Mobile phones and the internet seemed all but down in Elliott days after the Northern Territory town club secured back-to-back Barkly AFL premierships.

While hundreds of fans turned out to the grand final in Tennant Creek – many from the local community of just 339 at last count – there was no sign of players and the officials in the aftermath of the win.

Call, texts and inbox messages went unanswered and no one from the club was there to mark the occasion for perpetuity.

But the scoreline told the story.

Elliott coach Wade Nish may have been nowhere in range to chat to National Indigenous Times, however he pulled at many Hawks fan's heartstrings after posting his thoughts days after the momentous grand final win.

"I would like to thank all the players for making this year as their coach a year to remember, making history, as the first Elliott Hawks team to go back to back," Nish posted on the club's Facebook page on Tuesday.

"Made history as the youngest coach to back to back in the BAFL; we could not have done it without all the players' hard work to make it all the way through the season.

"A big thank you to the water boys and runners, who helped out throughout this season.

"A big thanks to all the supporters, who come out to support us throughout the season and on the big day.

"Love seeing the Community calling out, getting the players hyped up in the last five minutes (when) we made a comeback."

That hype was real not just in the dying moments, but all day Saturday.

Colourful yellow signs with a splash of brown draped the boundary fence.

'Ain't no liar when I say #6 is on fire' and 'Have no fear, #31 is here' were Hawks fans' references to combatant Damon Anderson and the other to his vice-captain, Kendrick Albert.

Another sign read, 'Raymond is the surname' which pointed out the four family members for Elliott in the grand final: captain Anthony, Walter, Tykan and Kurt, the sharpshooter that's kicked 295 goals in his 110 game Barkly AFL career.

Some fans went as far as painting their cars in great detail and decorating them with streamers and flags for the the 250-kilometre trip south to Purkiss Reserve, only to dot their support around its oval.

In the context of the club's history, the come-from-behind win over YDU proved to be a rare occasion.

Elliott took out its first title in 1999, the ninth season of this current central Northern Territory competition, before having its third premiership within another seven seasons by the end of 2005. Then came a flag drought that was as dry as the area's arid soil.

After 34 years of competition the Barkly AFL competition has been dominated by Sporties Spitfires, one of five clubs based out of Tennant Creek, the winners of 16 flags and participants of 21 grand finals.

In the Territory, there is always that one club that attracts star players.

There's St Mary's in the Top End with 33 NTFL flags from its 72-year history, and Pioneer in the Red Centre that sits on 32 CAFL premierships going back to and including their first in 1948.

But for the largely outback town 761 kilometres from Alice Springs and 636 from Darwin which for many acts as a stop for a cold drink and a bowser to fill up from on the Sturt Highway, the Elliott Hawks are building towards a dynasty against the competition in Tennant Creek.

The decider itself was a thriller in anyone's language, including that of both the local Warumungu and visiting Jingili mobs.

Elliott trailed for almost the entire match until the Hawks hit the front for the first time with just four minutes and seven seconds left to essentially to pinch the victory, 11.9 (75) to 9.11 (65).

The talk around the Barkly shire was how the Hawks pulled off one of the most dramatic grand final victories, even though the lead never blew out further than 23 points midway through the second quarter.

YDU led by eight points at quarter-time, 17 at half-time and seven at three-quarter time before Elliott came hard for its rivals with a five-goal-to-two last term, kicking the last three goals of the day.

Lyndon Chungaloo had set up the Demons' early ascendancy that included the opening two goals of the grand final and first five scoring shots before the minor premiers could score.

When the YDU players reflect on the final result, they will regret missing key opportunities to consolidate their halftime lead on the back of dominant possession.

It was game on after the Hawks goaled once before the long break and twice in the opening minutes of the third term to trim the lead to just four points.

YDU, who finished fourth on the Barkly AFL seven-team ladder and won both its two finals to qualify for the senior grand final, controlled play around the ground in the aptly-named premiership quarter, but not on the scoreboard.

Ishmael Nandy had been the star for the Demons most of the day in his three-goal venture, his first goals for the year in his five games, but despite giving his side the drive early in the quarter, his teammates faded to prevent the onslaught from a fitter Elliott lineup.

Having booted 59 goals across his 12 games during the season, Kurt Raymond stood up late in the match on the way to kicking three goals up forward, while Raymond Tykan also added three goals.

But in the end it was the burly Phillip O'Keefe who was adjudged this year's Barkly grand final best on ground, an award recognising his performance that turned the tide of history Elliott's way following a manic second half.