Easts president Nick Haralambous takes a moment and admits "we haven't been a successful club for a long time." So this was a moment to savour.
The sight of Easts old boys and supporters lining the sidelines at Griffith Oval, and flocking onto the field to celebrate a Canberra Suburban Cup grand final win - in extra time, no less - was one for the memory bank.
Because Easts have lifted an ACT Rugby trophy again with a 23-15 win over the Hall Bushrangers. Sure, it may not be at the heights of the John I Dent Cup, but they dream of returning to that stage one day. More on that later.
This was about Hugo Nobbs scoring to put Easts on the verge of premiership glory, only for Hall winger Tyron Costigan to score from a long-range intercept on the final play of the game. You wondered how a club who has been through so much could be subjected to the cruelty of a loss after the siren, but the conversion sailed wide.
To extra time we would go, where a try to Connor Evans - and a penalty from George Wawn - sparked celebrations so joyful even a dog ran to get involved.
"I know that a lot of the guys haven't had a lot of success in the past. For the old boys especially, we haven't been a successful club for a long time," Haralambous said.
"To be able to get a victory and have a premiership is huge.
"Having a winning culture isn't something that we've had in the past, so to be able to get a couple of wins on the board in the grade that we're in and certainly offer success to the people that keep turning up each week is huge."
The COVID-19 pandemic was once "the final nail in the coffin" for Easts after they withdrew from the John I Dent Cup, leaving six teams in ACT Rugby's premier competition.
Mergers were on the table. Folding completely was an option. But then-club president Huia Edmonds and the Easts committee vowed to fight for survival.
Easts spent the 2020 season in the first division competition alongside Monaro clubs, before fielding third and fourth grade teams against John I Dent Cup clubs in 2021.
The club joined a four-team Suburban Cup competition in 2022 - and they have since reached five consecutive grand finals, lifting the silverware in 2023.
The 2026 edition includes six teams - and two of the top four come from Easts. They so nearly could have played each other in the grand final, only for Easts White to forfeit a semi-final with a number of players ineligible for finals.
So, with two men's teams and a women's side, what comes next? A beer or two, sure, but after that?
Easts are targeting an eventual return to the John I Dent Cup in a move that would see the ACT's premier competition expand to seven teams for the first time since Penrith's exit.
"Our goal is 100 per cent to get back into the John I Dent one day, and that's definitely the dream," Haralambous said.
"But the dream needs to start with a bit of youth, a really good platform and really good numbers. Once we have that, then when the time's right, we'll get back there.
"There's definitely desire. If we get the right people, we can also attract the right players to do it, but we'll play it as it comes.
"We were pretty close to being able to field a colts team [this year], which is our future. They opted to be a bit more supported and play in the seniors and play amongst us rather than stand for themselves as colts.
"We're hopeful that we can certainly grow a colts side into next year and keep growing the seniors."
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