A teenage Scott Pendlebury was part of the last Gippsland Power team to hoist the premiership cup in 2005.
Twenty-one years later, Scott's brother Kris could coach the Power to a drought-breaking flag.
The Power knocked off Sandringham by two points in Sunday's preliminary final at Mars Stadium, Ballarat, which has qualified for every grand final since the pandemic and has a stack of draftable talent who will be in action.
"We knew they had some personnel back which would make a difference," Pendlebury told Zero Hanger. The Dragons had top-five prospects Gus Teixeira and Arki Butler return for the game.
"They've got some real strengths with how they intercept the ball and rebound off half-back, so we wanted to take territory and get deep entries and get it to ground because our smalls are really good.
"I thought our backs were really good (on Sunday) owning the air, and we seized our moments late. I get them for two hours a week so I was proud with the way they listened today."
Team success is secondary to maximising individual output in the talent pathway competition, but a grand final appearance is an overdue reward for people in a Gippsland region with a proud footy history.
Gippsland Power's Centre of Excellence in Morwell, established in 2010, is one of the Talent Pathway's premier facilities.
It's not only their facilities that have become the envy of other regions, though, with their culture, connection to local clubs and development systems also highly regarded across the state.
Only Sandringham and Oakleigh have had more players drafted since 2021 than Gippsland Power's 18.
2021 is used as a benchmark year as it is when the region established the Gippsland All-Stars program, which develops young footballers and netballers aged 13-15 and allows them to compete at a regional level.
All Vic Country programs take part in the V/Line Cup for the best Under-15s players, but Gippsland's All Stars program grows the depth and quality of grassroots programs and gives the elite talent a taste of high-performance environments at a younger age.
The Bendigo Pioneers region has introduced a program similar to the All-Stars off the back of Gippsland's success.
"The pre-game message (in the preliminary final) is we might see the boys for two hours a week, but we do everything pretty hard so we're adept at doing the hard things," Pendlebury said.
"We've got better as the season has gone on and we've had continuity, and it's something the region does really well, so hopefully we've got a little bit of improvement for next week.
"We're a big region in terms of geography but small personnel-wise, so it's great reward for a lot of people for a long time, so hopefully the Gippsland people can come to Whitten Oval next Saturday."
Highlighting the success of the pathway, last year Gippsland had five players take part in the annual Under-17s Futures showcase on AFL Grand Final day - a record for any talent pathway club, ever. Marlon Neocleous, Wil Malady, Clancy Snell and Xavier Ladbrook have all received National Combine invites with strong seasons after that game last year, while Templeton has a state combine invite.
This year, Gippsland matched it, with five more selected, all set to play in the Talent League grand final before getting their chance to shine on the MCG: Cohen Dent, Leo Stephenson, Charlie Fischer, Henry Allsop and Oscar Henwood.
Henwood missed the preliminary final with injury but is set to return, likely in place of Ash Mounsey, who suffered a hamstring injury after playing a key role in the victory for Pendlebury's side.
"He manages to get the best out of the boys by managing the moments well from a training perspective, and the conversations allow players to drive the standards," co-captain Templeton said of Pendlebury's coaching.
"He really gets around us as well, so there's a really good balance he's had since coming in."
Ladbrook was one of the starring contributors to the preliminary final victory, providing a reminder of his talent as a raw key defender after a best afield performance for the AFL Academy earlier in the year.
"I'm so happy he's just been settled in that spot; he's been thrown all over the ground, but for him it's trusting his aerial presence and having an aggressive mindset in the air," Pendlebury said.
"I thought he, Clancy (Snell) and Henry (Allsop) were amazing (on Sunday)."
Hawthorn Next Generation Academy talent Keenan Boi is another to have generated draft interest after a breakout 2026 campaign and was pivotal in Gippsland holding on in the last quarter of the preliminary final.
He has benefitted from playing senior footy this year for Warragul in between representative commitments, an opportunity extensively afforded to most of the region's draftable talent, including Willem Duursma, Alix Tauru, Xavier Lindsay, Tom Matthews and now delisted trio Lachie Smith, Zac Walker and Asher Eastham in recent years.
"He's just got a bit of magic about him," Pendlebury said of Boi.
"His pressure is what's most impressive and gives him an opportunity to score, and he's matured from the start of the year."
Augustus Finsterer is another smokey on the radar following an excellent past six weeks, having grown across the course of 2026 after never previously being part of the Gippsland Power system.
"He's so good with his goal kicking and every week he has eight or nine ground balls, plus his marking, so from day dot to now he's come so far."
Templeton, who has been a natural leader throughout his junior career, has had an up-and-down season, but his compliance with his role and improving running ability has won praise at Gippsland and was recognised with a third-placed finish in the Morrish Medal.
"The preliminary final was one of those great wins that takes you back to local footy and how we all buy into the culture of Power; it made it really special," Templeton said.
"Looking in the rooms at Power, there's a photo of the last time we won and every time you're working out or doing treatment, it's right there, and it's such a big thing that motivates me personally."
The Power take on Dandenong Stingrays at Whitten Oval on Saturday at 1pm.
