One one point had separated the sides all year, across two games, and less than five minutes later Emus had stormed over the line to put them within reach of glory.

With seconds on the clock, Brien stepped up to make the conversion - his side one point in arrears.

His kick sailed through, the crowd erupted, and veteran Nigel Staniforth had his first legitimate challenge to the title of Emus' Iceman in half a decade.

How did the teenager deal with the pressure of a game-winning conversion, living out the dream of most children around NSW and Queensland?

"I was trying to block it out, wasn't reading into it too much," he said.

"Didn't know if I was going to get it, but it went over."

He said the side never lost belief they could come back over Orange City, with time still on the clock to clock a memorable win.

"It means a lot. It'll be the last game with some of these boys," Brien said.

"It's all done, game over now, we've won - how good?"

Emus coach Phillip Johnson was "a bit lost for words" after watching his charges storm home at the death.

"It's absolutely phenomenal, I can't believe it. They like to get my heart rate up and they really took it down the wire," he said.

He had nothing but praise for Orange City, too.

"We've played them three times and there's been two points in three games. Full credit to them, it's been unreal."