By the final siren of the two games that impacted that finals status, however, the Lions were seventh and will now sit out the 2024 playoffs.
Dookie United, who held the finals hopes of Stanhope in its hands, led Tallygaroopna (sixth at the start of Round 16) by five points and Stanhope was two points in front of Girgarre.
While the Lions did their bit, beating the Kangaroos by 14 points with a four goals to two final term, a bit further to the east of the competition boundary it was Tallygaroopna that emerged with a 16-point win.
The Redlegs will now face third-ranked Shepparton East in an elimination final at Avenel on Saturday, while the fourth and fifth-ranked teams (Avenel and Nagambie) will play at Lancaster in the other eliminator on Sunday.
Stanhope coach Adam Lovison’s frustration boiled over in his explanation of the equation that had caused the team to miss the finals.
“I am massively frustrated. I feel we improved out of site this year and it sucks that we beat two of the top six teams but missed out on finals,” he said.
A draw which saw the Lions play the top two teams twice, Murchison-Toolamba in the space of a four-week period, made it a tough season for his team.
Tallygaroopna played the top four teams only once each this season in a quirk of the KDL draw.
“This year we actually won one more game than last year (10 wins), but still played finals last year,” Lovison said.
Stanhope co-captain was the star of the show, kicking four goals after he started in defence and moved forward in the second half.
Girgarre led by 13 points at quarter time and by 17 at the long break before the Lions’ charge.
“Having two Jack Donnells would be amazing. He is so valuable with his intercept marking, but he kicked two goals straight after half time and then another two in the last quarter,” he said.
“We stopped turning the ball over and steadied the ship after Gig had dominated us in the middle.”
Lovison moved into the centre himself, along with Tyson McKenzie, providing Tom Rennie (three goals) with the chance to continue the comeback.
“They wanted it more than us in the first half and when Donnell went forward Daniel Maher also influenced the game at centre half back,” Lovison said.
Jono Pearson and Luke Donnell were also stars on the wings.
Lovison said some good news had come out of the season with 90 per cent of his playing group committing to season 2025.
It was again Harry Browning-Briese, who will be a chance of winning a club best and fairest award from full back, who was his team’s best player.
Ruckman Byron Dryden, Connor Cowley and two goals from Steve Phillips made them the other major contributors for the Kangaroos.
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