Initially, it looked like the Kees might claim back-to-back flags.

They seemed to have the Roos covered for pace around the ground and, if not for some errant kicking, could have had a handy lead at the first break.

Andrew Brown’s two first-quarter goals were still enough to give the Kees a 14-point lead.

In the second quarter, the Roos showed why they finished the season atop the ladder.

They started the term with a goal after Kee James Wollermann spilled a mark at half-back and the Roos quickly moved the ball along the wing into their forward line.

Damian Van Someren found a wide-open Max Leeming for a major.

It was followed almost immediately by a goal from Richie Dunlop Memorial Trophy winner Edward Ferguson and the margin was suddenly close again.

They reclaimed the lead after captain Alister Penny was pushed in the back and converted a set shot, and burly forward Matt Robertson nailed another shot from near the 50-metre arc to extend it.

Now it was Kalkee’s turn to respond, and it did through Caden Wicks and Blair Thomas just before half-time.

Ollie Young has been a fixture in the Kalkee senior team, but hamstring issues this year kept him from playing the number of senior games needed to make him ineligible for reserves.

He showed his value early in the third term with a long two-bounce run and long kick into the forward line, setting up a brilliant roving goal by Jasper Gunn.

It was Gunn’s second major in a matter of minutes and gave Kalkee a 10-point lead.

They threatened to break the match open when Brown and Wollermann added two more majors to push the margin out to 23.

It was a stroke of luck that turned the game back in Harrow-Balmoral’s favour.

Van Someren shanked an attempted set shot from 50 metres, but the ball tumbled straight to Max Leeming for an uncontested mark 20 metres out from goal.

The ensuing conversion was followed by another from Robertson.

Only five points separated the sides at the final change, and a repeat of Kalkee’s two-point victory in the second semi-final was on the cards.

It was Harrow-Balmoral that came out with the run in their legs, aided by half-back Chris Sondhu who was magnificent all day.

Penny kicked an opportunistic goal, and Van Someren followed it up after Dave Vickery was awarded a free kick for a high fend-off by Mark Sulic.

Sulic was one of Kalkee’s best on the day, but was stretchered off after going down in the last quarter.

Vickery booted a goal of his own to extend the lead to 15, but Kalkee came back in characteristic fashion.

Brown booted his fourth and Jamie Nield played on in inside 50 to kick another in red time.

Nield’s goal reduced the margin to three points, but there was not enough time for the Kees.

The siren blew as they were sending the ball inside 50 for what could have been a match-winning goal.

Vickery was named best on ground in the win.

Harrow-Balmoral coach David McClure said it was an unbelievable victory.

“Kalkee beat us in the second-semi final and showed a lot of heart again,” he said.

“We had 28 blokes who deserved to play in this grand final today but unfortunately we could only pick 20.

“Well done to our boys. Great stuff.”