The Western Bulldogs have won their way through to the 2010 NAB Cup Grand Final after edging a gallant Port Adelaide by three points in a thriller at a balmy Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
The Dogs had their noses in front 1.11.17 (92) to 1.12.8 (89) when the final siren sounded in a contest in which the lead changed six times and scores were level six times.
Coming off his bag of six on debut for the Dogs against the Hawks last week, Barry Hall was the hero, finishing with four, missing a couple he should've got and laying off three assists for goal in a very satisfying evening's work.
The veteran forward brought the crowd to its feet when he hauled in a spectacular pack grab with 69 seconds left on the clock and the Bulldogs trailing by four points.
He quickly dished off to Brian Lake who slammed it through from 25 for the winner.
Daniel Cross was the leading possession-winner for the Bulldogs who have unearthed a beauty in former Geelong rookie Brodie Moles.
Travis Boak was Port's best while Kane Cornes, Steven Salopek, Robbie Gray and Troy Chaplin all got plenty of the ball.
The promising Daniel Stewart top-scored for Port with three but finished the match on the bench in a daze after a nasty clash of heads with Bulldog Easton Wood late in the contest.
Port was more effective early, won the hitouts and the clearances and complemented an attacking game plan with 23 first-quarter tackles that put the Bulldogs off their stride.
Goals to Gray, Warren Tredrea and Cameron Cloke, direct from a Jarrod Harbrow kickout, earned the Power an 18-point break - the biggest lead of the match - before some undisciplined backchat from Port skipper Dom Cassisi gifted Ryan Griffen a nine-pointer, the Bulldogs' only goal for the term.
Hall unselfishly set up Adam Cooney for the first goal of the second quarter before a quick double from the Stewarts, Daniel and Paul, restored the Power's advantage.
Slowly but surely, however, the Bulldogs worked their way back into the contest as Mitch Hahn and Jason Akermanis got their names onto the scoresheet, and it was a delighted Hall who put the Bulldogs in front for the first time with a mark a smidgin before the half-time siren and goal after it.
Danyle Pearce, who had the displeasure of Liam Picken's company for the night, momentarily slipped his tag to score the opening goal of the second half, a nine-pointer on the run at the Coventry End against the run of play.
But the Bulldogs replied quickly through Shaun Higgins, who was pinpointed perfectly by a sensational long pass from Murphy and when Hall dobbed his second with a curling set shot from deep in the pocket, the Dogs were 13 points to the good.
Just when it seemed the Dogs would take control, Dan Stewart bobbed up with two in two minutes - the second following a terrible fumble by Lake - and Mitch Banner followed up with an opportunist left-foot snap to put Port a goal up.
Just as he did in the second term, however, Hall managed to beat the siren with a major from 35 to make it all-square, 70 apiece, at the final change.
After Brett Ebert landed the first major of the final term, Hall snared his fourth before centring to Moles for a major to put the Dogs six points up.
Port struck back late with two goals in a minute from Scott Harding before Hall's last-minute heroics.
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 1.0.3, 1.5.8, 1.8.13, 1.11.17 (92)
PORT ADELAIDE: 0.3.3, 0.6.4, 1.9.7, 1.12.8 (89)
SUPERGOALS: Western Bulldogs: Griffen
Port Adelaide: Pearce
GOALS: Western Bulldogs: Hall 4, Akermanis, Griffen, Hahn, Cooney, Higgins, Moles, Lake
Port Adelaide: D.Stewart 3, Gray 2, Harding 2, Tredrea, Cloke, P.Stewart, Banner, Ebert
BEST: Western Bulldogs: Moles, Cooney, Hall, Murphy, Boyd, Cross, Hill
Port Adelaide: Boak, Salopek, K.Cornes, C.Cornes, Gray, Banner, Chaplin
INJURIES: Western Bulldogs: Nil
Port Adelaide: D.Stewart (concussion)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Rosebury, Stevic, Donlon
CROWD: 10,531 at Etihad Stadium