Tathra export Kel Evans was named the Alex Jesaulenko medal winner for best-on-ground, while ex Merimbula player Matt Vardanega provided good service to the Tigers in their 14-14-98 to 6-7-43 win over the Eastlake Demons recently.

Evans said he was stunned by the award, with skipper Josh Bryce also admitting there were so many contenders in a great cross-field display from the Tigers.

You could have made a case for Sam Frost, Lachlan Highfield, Harry Grant and Bryce and they all would have been valid.

"I definitely didn't expect to be best on ground. I don't know who was picking that," Evans said.

"We had a couple of boys [who could've won it]. Sam Frost, Kade Klemke and Harry Grant were all phenomenal for us."

The Tigers' premiership is their first since 2015 - bookending four years of Ainslie dominance. Queanbeyan's own dominance moved like the tide.

It started down back where Kade Klemke was brilliant as Eastlake pressed early in the game - Demons midfielder Shae Darcy was dangerous whenever he got the ball.

And as Klemke repelled the Demons' attacks, the Tigers' halfback started to get on top. Then their midfield. And then their forwards.

Tigers Andrew Swan and Harry Grant both kicked three, Evans, Bryce and Jordan Ludica two, and Highfield and the evergreen Toby Conroy rounded out the goalkickers for the victors. Demons captain Aaron Bruce (two goals) and Liam Flaherty (two) were the only real targets for the vanquished.

Bryce couldn't wipe the smile off his face, having also been part of the Tigers' 2012 premiership and then sharing this one with his cousin Ben Ashley-Cousin, who made his senior debut.

"You can see so many similarities between 2012 and now - how close everyone is, the bond of the club, everyone coming together," he said. "It's not just the 22 out here who win, it's the club. It's an amazing feeling. I haven't wiped it the smile off my face yet.

"To do it with my cousin, his first game to come in was even better. It's ridiculous."

It wasn't the way Eastlake had planned the season to end, having won their way into the grand final with a 26-point victory over the Tigers two weeks ago.

But having finished fourth last year - when Queanbeyan knocked them out of the finals race - Demons coach John Harper saw it as a stepping stone.

They looked to be getting on top in the first quarter, when their quick counterattacks saw them getting over the back of the Tigers defenders. But Queanbeyan started to win the hard ball in the second quarter and started to run off half-back.

That saw Frost get on top in the middle and Bryce kept the momentum going the Tigers' way after half-time when he shifted into the centre.

"As I said to the boys, if you told me at the beginning of the year we'd make the grand final I'd take that," Harper said.

"Didn't execute the way we wanted to today. Queanbeyan were very good, don't get me wrong, they dished it up to us."