Canberra sport competitions hit top gear on Saturday with finals well and truly here.
Here were the highlights of an outstanding day of first grade sport in the capital.
It was an outstanding 4-2 comeback from Tigers FC against Canberra Juventus on Saturday night to reach the preliminary finals.
Down two-nil at half-time after goals to Samuel Harris, the Australia Cup qualifiers clawed back the lead with four second half goals to progress in the National Premier League first grade men's finals and end Juventus' run.
Goals to David Owusu and a brace for Spencer Barber put the Tigers in front and then Aidan Milicevic's injury time score sealed the win.
In the other final on Saturday night, Queanbeyan City defeated Tuggeranong United 2-0, with goals to Michael Adams and Kristian Tokic.
Next up for Tigers are Monaro Panthers at Deakin Stadium for a spot in the grand final, while Canberra Croatia take on Queanbeyan City.
There might not be a washout round as important as this one.
In a round 11 catch-up - the last round of the regular season - the Goulburn City Bulldogs qualified for the Canberra Raiders Cup finals for the first time since 2019.
In what was also club legend Mitch Cornish's last game at home before he retires after this season, the Bulldogs put on a show in Goulburn, smashing the West Belconnen Warriors 32-16.
Shammah Tiumalu had two tries on the day, including a sensational effort that saw him swan dive over the try-line after a brilliant lead-up from his teammates.
"Tiumalu picks it up and air miles in the corner, the swan dive from Shammah," Bar TV commentators said.
"They kept it alive beautifully, the Bulldogs!"
The Bulldogs' return to finals comes after some clever off-season recruiting led by new coach Arty Taylor.
Cornish walked out to a guard of honour with his family before kick-off in emotional scenes for the former NRL player and Les McIntyre Medal winner. He also converted the Bulldogs' last try to round out a special afternoon.
In other CRC matches, Gungahlin Bulls downed the Bushrangers 28-24, Woden Valley defeated Yass 28-16 and the Kangaroos were beaten 28-16 by their Queanbeyan rivals, the Blues, but the former still claimed the minor premiership.
The dream of an undefeated season and a flag stayed alive for Ainslie's men as they mounted a powerful comeback to end Tuggeranong Valley's year, 12.13 (85) d 5.7 (37) at Gungahlin Oval in first grade AFL action.
Ainslie's Tom Faul ended the day with five goals to his name and Jack Firns booted two. Tuggeranong's best up front was Nick Jarosz who kicked two goals.
The Tricolours are now into the grand final next week, and on Sunday they will learn whether Eastlake or Queanbeyan will join them.
It's a difficult finish for Tuggeranong Valley, with this weekend their first finals appearance since 2016. And their last preliminary final was 28 years ago.
The wait to claim their first premiership since 1986 continues, however the club will stand proud after an impressive turnaround this season under co-coaches Paul Highmore and Sam Robinson.
In the women's first grade finals, the Belconnen Magpies sealed their ticket to the big dance with a nail-biting six-point victory over Queanbeyan Tigers, 40-34.
In the sheds at Gungahlin Oval after the victory the Belconnen women screamed a deafening rendition of the team song to celebrate a return to the grand final.
The Magpies suffered a tough seven-point defeat to Ainslie in the grand final last year, and will be out for redemption next week at Phillip Oval.
Queanbeyan Blues upset West Belconnen 34-18 in the Katrina Fanning Shield on Saturday, with Blues fullback Klaudia Ozstrenkovics scoring two tries, as did teammate Courtney Mapleson.
The Warriors' loss meant that cross-town rivals Belconnen United Sharks claim the KFS minor premiership on points difference.
With mounting injuries and no shot at finals, Tuggeranong Bushrangers also forfeited the round 11 washout game at Greenway, giving the Gungahlin Bulls an easy two points to seal their finals spot.
Woden Valley centre Grace Milne had a hat-trick in the Rams' 34-10 win over Yass to round out the regular season.
Belconnen United Sharks enjoyed the bye this week, giving them a prime lead-up to semi-finals starting next Saturday.
First they ended a 10-year drought. Then they ended an almost 30-year one.
The next big step? Ending the big 40-year one.
For years Tuggeranong Valley men's first grade has been starved of success, with their one premiership coming in 1986.
They hadn't played finals since 2016 and haven't been in a preliminary final since 1998 - the season after they lost the grand final to Ainslie.
When they run out against an unbeaten Tricolours at Gungahlin on Saturday, it'll be the first time they've made the penultimate game of the season in 28 years.
It's part of a remarkable turnaround at the club under co-coaches Paul Highmore and Sam Robinson.
Last year, they finished second last, with all three of their wins coming against the bottom-placed Gungahlin Jets.
One year later, they've finished third on the ladder with nine victories.
They've beaten Belconnen. They've beaten Queanbeyan.
That just leaves Eastlake and Ainslie from the "Big Four" who they're yet to taste victory against.
It's been a different story for their women, who have won six premierships with the last coming with back-to-back flags in 2013-14.
They also play Ainslie in the women's prelim at Queanbeyan on Sunday.
Tuggeranong Valley president Anne Bennie said they made a concerted effort to turn things around for the men and she was hopeful they'd set the club up to ensure this season wasn't a one-off.
"It's been many years since the men have made it to finals," she said.
"Tuggeranong's always been like a cellar-dweller on the ladder.
"We took a few steps a number of years ago to try and address that and we've got a really good culture amongst our young players that still need two or three seasons in first grade to kind of get there.
"We've got a cohort of 23, 24-year-olds and around there that are really starting to gel as a team, as well as some marquee players."
They've brought the Budd brothers, Riley and Noah, back from The Rock-Yerong Creek - out near Wagga Wagga - and added Blake Walker and Will O'Connor.
But another crucial cog has been the resurrection of their under-18s side under coach Mark Woodward after a "four or five year" absence, helping reduce the loss of their kids to other clubs.
They've got a couple of young guns Highmore thought had AFL draft potential in 16-year-old James Rice and Aiden Henderson.
"Just having that under-18s team, it's just given us that pathway for our younger players ... on to first-grade footy," he said.
"Whereas the previous couple of years, there was just that gap in between and we lost a few players where they weren't quite ready to make that step to senior footy.
"We just lost them to either away from footy altogether or to other clubs."
Now it's time for the next big test - Ainslie.
The closest they've come to beating the Tricolours was their 35-point loss about a month ago.
"We haven't got close to Ainslie so far," Highmore said.
"I think we haven't got within 50 points of them, but it just feels like it's getting closer against them.
"Anything can happen in finals.
"But we know that they're a really good team and they're undefeated for a reason this year."
AFL CANBERRA PRELIMINARY FINALS
MEN
Saturday: Ainslie v Tuggeranong Valley at Gungahlin Enclosed, 2.25pm.
Sunday: Eastlake v Queanbeyan at Queanbeyan, 2.25pm.
WOMEN
Saturday: Queanbeyan v Belconnen at Gungahlin Enclosed, 10.45am.
Sunday: Ainslie v Tuggeranong Valley at Queanbeyan, 10.45am.
