North Launceston will face Kingborough in the Tasmanian State League grand final after storming home with six unanswered goals to defeat Clarence 7.8 (50) to 4.6 (30).
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After missing out on the finals series last season, it looked like the Bombers may exit 2023 in straight sets with the Kangaroos leading at all three breaks.
However, after kicking the last goal of the third quarter, the Northern Bombers produced a five-goal to none last term and booked their spot in the decider at North Hobart Oval on Saturday.
"I had 100 per cent belief, I just kept reiterating the message that I thought we were on top, we were winning clearances, we were winning inside-50s but we just kept blazing away a little bit and we needed to change our ball movement," coach Brad Cox-Goodyer said.
"I thought our defence was pretty good so we had to tidy up going inside and once we did that, I think we controlled the game, they wouldn't have had many inside-50s in the last quarter and a half so that was good and then we ran over the top of them."
Cox-Goodyer, who broke the league's games record in the preliminary final, was proud of his group for finding a way to win differently as many of the team will play in their first senior grand final.
"It's going to be a different game going to North Hobart against Kingborough, a big-bodied side, which has been spoken about," he said.
"So we'll go to work this week and try and change things out because we probably won't be able to play exactly the way we want to play.
"We go in knowing we're the underdogs with nothing to lose."
Clarence held the Bombers scoreless in the first quarter, kicking two goals of their own through their long-sleeved tall forward duo Colin Garland and Bryce Alomes.
The Bombers were able to stem the flow later in the term but struggled with their kicking inside-50, turning over several chances to nail their first major.
Young forward Jack Aherne was eventually the one to provide it, marking in the goal-square to put him directly in front of the sticks.
It proved to be the only goal for the quarter as neither side were able to create any breathing space due to strong defending across half-back.
Leading by eight points at the main break, Clarence added to that early in the third as a bullet pass from Keegan Wylie found captain Jarrod Harper.
At the other end, Baker Smith continued to cause headaches for North Launceston, stopping plenty of their chances before teammate Oscar Paprotny volleyed one on the goal-line to extend the lead to 17.
However, that would be Clarence's last for the day as Bombers young gun Josh Rickard started the six-goal streak by intercepting a Harry Fisher handball and running into an open goal before three-quarter-time.
The Kangaroos' defenders were working hard but Declen Chugg, who looked dangerous throughout the last term, marked and sent one through the big sticks from the 50-metre arc, putting the Bombers just two points behind at the 14-minute mark.
An electrifying Oscar Mansell run found Brandon Leary for his first major, which gained the home side their first lead of the day.
They extended it minutes later, going coast-to-coast after a Clarence miss as Jack Avent streamed through the middle of UTAS Stadium, bouncing twice before putting one out in front of Young.
The nine-point lead sent the crowd into hysterics as the clock continued to run down and the Bombers entered attack again, with Mansell this time finding Mitch Nicholas.
Nicholas converted and a running Leary goal minutes later put the icing on the cake and ensured the Bombers a spot in the grand final.
Cox-Goodyer praised Avent's efforts in the second half, leading the midfield group in a battle that raged on all day.
"I've said it for a long time that he's the most underrated player in the league and probably its history," Cox-Goodyer said.
"He just keeps on going on, he grinds his teeth and gets it done and I'm super proud of him - he'll be pretty important for us next week.
"I thought Ben (Simpson) battled pretty hard with a pretty heavy tag as well, I thought our mids were fantastic today and I thought our defence was pretty good as well."
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