While all of the attention was centred on whether or not Norwood or North Adelaide would prevail in one of the closest SANFL grand final’s ever, one of Mount Gambier’s rising football talents was signaling the goals rather than kicking them.

The Blue Lake city bred Michael Button achieved his dream of goal umpiring an SANFL grand final at Adelaide Oval on Sunday and could not have asked for a closer game with the Redlegs creeping past the Roosters by two points after a comeback for the ages.

But the result was never going to matter for Button, who reached the pinnacle of his field after six years of persevering the SANFL system.

He said no amount of rain that fell onto Adelaide Oval on Sunday was going to dampen his experience in the goals on the big stage.

“It has been goal of mine for a very long time and the accumulation of a lot of hard work and dedication,” he said.

“It was an unreal experience from getting the tap on shoulder saying ‘you have been selected’ to the whole build up of the week and game day itself.

“Conditions were not the best for footy with it pouring down with rain, but it is a grand final and I could not care less.

“The final crowd number may have only been around 27,500, but they all sounded very, very loud, especially when Matt Panos kicked the winning goal.

“I remember looking at a pretty packed Eastern stand going ‘yeah, this is pretty special’.”

Button’s journey to the Adelaide Oval started aged 11 in 2008 when he goal umpired the Under 16’s Western Border Football League grand final in his first year waving the flags.

Soon the youngster’s attention to detail and professionalism was making waves and at just 13 he was appointed his first A Grade WBFL decider.

Button continued to develop as each season passed and impressively officiated six consecutive Western Border A Grade deciders.

After finishing school and achieving everything possible in the Limestone Coast umpiring arena, Button moved to Adelaide to study at university and chase his umpiring dream.

Since making the move in 2016 he has built a handy resume officiating SANFL League games and finals, Under 18 National Championships at the MCG and a state clash between South Australia and Western Australia at Perth Stadium, while AFLW games are on the horizon, but a grand final was always the biggest box he wanted to tick.

While it was still a great feeling hearing confirmation of the grand final appointment, he admitted all of his experience accumulated over the previous years meant he felt ready for the occasion and nerves did not get the better of him on the big day.

“It all started on the preliminary final the previous week when our goal umpires coach just pretty much told us straight after the game ‘you guys are running’,” he said.

“So, it was nice not having to wait around, but it was not until the Thursday night when it started to really sink in because I tried to keep the week as normal as I could.

“Then when it got to the weekend I was just waiting for Sunday to come around and I did not feel nervous at all, it was more just pent up energy just wanting to get out there and soak it up.

“I think it is because I have had an accumulation of experience under my belt being a part of a couple of finals series now and I feel I had a really satisfying finals series this year.

“So, it was all building up to this moment I guess and I felt really comfortable with where I was at, taking one decision at a time.”

The game itself turned out to be an instant classic as Norwood pulled a premiership out of the fire coming back from 17 points down deep into the final term.

The comeback was completed by Panos, who snapped the winner with only minutes left on the clock to send the Redlegs into delirium and break Roosters’ hearts.

While the famous moment occurred at the opposite end of the ground Button was standing, he said it was a great experience watching the whole contest unfold from up close on a day where it was not so simple being a goal umpire.

“Being a lower-scoring game, you need to have your wits about you, especially because it was so wet underfoot, any potential score would have played out unpredictably,” he said.

“The first goal of the game was a little toe poke out for nowhere at my end.

“It actually ended up being a pretty quiet last quarter because Aaron Young was the last scorer at the 12 minute mark and then Norwood mounted its comeback.

“But even with he match winner and scoring being down the other end it was very special to be a part of.

“Hearing the echo and the noise around the ground, especially when Panos kicked the match winner was as loud as it would be at an AFL game.”

While some may just think standing in the goals looks easy, at the SANFL level Button and his colleagues are watched on like hawks and the smallest step out of place could have mean their dream of umpiring the big games is dashed.

This means the Mount Gambier man has a meticulous approach to the job, with a high focus on professionalism, concentration and fitness.

One day Button hopes to be waving the flags at the AFL level and will keep following his process which has served him well so far to experience more days like Sunday.

“It is like a lot of things in life, you get out of it what you put in,” he said.

“It is easy to goal umpire, but it is hard to goal umpire well because it is a very fine art to perfect, especially the higher up you go.

“It is very much a physical and mental challenge, so I always make sure I am well prepared.

“I always strive to be better and get the bigger games because I have AFL aspirations one day.

“Whether or not that happens who knows, I just have to keep working hard and performing.”