A strong bump on Warrack Eagles midfielder Ben Spicer swung the momentum in Horsham's favour in the third quarter of the Wimmera Football League grand final.
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Horsham ruckman Garrett Liston cleaned up Spicer who had his head over the ball in a contest on centre wing.
Spicer was close to best on ground for the Eagles as a valuable midfield linkman and creeping forward to kick an important goal.
He was sprawled out across the Dimboola turf, with play allowed to continue on, before trainers took him from the field on a stretcher.
Horsham grew a foot taller after the bump as it reeled in a strong Warrack Eagles half-time lead.
Many football followers expected Horsham to run away with their seventh flag, but the plucky Eagles defied their underdog tag, pushing the Demons for three and a half quarters.
Wimmera league supporters had given the Eagles no chance of challenging the Demons, especially after their 79-point loss in the second semi-final.
But everything went right for the Eagles in the first half, and everything wrong for the Demons as the Eagles entered the half-time break with their tails up leading by 16 points.
Eagles' Cade Wellington was instrumental up forward, while Spicer, Kyle George and Andrew Bell, with the massive task on game-breaker Luke Carr, were exceptional.
Umpires gave Horsham forward Jordyn Burke a yellow card after a first half incident, while key defender Jeremy Hartigan was forced from the ground with a dislocated shoulder.
The only real winner for the Demons was key defender Terry Arnel.
Such was Arnel's influence that the Eagles had to send veteran Paul Okely forward to curb his influence, which worked as the Eagles mounted their lead in the second quarter, kicking two goals.
As the Demons gained momentum in the third quarter speedy midfielder Aaron Barnett, David Johns and Stuart Farr started to have an influence, while Arnel continued to battle hard in defence.
The Demons slowly whittled away the Eagles lead with the aid of a difficult breeze and carried a three-point lead into the final change.
The Eagles were confident, kicking with the breeze in the last quarter.
Warrack Eagles captain Dan Krahe kicked the first goal of the quarter to give the Eagles the lead and a sniff, but Horsham then assumed control.
With the game in the balance, Farr received a Johns handball running into an open 50. He chipped the ball to the goal square, but it failed to make the distance.
He then beat Eagles defender Jake Cheney to the ball and kicked a miraculous soccer goal from the right pocket, which almost sealed the premiership.
The Eagles continued to challenge, but Horsham had superior depth.
Michael O'Callaghan took two important marks and kicked a goal before Johns kicked the sealer, his sixth, before cupping his ears and saluting to the vocal Eagles crowd.
Warrack Eagles managed a late goal but it was too late.
Arnel received the Greg Binns Medal as best on ground, while Eagles Cade Wellington, who kicked three goals, received the best under-21 player on the ground.
FOR more on Wimmera League's grand finals, see today's Mail-Times.
