Police members stabbed by terrorist outside Endeavour Hills station in 2014 speak to 7NEWS Melbourne

September 23, 2014.

It was the day ISIS inspired terror came to Melbourne when 18-year-old Numan Haider attacked two police officers with a knife outside a station and was subsequently shot dead.

Until now, the identities of those police members, known only as Officer A and Officer B, have been a closely guarded secret.

Now for the first time, on the 10-year anniversary, former federal agent Matt and retired senior sergeant Niall share the horror of that day and their story of survival when they met with Haider and were set upon.

“This certainly was the beginning of terrorism in Australia,” Niall told 7NEWS Melbourne’s Chief Crime reporter Cassie Zervos.

Haider had agreed to meet with the counter-terrorism officers outside the Endeavour Hills police station in 2014 to discuss fears the teen had become radicalised by Islamic State.

Fearing he could be armed, Niall decided to pat him down.

“He did have a knife in his right jacket pocket and he’s pulled that out. He spun around and stabbed me in the left forearm which severed my nerves,” he said.

After attacking Niall, Haider turned his attention to Matt, who was searching the 18-year-old’s car.

“I was stabbed once to the centre of my chest ... twice in my left shoulder and then over my eye down the side of my face,” Matt said.

“During that time, I was trying to get my gun out and trying to push him away with my left arm.”

The teen was hellbent on carrying out his act of terror.

“I didn’t see him, but I could sense him leaning over me. I was thinking he was going to cut my head off.”

Matt said he suffered auditory exclusion.

“Everything just went deathly silent but apparently I yelled: ‘Knife!’”

Niall said when he heard his offsider yell that critical word, he knew immediately what to do.

“That was the difference in actually saving our lives that night. It was one word. With our training, knife means gun,” he said.

“I was able to get my firearm out and then with one shot ... a reactive shot from about four-and-a-half metres away (the bullet) struck Numan, killing him instantly.”

At that moment the threat was over. But the severity of what had just unfolded in 12 seconds started to kick in.

Matt’s stab wound to his chest missed his heart by just 1cm.

“I ran inside the police station and that’s when I realised the injuries I had sustained. I could feel the blood coming down the side of my face,” he said.

Even though a decade has passed, and the scars have healed, both admit the psychological trauma has had the biggest impact.

Some days are naturally harder than others, but the pair remain determined to turn a dark situation into a positive one.

“The attack has made me a better person,” Matt said.

“Before the attack I never told my mum that I loved her, now after every phone call it’s ‘I love you’... or my sister... or my sons”.

The healing process has been long, and hard, but Matt and Niall have been by each other’s side every step of the way, participating in fun runs, both in Melbourne and overseas.

“We just keep putting one foot in front of the other. No matter how hard it gets or how much we’re hurting. We will keep going,” Niall said.

The bond is real, and raw between the former officers.

“It was both myself and Matt out there that night. We saved each other, it wasn’t my actions of the firearm... it was Matt calling out ‘knife!’” Niall said.

And on a day of reflection, both know how hard it will also be for the Haider family — particularly his parents.

“They were educated ... they were hard workers ... and they were a very caring family so it’s very hard not to think about them. I’d love to meet up with them at some stage,” Niall said.