It has been a case of feast or famine for the Ultima footy club over the past 15 years.
The Kangaroos, who play in the Golden Rivers league, won a hat-trick of senior flags between 2002 and 2004. But they soon slipped down the ladder, missing the finals in six straight seasons from 2007.
These days, however, the club is now very much back on its feet.
Ultima won the senior flag in the GRFL last season, and it sits proudly atop the ladder as this year's finals approach.
"We've certainly had some peaks and troughs," said club secretary Ken Symons, who has been part of the committee for a decade.
"But we think that if you work hard at keeping your junior numbers up, so you always have a nucleus of local players, then you can keep bouncing back."
Ultima is a small community located amid Mallee cropping country 32 kilometres west of Swan Hill.
The local footy club was a member of the much-loved Tyrrell league for almost three decades, before it transferred to its current competition (then known as the Kerang and District league) in 1979.
Ultima has won nine senior premierships since then. The foundations for its latest golden era were laid following the 2012 season, when local legend Luke O'Toole signed on for a second stint as senior coach.
O'Toole had achieved plenty during his time away, winning two premierships, four club best and fairest awards and a league medal while playing for Tyntynder in the Central Murray league.
A number of recruits jumped on board after O'Toole took over, and the Kangaroos made it all the way to the grand final in his first campaign at the helm.
They lost the big match to Wakool but soon regrouped and came back even stronger.
After losing their first home and away game last season, they didn't taste defeat again.
The Roos' 16-point victory over Nullawil in the grand final was particularly meritorious given O'Toole had to coach from the sidelines.
And it wasn't just a simple hamstring strain or knee sprain that kept him out of the big game.
Rather, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis on the eve of the finals after suffering some issues with his sight.
O'Toole's response to his diagnosis has made him an even more inspirational figure in his community than he already was.
Despite his illness, he is continuing on as senior coach. He has also returned to the field in recent months and is carefully managing his body so he will be fresh enough to play in the finals.
"Luke's got the whole footy club behind him," Symons said. "It's like a big family." Ultima went into this season as one of the flag favourites, but it stumbled early on, losing to Wandella and Murrabit in rounds four and five.
Injuries were crippling the team at that stage. Among the worst blows was the loss of star recruit and assistant coach Lincoln Frost, who joined the Roos from Kangaroo Flat.
Frost suffered a broken leg in his first game for the club, against Moulamein in round three, and is still recovering from the injury.
But, like last year, Ultima has enjoyed an impressive run through the second half of the season.
The Roos were aiming to make it 10 wins on the trot when they travelled to Nullawil on Saturday.
"We're looking good, but we know there's a long way to go," Symons said.
Ultima's junior teams are also poised to make a big impression in September.
"Our numbers are very good. That's the result of five or six years of very hard work," Symons explained. "I suppose we're lucky that we're close to Swan Hill, but it's tough for all clubs to keep their numbers up, no matter where you are.
"We've really worked hard to over the last five years to improve a lot of things on and off the field.
"We don't just have a barbie on a Thursday night anymore, we have sit-down meals. We're doing 100 to 120 meals of a Thursday night. "Doing that really bonds the club, but it also gives us an income source to invest in new infrastructure.
"We put down to two new netball courts before the start of the season, and we paid 75 per cent of the cost ourselves." Looking to the future, it will be tough for clubs like Ultima to remain competitive as the Mallee's population continues to diminish.
Nevertheless, Symons is confident that the Roos can survive as a stand-alone entity.
"A lot of clubs around us are starting to look at their situations and decide that it's getting too hard," he said.
"But we've got a business plan and we're looking to extend our club rooms and social room. "Our long-term goal for the next five to 10 years is to remain a stand-alone club."
ULTIMA FNC
Ultima has a population of just over 300
The Ultima Football Club was formed in 1910 and won its first premiership in 1919
By Adam McNicol