Barring an unthinkable disaster this weekend, Skipton will play in the 2019 Central Highlands Football League senior finals.
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The Emus are unlikely to progress too far in the playoff series nor threaten for the premiership, but it's a remarkable achievement for a club on its knees just a couple of years ago.
When Greg Middleton, a premiership-winning coach with Bungaree, arrived to take charge ahead of the 2017 season, things were expected to improve quickly.
But the situation was bad - even worse than Middleton anticipated - and the Emus failed to win a match all campaign.
"I was actually starting to worry that year thinking they are going to have to look at an amalgamation or something else... or at least discuss it," Middleton said.
"That's the point we were at. (The committee) was very defiant and to their credit they just worked really hard and tirelessly and we all banded together.
"We just rang up every single person we could think up and we managed to field two sides every week."
From there, Skipton won six games in 2018 and has all but done enough to lock away eighth spot on the ladder this year.
"It's very important for the community out there," Middleton said when describing the club as the town's "heartbeat".
"Without the pub and things like that, it is their main social hub. We have guys blow in on a Saturday that I don't think are really that interested in the footy, but that's their social hub."
The Emus are set to become the first former Lexton Plains league club to make the CHFL senior finals since they joined the competition alongside Rokewood-Corindhap, Carngham-Linton and Smythesdale at the start of 2011.
Prior to that, Skipton was used to success, winning five LPFL flags between 2001 and 2010.
Skipton president Andrew Bodman said the belief was always there from the committee when the times were tough.
"We had no interest in just operating to survive - we wanted to do what we are doing now and that was always the plan," he said.
Skipton, which is a game and significant percentage clear of ninth-placed Bungaree, will take on the in-form Buninyong in the last home and away round this Saturday. A likely elimination final battle with Hepburn then awaits the following weekend.
