IT was at least 10-years in the making and took seven attempts, but Gab Marlow finally has her first A-grade premiership.
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The Mitiamo midcourter had suffered plenty of grand final heartache in the years leading up to last Saturday's 58-51 triumph against Newbridge.
Not all it came through her on-court experiences.
Marlow missed the Superoos' previous premiership win in 2012, when sidelined with a knee injury.
A trio of defeats in 2013 against YCW, 2016 against Newbridge, and again in 2017 against Pyramid Hill - added to those pre-2012 - only added to her grand final grief.
That changed on Saturday, when the 27-year-old wing attack broke through for an overdue and clearly emotional win against the Maroons.
The premiership win was reward for all of perseverance, hard work, resilience and loyalty.
"I grew up on a farm just outside Mitiamo, so I have played there 20 years now, from minis through to this year. This is pretty damn good, " Marlow said in the moments after Saturday's win.
"I'd started to lose count of the grand final losses. And I missed the 2012 one with a knee reconstruction, so I have been trying for 10 years (in A-grade).
"Every year I was thinking I'm never going to get one."
A breakthrough grand final win was made even more special, with Marlow having to rebound from a season-ending ACL injury, sustained in the opening round of the 2018 season.
"I always said if I do another knee than I'm out .... I have two new ones, so hopefully I'm good to go," Marlow said.
Every year I was thinking I'm never going to get one (a premiership).
- Gab Marlow
With a history of bad luck in grand finals, Saturday's premiership decider was always going to provide the Superoos wing attack with plenty of anxious moments, none more so than when the Maroons jumped the match favourites to lead 14-8 at quarter time.
"I was worried from the get-go, they came out even stronger than I thought they would and we just weren't switched on enough," said Marlow, who spent the opening quarter on the bench before taking over from Sarah Ludeman at wing attack.
"Until about two minutes to go, I was still concerned.
"When the siren went I was just so relieved. This club really deserves it, I was just so glad we could do it for everyone.
"We didn't get off to a great start, but this team is the most functional and best team I could have asked to be a part of.
"We all deserve it, 100 per cent. You couldn't have asked for more from any of them (team-mates)."
Marlow received arguably the biggest cheers from a big Mitiamo fan-base as she made her way up to receive her premiership medallion.
The Superoos stalwart had been resolute in her desire not to leave Calivil with another runners-up medal, but can now cast aside thoughts that it was never meant to be.
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