Port Adelaide entered the AFL in 1997 after years of dominance in the SANFL. The Brisbane Lions had been formed for that season out of a merger of the Fitzroy Football Club and Brisbane Bears.
And throughout the subsequent six years, both teams had battled their way to the top of the AFL competition.
In 2002, the two rivals met in the final round of the year to determine which would finish atop the ladder.
With AAMI Stadium packed almost to the brim with 46,439 supporters, the spectacle that ensued would be, undoubtedly, one of the greatest games in AFL history.
The game was close in the first half.
Both teams were locked equally at 1.2 apiece at the first change, thanks in part to the masterstroke of coach Mark Williams who put creative forward Chad Cornes on the rampant Brisbane half-forward Jonathan Brown.
Cornes held Brown goalless in the opening quarters - a performance that would see him feature permanently in that position for years to come.
The Lions led by 10 points at the half following late goals to Shaun Hart and Jason Akermanis.
Port wasn't having any of that and proceeded to boot 7.5 to 1.3 after the main break.
But the Lions came roaring back and hit the lead by a point with five minutes left in the match.
It was the stuff of nightmares for the faithful in the outer - the Power had squandered their lead, and crucial momentum to their fast-finishing rival.
With time being eaten away, Nick Stevens would win possession in the middle and send a desperate kick forward to a contest.
No one held the mark, but one player - Roger James - won the crumb and capped off his 30-disposal effort that day with the winning goal.
The late Clinton Grybas would describe it as the greatest game that wasn't a grand final.
He was right.
FINAL SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 1.2 5.4 12.9 13.12 (90)
BRISBANE LIONS 1.2 7.2 8.5 13.6 (84)
Goals: G. Wanganeen, S. Dew, R. James, M. Primus 2, P. Burgoyne, S. Burgoyne, K. Cornes, J. Francou, B. Guerra
Best: R. James, C. Cornes, P. Burgoyne, Poulton, Wanganeen
Captain: M. Primus
Coach: M. Williams
Crowd: 46,439 at AAMI Stadium
