Here's our top five BFNL qualifying finals from the past 15 years.

Read more: Top five elimination finals since 2005

The 2013 BFNL qualifying final was the one that got away for Eaglehawk.

The Hawks only had themselves to blame as they squandered a golden opportunity to put a major dent in Square's bid for a fifth-straight flag.

After trailing by three goals at the first change, the Hawks had the better of the second and third terms to grab a four-point lead at three-quarter time.

The Hawks had most of the play in the final quarter, but they couldn't make the Bulldogs pay.

Goals to James Bristow and Nick Carter gave Square the lead with six minutes to play.

The ball was in Eaglehawk's forward line for the majority of the final six minutes.

With three minutes remaining, star forward Kain Robins missed a set shot from 50m out in front.

Full-forward Matt Gretgrix had a set shot from 40m out in front to tie the scores in the final minute, but his shot faded to the right.

In the dying seconds the Hawks pumped the ball forward to the goalsquare, the ball spilt from the pack and looked set to be collected by one of three Borough forwards.

However, Golden Square defender Jon Coe made a desperate dive through the pack, grabbed the footy and smartly pushed the ball through for a rushed point.

After the kick-in the final siren sounded and the Bulldogs celebrated a 10.9 (69) to 8.17 (65) win.

Golden Square won the game despite the loss of star centre half-back Travis Baird.

Baird's absence was felt across half-back as Kain Robins dominated for the Borough.

Robins grabbed 12 marks and kicked three goals in a best on ground performance.

Darcy Richards played arguably his best game of the year for the Borough across half-back, while Lucas Matthews was inspirational in the middle of the ground. Brodie Collins earned high praise for his tagging job on Square star Mark Lloyd.

Simon Rosa and Jack Geary were the Bulldogs best, centre half-forward James Bristow took eight marks and kicked three goals and full-back Dale Young stood up well under extreme pressure

Golden Square 5.3 6.6 8.7 10.9 (69)

Eaglehawk 2.3 4.8 8.11 8.17 (65)

GOALS - Golden Square: J. Bristow 3, J. Filo, H. Morcom 2, N. Carter, M. O'Toole, S. Rosa. Eaglehawk: K. Robins 3, B. Filo, M. Gretgrix 2, L. Matthews.

BEST - Golden Square: S. Rosa, J. Geary, D. Young, C. Anderson, N. Bell, J. Bristow. Eaglehawk: K. Robins, D. Richards, K. Robins, L. Matthews, B. Collins, B. Conforti, T. Plim.

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When you think about the 2017 BFNL finals series, the first thought is Strathfieldsaye's stunning final quarter in the grand final win over Eaglehawk.

Fair enough.

However, if it wasn't for a special final term effort in the qualifying final three weeks earlier you could mount a strong argument that the Storm wouldn't have won the flag.

Even though Golden Square had beaten the Storm twice in the home and away season, the Storm went into the qualifying final as warm favourite.

With a quarter to play the Dogs held a one-goal lead and had the momentum. The Storm looked vulnerable.

Kallen Geary had other ideas. After spending most of the first three quarters across half-back, Geary was moved forward for the final term and he swung the game the Storm's way.

Geary had a hand in another Storm goal and instantly added some much-needed vibrance to Strathfieldsaye's forward half.

Strathfieldsaye went on to dominate possession in the final quarter and defeat a gallant Golden Square 9.19 (73) to 10.4 (64).

The Storm restricted Square to 1.1 in the final quarter. The Bulldogs struggled to force the ball past the centre as the Storm forwards and midfielders worked hard to lock the ball in.

Young ruckman Harry Crone, Sam Heavyside, Sam Simmons, Jake Moorhead and Harry Conway had a strong impact on the game.

The Dogs did do plenty right.

They restricted the Storm to nine goals, Clayton Anderson held Storm star Lachlan Sharp to just one goal and they were efficient in front of goal with 10 majors from 14 scoring shots.

However, three good quarters was not enough to topple the Storm and the Dogs found themselves in a cut-throat semi-final against Sandhurst a week later.

Strathfieldsaye 1.5 5.10 6.15 9.19 (73)

Golden Square 3.0 5.0 9.3 10.4 (64)

GOALS: Strathfieldsaye: T. Donnan, H. Conway, L. Sharp, J. Heavyside, L. Bonney, B. Stringer, K. Geary, M. Harvey, J. Donaldson. Golden Square: D. Johnstone 4, T. Toma, A. Baird, B. Welsh, J. Rosengren, H. Morcom.

BEST: Strathfieldsaye: K. Geary, H. Crone, S. Simmons, S. Heavyside, J. Moorhead, H. Conway. Golden Square: W. Lee, M. Compston, J. Geary, C. Anderson, T. Toma, D. Johnstone.

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A four-goal deficit in the final quarter of a final normally means curtains.

In the 2011 qualifying final, Eaglehawk trailed Gisborne by 22 points early in the final term of yesterday's qualifying final before unleashing a stunning seven-goal unanswered burst to blow the Bulldogs away.

The Hawks eventually won 16.16 (112) to 13.10 (88) to set up a second semi-final clash with Golden Square.

Eaglehawk's never-say-die attitude and will to win was best shown by underrated midfielder Aiden Metcalf.

Midway through the final quarter the Borough had narrowed the margin to four points when against the flow of play Gisborne forward Darren Farrugia swooped on a loose ball 30m out from his goal and looked set to kick a steadying major.

But Metcalf layed a brilliant tackle, forced a turnover and the Hawks swept the ball to the wing to Richard Tibbett.

The athletic big man baulked two Gisborne players and kicked the ball long inside 50.

Matt Gretgrix picked up the loose ball and ran into an open goal to put Eaglehawk in front.

It was a two-goal swing and from that point on the Hawks were always going to win.

Eaglehawk key forwards Matt Gilmore and Matt Gretgrix proved to be the difference between the two teams.

Proven finals performer Gretgrix stood up when it mattered most, kicking three of his five goals in the final quarter.

But it was Gilmore's all-round performance, 5.2 and 10 marks, that hurt Gisborne the most.

He was too big and strong for Gisborne veterans Rod Sharp and Anthony Belcher.

The Bulldogs trailed by seven points at half-time, but jumped the Borough in the third quarter on the back of Tom Waters' dominance in the ruck.

Gisborne kicked five goals in the first 12 minutes of the term to open up a 23-point lead.

The Dogs had the Borough on the ropes but they couldn't land a knockout blow.

Waters was clearly Gisborne's best player, while midfielder Casey Summerfield won plenty of the ball.

Tom May was lively all day and key forward Ben Sonogan took nine marks.

Eaglehawk 2.3 6.9 8.11 16.16 (112)

Gisborne 3.4 5.8 11.9 13.10 (88)

GOALS - Eaglehawk: M. Gretgrix, M. Gilmore 5, R. McIvor 2, R. Threlfall, J. Baird, J. Bowe, J. Lockwood. Gisborne: T. May, C. Summerfield 2, J. Lynch, J. McFarlane, D. Farrugia, B. Watt, D. Pante, B. Sonogan, D. House, T. Waters, J. Petran.

BEST - Eaglehawk: M. Gilmore, C. Gregg, R. McIvor, D. Richards, M. Gretgrix, G. Daly. Gisborne: T. Waters, C. Summerfield, T. May, O. Messaoudi, B. Sonogan, T. Walsh.

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The Bulldogs won 13.12 (90) to 10.17 (77) in a contest where the key difference between the two sides was Golden Square's ability to convert its chances inside forward 50.

Golden Square was under pressure for much of the game, but Sandhurst constantly kept the door ajar for the Bulldogs until the Dragons were finally made to pay for their missed opportunities midway through the final term when the three-time reigning premiers broke the game open.

The Bulldogs entered the last term nine points in front, 10.9 to 8.12, but Sandhurst made all the running early in the final quarter.

Inside the first 10 minutes of the last quarter the Dragons - who lost midfielders Lee and Jon Coghlan to shoulder injuries in the second half - bottled the ball up in their forward line, but couldn't capitalise on the scoreboard.

Jake Ward (twice), Corey Lobb and Joel Wharton all missed gettable opportunities for the Dragons, with their squandered chances the story of Sandhurst's day.

Having failed to hurt Golden Square on the scoreboard, the Dragons were left to rue their missed opportunities when, in a six-minute burst mid-term, Golden Square kicked three unanswered goals through Grant Weeks (two) and Jason Griffin to open up a game-high 26-point lead at the 20-minute mark.

The Dragons fought the game out, kicking the last two goals of the match through Sam McGee and Michael Cornish, but the bottom line was Sandhurst didn't take its chances when the game was on the line.

Defenders Travis Baird, Clayton Anderson and Brayden Dorrington were among Golden Square's best players as they led a backline that was under siege all game.

Usual half-back flanker Hamish Morcom played well in the forward line, kicking three goals, while he also took some courageous marks.

Captain Simon Rosa - who was shadowed by Daniel Symes and Nathan Meade - and young wingman Comanche Walls were others among the best players.

Full-forward Grant Weeks, who was opposed by Pat Jennings, finished with four goals and seven marks.

Ruckman Matt Thornton was the Dragons' best as he battled tirelessly all game and helped Sandhurst dominate the centre clearances and around the ground stoppages.

Defenders Jennings, who competed well with Weeks, Jake Wilkinson and Mal Borchard were also among the better players for the Dragons.

Golden Square 3.2 6.5 10.9 13.12 (90)

Sandhurst 1.8 5.11 8.12 10.17 (77)

GOALS - Golden Square: G. Weeks 4, H. Morcom 3, J. Griffin 2, C. Carter, R. Bradley, T. Baird, A. Baird. Sandhurst: R. Symes 3, N. Stagg, S. McGee, J. Coghlan, J. Ward, B. Holmes, M. Cornish, I. Miller.

BEST - Golden Square: T. Baird, C. Anderson, H. Morcom, B. Dorrington, S. Rosa, C. Walls. Sandhurst: M. Thornton, P. Jennings, B. Holmes, J. Wilkinson, M. Borchard, L. Coghlan.

Two weeks before the qualifying final Golden Square thumped Sandhurst by 14 goals.

When the Bulldogs raced to a three-goal lead by quarter-time of the qualifying final, it appeared as though another one-sided game was on the cards.

It didn't turn out that way as the Dragons gave the Bulldogs a mighty scare.

The Dragons were sparked into action in the second term.

A late bump on Nick Stagg by Square's Brayden Dorrington gave Lee Coghlan a goal and minutes later Stagg shook off the effects of the head-high knock to earn a second 50m penalty and another Dragons' goal.

For the majority of the second quarter the ball was in Sandhurst's forward half of the ground, but the Dragons' return of 4.3 was not scoreboard reward for their midfield dominance.

Square's only score for the term was a Jayden Burke goal at the 25-minute mark and it gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead.

Corey Jones threatened to blow the game apart for Square in the third quarter.

Two left-foot snaps for goals inside the first three minutes showed his class and, when James Sullivan added another a short time later, the Bulldogs had opened up a three-goal lead.

To Sandhurst's credit the intensity lifted again. A brilliant running goal from Adam Parry and a mark and goal from Matt Thornton cut Square's lead to six points at the final change.

When Lee Coghlan kicked the opening goal of the final quarter the scores were level and the Dragons could sense an upset.

This time it was Golden Square's turn to grab the momentum.

Tom Toma capped a great game with a goal from a Sandhurst turnover and Ryan Herring marked strongly five metres out and converted to give the Bulldogs some breathing space.

They should have had the game iced by midway through the final quarter, but missed shots in front of goal kept the Dragons in the game.

Parry gave the Dragons a lifeline with a fine snap, but a quick response from teenager Riley Saunders and Jones' sixth goal sealed the game for the Bulldogs.

Forwards Jones and Herring proved to be the difference between the two teams.

While Sandhurst struggled for a marking target forward of centre, Jones and Herring combined for eight goals and 13 marks.

Golden Square 5.4, 6.4, 10.6, 14.14 (98)

Sandhurst 2.0, 6.3, 9.6, 12.8 (80)

GOALS - Golden Square: C. Jones 6, R. Herring 2, T. Toma, B. Ryan-Storey, J. Burke, J. Sullivan, R. Saunders, D. Lowry. Sandhurst: L. Coghlan 4, M. Thornton 3, A. Parry 2, N. Stagg, K. Ngawati, T. Calvert.

BEST - Golden Square: T. Baird, J. Geary, T. Toma, C. Jones, R. Herring, J. Daley. Sandhurst: L. Tardrew, T. Martin, J. McLean, M. Thornton, A. Parry, K. Ngawati.