After all, it was a day he will never forget.

Not only did the gun defender play in his second premiership with the Burras, he was able to do so as captain for the first time.

This followed victory as coach of Hepburn’s under-18 team in the morning.

The junior success was a little more comfortable than the senior side’s 18-point win, with the Hepburn youngsters defeating Springbank by 139 points.

“Today was an amazing day. Coaching the under-18s to a flag and then captaining the seniors. I’m really speechless. Until it sinks in, I don’t think I’ll realise just how big of a deal it is to win two flags in a day,” he said.

“I’m extremely proud of everybody involved, the whole club. My under-18 boys and the senior boys. I’m just incredibly proud at the moment and very emotional.”

Asa Leausa, who was vice-captain in 2016, said he had long pictured holding the Central Highlands Football League senior premiership cup with coach Jason Olver.

“Jocks (Olver), when he asked me if I wanted to take on the captain role, he put the vision in my head – holding up the cup with him at the end of the year,” he said.

“That really cemented my commitment to the captain role. And as it turned out, I got to hold it up at the end of the day.”

In other grand final day news, Nick Dal Santo didn’t make the trip to Mars Stadium.

The former AFL star had been touted as a possible grand final participant by Hepburn coach Jason Olver, but work commitments with Fox Footy eventually ruled him unavailable for the senior clash on Saturday.

Dal Santo had played three games during the home and away season – enough for him to qualify for finals – but didn’t feature in another match for the Burras after round 17.

His cousin Luke Stanton did play, however, and had a huge say in Hepburn’s success.

Stanton missed the preliminary final, but started the decider with a big first half off a wing.

And following the game on Saturday, it was visible for all to see just how bad Jimmy Rodgers’ hamstring injury really was.

Rodgers limped around the rooms with a huge bruise down the back of his left leg.

He just played in the second half on Saturday, but managed an important goal with his only kick of the afternoon.

Rodgers has now won three senior premiership medals with the Burras.