Wangaratta's Jessie Smith was poleaxed in the final term and looked gone

The Pies had landed only five goals in the wet conditions with 13 minutes left to trail by 22 points, but booted the last four majors to claim a season-defining win.

Early in the final quarter, Smith was poleaxed when both he and North Albury defender Fletcher Ramage showed wonderful courage to contest a mark in the middle of the ground.

Smith face-planted, was holding the base of his neck and struggling to breathe as he was helped to the bench at Wangaratta's Norm Minns Oval.

"I just landed on my face and I also turned and hurt my neck at the same time, it was a double whammy and I couldn't get my breath and compose myself, I had to keep moving on the bench, so I could get back out there," he revealed.

At the 23-minute mark, Smith snapped a major from 15m to cut the margin to eight points and then landed the match-winner with two minutes and 38 seconds left with a grubber goal from the same distance.

Smith featured in the best and he was also excellent in last week's three-point loss to Wangaratta Rovers.

The amazing comeback win is probably the difference between a top three finish and sudden death finals football.

Yarrawonga and Wangaratta Rovers look certain to fill the top two spots, while North Albury had a two-game break over Wangaratta, heading into the round 11 clash.

If the Hoppers had won, as they should given their fourth quarter lead in those slippery conditions, they would have been three wins ahead of the Pies with only seven rounds left.

Wangaratta is considered by many the second best team in the competition after premiers Yarrawonga, and even moreso when it's finally back to full strength in the final weeks of the regular season, but no club has won a premiership from the elimination final since Corowa-Rutherglen in 2003.

The Pies are striving to become the first club in the O and M's 131-year history to win the flag after starting the season with four losses.