The Mushies had just won their fourth Premier League first grade title in what is their 30th season.

A 6-2 victory over South Armidale Scorpions was a sweet result, especially for valiant midfielder Lachlan Browne.

He had taken a broken scathoid bone in his left hand into the match and played some 60 minutes before being replaced.

Browne, who coached the Mushies last year, had taken a mid-season holiday with attacking midfielder Chris Fenton to go to Brazil for the World Cup.

While Fenton was able to ease his way back into the side upon their return, Browne could not.

He was coming off the bench for coach Tim Coates.

“The only reason he played was because Knighty (club stalwart defender Glenn McKnight) was suspended for the grand final,”  Coates said.

“He was only going to be right 40 to 45 minutes though with his fitness.”

Unbeknown to Browne and his teammates, an injury he suffered a few weeks ago when he landed awkwardly on his left arm was more serious than anyone knew.

He had initial X-rays but they had shown nothing.

“Then they called me back and told me there was a break in the scathoid,”  Browne said.

It was leading into the grand final, a game Browne wasn’t about to miss.

Fellow Mushie Tom Hungerford, who came off the bench to replace Browne, also became handy.

“Tom’s dad is a doctor,” Browne said.

They strapped his hand to keep it as stable as possible.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” Browne said.

“Just two minutes in and they kicked a ball right onto it. It hurt.”

However he soldiered on, cleaning up plenty of loose ball and then pleaded with another 20 minutes at halftime from his coach.

He got that but was replaced as he started to tire.

Then it was to have the strapping removed and a cast affixed.

He was feeling no pain by the time the Mushies teed off at the Tamworth Golf Club to celebrate their memorable grand final.

McKnight was there too.

He had sat through every minute of the game, feeling every tackle and every little mistake.

“It was a weird feeling,” he admitted after the game.

“It was nervous watching, especially at 2-1.”

McKnight had never watched before.

He’d played in all three previous grand final-winning sides and six successive grand finals, so sitting on the sideline was a nervous novelty.

The 32-year-old is a certain starter next season too.

OVA MUSHROOMS 6 (Luke Purcell 3, Tom Hungerford, Ryan Searl, Aiden Flynn gls) d SOUTH ARMIDALE 2 (Jamie Wright, Sterling Wylie gls)