After trailing by 12 points midway through the third quarter, the minor premier was able to kick six of the last seven goals to record a 14.13 (97) to 10.8 (68) victory on a beautiful spring day at Eltham Central Park.
North Heidelberg will now have to back up this weekend for a second shot at Epping, and will face Fitzroy Stars in the preliminary final.
Daniel Moore booted three goals for Epping and provided a tall target up forward all day, while strong second halves by Cameron Campbell and Josh Stavely would have pleased coach Mario Bandera.
For the Bulldogs, Shane Harvey booted four first-half goals to take his tally for the year to 87 from 14 games, while youngster Matthew Mahony, Louis Hill and Pasquale Saccuzzo were busy around the midfield.
Having beaten Epping in the final round of the regular season, North was full of confidence heading into the match, and Epping would certainly have been worried when Harvey controlled a kick directed to him by Saccuzzo inside the first 30 seconds.
With skill and poise, Harvey managed to palm the ball down with his left hand to his advantage and snap truly from 35m on his right foot.
Epping was able to answer back a few minutes later via Moore. He was judged to have been held in a marking contest by Trent Scannell after trying to get on the end of a Josh Totino snap at goal. Moore converted from the goal square to hand his side the lead.
In an extremely physical first term that involved many ferocious bumps and tackles, Epping began exerting its dominance throughout the many stoppages. Michael O’Neill was able to rove a pack and send Aaron Willitts into the clear. Willitts ran to 45 metres and booted truly towards the trestle bridge end.
Minutes later, Gazi Assi was sent from the field because of an off the ball incident with Simon Kefalas.
With his opponent sitting on the bench with a yellow card to his name, Epping’s leading goal kicker for 2012 was able to get his first of the afternoon after Hill caught him high. His set shot from 30 metres went directly through the middle and saw Epping take a 13-point lead into the first change
.North Heidelberg came out of the barriers just like in the first quarter. This time Will Connell was able to spot up Harvey leading out of the goal square. He calmly converted his shot at goal from 20 metres, and the Bulldogs were able to get two in a row when Connell found Stephen Saddington all by himself on the boundary line.
With no pressure around him, Saddington slotted through his first from 40 metres to trim the lead to two points.
Unfortunately for the underdogs, discipline was becoming an issue. Stavely was awarded a 50 metre penalty after an opponent went into the restricted zone on the mark and he was able to answer Saddington’s goal with a shot from 30 metres.
Then, only minutes later, Matthew Garland was also took advantage of free field position and he was able to goal from 35 metres.
If that wasn’t enough to leave North’s coach Leigh Gray scratching his head, Ben Naylon was then sent to the bench with a yellow card for making high contact with an Garland.
Travis Keating was able to cut through the middle of the park and pass to Kefalas who took a strong overhead mark. His second goal was successful from 30 metres and the Blues had moved out to a 21-point lead thanks to an 11-minute burst.
North hit back strongly right from the next centre bounce. Harvey was able to take a one-handed mark whilst holding off Stavely and he was able to boot his second of the term from 40 metres.
Then key defender Scannell was able to run down from defense and he converted a long ball from outside the 50 metre line.
In a quarter of momentum swings, it was no surprise that Epping was able to answer straight from the next clearance, and it was Garland again who was able to sidestep his way into the clear before booting truly from 50 metres.
Harvey had the final say in the first half, as he was able to race onto a long kick inside 50 that ran all the way to the goal line. He outpaced his Epping opponents and snapped the ball through on his left boot to leave Epping with an eight-point advantage at half-time.
It’s not often that someone that has kicked just two goals for the entire regular season is able to kick multiple goals in a final, but Trent Scannell was able to achieve this when he was awarded a free kick from a Daniel Santoro throw at the five-minute mark of the third quarter.
When Paul King was able to mark Mahony’s kick to the goal square, the Bulldogs were back in the lead. The lead was stretched to 12 points when Leigh Gilbert intelligently palmed a ball down to an unmanned Saddington, who was able to stroll into an open goal.
This however saw Epping answer back strongly. Campbell, who had missed a shot just a minute earlier, was able to kick truly on the run from 45 metres, and when John Kreuzer was able to toe-poke through a large scrimmage in the goal square, the favourites had taken back the lead at time on.
King had other ideas however, and he set sail from outside 50 but unfortunately he skewed his shot badly. Gilbert was the man in the lucky position and was able to mark easily, and then convert from 25 metres, but a two minute salvo by the Pingers saw them take a seven-point lead into the final change.
First, Moore was gang tackled but was deemed to have been caught high, and he was able to convert from 25 metres, before young key forward Harley Nancarrow was able to mark on the lead. His helicopter-punt flew through the goals and Epping had the momentum once again.
Epping started the last quarter with all the running and field position, however it took seven minutes before it got first blood.
Josh Totino was able to latch onto a loose kick out of defense. He then cruised past Casey Brown and goaled from the boundary, and when Moore was awarded a free for being pushed out of a marking contest and then kick truly, it seemed inevitable that Epping was going to enjoy watching next weekend from the sidelines.
Campbell was able to put the final icing on the cake when he was given a free for being taken high in a marking contest. His calm set shot went through the long shadows as Epping held on for a 29-point victory.
Next weekend North Heidleberg will have to get themselves up for a big preliminary final clash against the Fitzroy Stars as its aim to get back into the top flight on its first attempt.
The winner will face Epping in two week’s time at Preston City Oval for the 2012 premiership cup.
Final score: Epping 14.13 (97) def North Heidelberg 10.8 (68)
