Has Alec Buchan’s point ensured Epping’s NFL Division 2 survival?

Alec Buchan may have secured Epping’s NFL Division 2 future, breaking Fitzroy Stars hearts. Watch the nail-biting finish here.

Omar Mustafa in action for Epping. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Alec Buchan’s last-gasp point might have secured Epping’s place in NFL Division 2 next season.

The behind secured a heart-stopping one-point win and a critical four-points against relegation rival Fitzroy Stars at Epping Reserve on Saturday.

The 8.20 (68) to 10.7 (67) victory is also Epping’s first home win since a 126-point demolition of the Stars in Round 14, 2018 – a 1421-day drought.

Inaccuracy threatened to ruin the Pingers’ hopes as they kicked 2.9 in the nail-biting last quarter.

A Omar Mustafa miss levelled the scores with three minutes to play before Buchan’s quick kick out of a stoppage sailed through for the match-winner with just 30 seconds left.

Epping coach Aaron Newport said the game was his club’s grand final and couldn’t have been prouder of the determination to win.

“We’d been talking during the week saying this is our grand final,” he said.

“We’ve had a tough season with injuries, we recruited a lot of young kids and our key senior players have been out.

“I said to (the players) the club hasn’t won a game at home since 2018, so it’s been a long time between drinks for the supporters to see a win and hear the song here.

“We had a point of prove to a lot of people that don’t know what’s going on inside the four walls, so we said ‘let’s make a stand and play for the jumper’.

“As I said, it was our grand final, win and it gives us a break on them but lose and it’s going to be a tough second half of the season.”

Desperate to secure its first win of the season and keep its season alive, Fitzroy Stars held a two-point lead at half-time and three-quarter-time.

In contrast to Epping’s wastefulness, the Stars’ accuracy very nearly pinched the game.

Newport revealed his team kicked 2.9 from 18 inside 50s, while Fitzroy booted three goals from just three entries.

“We didn’t think we’d kicked that many points in the last quarter.

Leigh Judd in action for Epping. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“We thought we were in control but they fought tooth and nail in defence and just wouldn’t let us get easy shots on goal.

“The boys on the bench were saying ‘it’s a draw that’s alright’ and I was like ‘nah, nothing but a win, we came here to win today’.

“It got into centre half-forward, it was a slog, there was stoppage after stoppage and somehow Alec got a kick out and got it through for a point with about 30 seconds to go and there was a bit of excitement then.”

Having made the move to defence this season, Dallyce Taylor was best on ground for Epping.

Tom Burnside produced arguably his best game of the season, kicking two goals from midfield, while captain Leigh Judd was inspirational in his return from injury.

Judd, playing his first game in a month, shook off a syndesmosis injury to lead his team out in a season-defining match.

“Juddy had been out injured for a while but he said to us ‘I’m playing’,” Newport said.

“You could break the guy’s leg and he’d still continue on, he’s the heart and soul of the place, he’s fantastic. It’s great working with him.

“Dal has been a forward most of his life but we went to him at the start of the season and said forwards make great backmen knowing we didn’t have any key backmen at the club.

We wanted him to a have a crack and he’s been fantastic with his intercept marking and in the last five minutes he took some big grabs and stood tall for the team.”

Hotak Akram was Fitzroy Stars’ best in defeat, his second straight best-on-ground performance, while Riley Livingstone (three goals), Cory Glass and Riley McRae also stood tall.

The result moves Epping two games clear of Fitzroy Stars at the foot of the ladder but Newport isn’t looking too far ahead.

DIV 2: VALLANCE SAVES DAY, ELTHAM WINS THRILLER

LEADER: GET YOUR NORTHERN FOOTY NEWS HERE

DIV 3: HEIDELBERG WEST’S ‘MOST IMPORTANT WIN’ OF YEAR

“We’re not going to say we’re safe,” he said.

“The way Fitzroy played (on Saturday) they could very easily pop up and beat a couple of teams.

“We’ve got Diamond Creek this week, they embarrassed us last time around so we want to put up a good show against them, and then we’ve got Panton Hill … we think we can get a couple more wins to springboard us into next season.

Fitzroy Stars take on Lower Plenty at Sir Douglas Nicholls Oval on Saturday.