As Sam Jenkins lined up for goal late in the last quarter in the Ballarat Football League preliminary final on Saturday, knowing it could be the sealer to put Sebastopol into the grand final, it was difficult not to feel emotional.
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The blue and gold of the Burra runs through the veins of the Jenkins family.
They are Sebastopol through and through.
Early this year tragedy struck the family.
Not long after Sam had decided to return to his home club after a distinguished stint with Dunnstown in the CHFL, his older brother Adam, who would have turned 40 on Sunday, died unexpectedly.
Adam, who played with North Ballarat in the VFL as well as Sebastopol and Redan in the BFL, was a runner for Sebastopol last year and had been looking forward to working alongside Sam at the club.
Sam admitted that his thoughts were never too far from his brother and that he might have had some "help" as guided the football through the big sticks to open up a 12-point lead over Melton at the City Oval.
"I haven't kicked a goal all year up to today.
"He's been there right through (the season)," he said.
Although there was a lot at stake with his set shot on goal, Jenkins said he had kept his approach simple.
"I knew the time on the clock and I just wanted to take the full time I had and just kick through the footy.
"I'm just pretty grateful it went through to be honest," he said.
Jenkins has spent a substantial amount of his time this year in defensive roles.
On Saturday though, he kicked two of the Burra's last two goals to help seal victory.
He gave Sebastopol a five-point lead when he received a handball on the end of a dynamic Geoff Lovett run on 12 minutes andf then increased the margin to 12 points on 22 minutes to send supporters in raptures.
Sebastopol went on to defeat Melton by 18 points to set up an all-Ballarat grand final against reigning premier East Point, which won its first flag as a merged entity last season, at Mars Stadium on Saturday
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