wet and windy conditions.
"Those conditions were pretty bad with the wind and rain pushing across the ground, so it was very difficult," he said.
"The boys really knuckled down. We have been working all year on stoppages so it was something they pride themselves on. Those conditions suited us to bottle the game up and make it a scrappy fight which was good in the end."
The first-year Tigers coach said the win was overwhelming.
"We have beaten them twice during the year and they had beaten us once so I guess we had a bit of an edge on them and matched up well against them," he said.
"They only lost one game for the year in the home-and- away season and we lost five, so to win the premiership is pretty surreal really."
The Mick Dawson medal for best on ground, voted by the umpires, went to Merrivale's Josh Guiney and Luke Attrill won the Don Grossman medal, for best on ground voted by the media.
"I thought every single player gave their all today," Roberts said.
"It is a team sport and it takes 21 blokes to win a game of footy and I reckon we had 21 really good contributors."
The Tigers were down a player early, with Jordan Brown limping off the ground in the opening term.
"He showed a fair bit of courage to go back with the flight of the ball," Roberts said. "He took the grab and hurt his knee but that is the commitment we have for each other and the club as well.
"That is what we have created over the course of the year."
Roberts said the late Stephen "Jack" Kelson would have been proud of the Tigers.
Kelson, Merrivale's senior coach, died in April of a heart attack.
"We had his jumper hanging up in the room," Roberts said. "I am sure he was helping us today."
Kolora-Noorat has lost the past three reserves grand finals.
justine.mc@standard.fairfax.com.au