That day the Mean Machine had a 35-point last-quarter lead evaporate to just eight points, before time ran out on the Bears and Bridgewater held on for its fourth flag in a row.

A year on with the same two teams facing off in the grand final, there were no such anxious moments for Bridgewater, which had its fifth-consecutive flag as good as sewn up against the Bears by half-time on Saturday.

The final margin was 96 points as the Mean Machine put the exclamation mark on an undefeated season that has been one of pure dominance.

In front of a crowd at Mitiamo that paid a gate of $30,500, the Mean Machine won 22.15 (147) to 7.9 (51) in a game that was a contest in only the first quarter as for the fourth time in their five premiership years, they turned the grand final into a whitewash.

Bridgewater was never headed from the moment the sillky Zac East goaled on the run from 40m six minutes into the first term, which was followed soon after by the Mean Machine’s second goal when Josh McLeod marked and snapped.

The Bears replied with a pair of goals through Justin Wilson and James North and worked valiantly with their pressure to compete with the Mean Machine.

The Bears had the ascendancy around the stoppages early through the work of Gareth Bowes, but too often in the first term they turned the ball over going inside 50.

The Mean Machine led by eight points at quarter-time, 3.3 to 2.1, with onballer Alexander Pollock kicking his side’s third goal at the 19-minute mark.

Bridgewater had 15 inside-50s in the first term, but the Bears defence held up well to limit the Mean Machine to three goals from their entries.

However, after the Bears competed admirably in the first quarter, the floodgates were quick to open in the second term as Bridgewater stamped its authority and cracked the game wide open.

Inside the first 18 minutes of the second quarter the Mean Machine kicked seven unanswered goals.

The Mean Machine’s quick and crisp delivery from the midfield into the forward line put the Bears’ defence under enormous pressure.

The run of seven unanswered goals started when East burst from a stoppage and kicked his second of the match.

And when Callum Prest, Brad Rohde and Zeb Broadbent added three more, the Mean Machine had kicked four goals from their first five inside 50s of the term.

Another goal to Rohde, followed by two more to Pollock - one a brilliant left foot snap - rounded out the run of seven-straight for the Mean Machine as their eight-point quarter-time lead quickly blew out to 51.

The Bears finally broke the string of goals when Cody Gunn marked and converted a set-shot at the 26-minute mark, and when Wilson emerged from a pack and goaled, they had two in a row.

Gunn and Wilson’s goals came from rare forays forward in the second term for the Bears, who went inside 50 just five times.

Down the other end, the Mean Machine generated 22 inside-50 entries, kicking 7.5 for the term, with the Bears unable to counter their run and spread.

The Mean Machine’s margin was 41 points at half-time, 10.8 to 4.3.

Any slim hope the Bears had of getting back into the game rested on the underdogs kicking early goals in the third quarter.

But it was Bridgewater coach Andrew Collins who nailed the first of the term when he took a pack mark and goaled inside the opening minute.

After the Collins’ goal the ball spent the best part of 10 minutes inside the Bears’ forward half.

But they got no reward on the scoreboard, kicking just three behinds from their first nine inside 50s.

The Bears’ first goal of the third term didn’t come until the 23-minute mark through Patrick Ring, and as had been the case in the first and second terms, was quickly followed by another to Gunn.

At that stage the Bears had kicked six goals for the game, which had all come in five minutes worth of play - two in two minutes in the first quarter, two in two minutes late in the second and two in a minute in the third.

By three quarter-time the Bridgewater lead had ballooned to 61 points, leaving only the Bears with pride to play for and the Mean Machine players with the most enjoyable 30 minutes of the season to come knowing the flag was in the bag.

The Mean Machine standards didn’t waver in the final term, which was highlighted in the dying minutes when Taylor Strachan threw himself at the boot of the Bears’ Josh Shaw to smother a shot at goal.

The Mean Machine kicked the first seven goals of the last quarter, including three to Rohde and a fourth for the game to Pollock, who was one of the standout players on the ground.

Rohde again starred on grand final day to finish with seven goals - as many as the Bears kicked for the game - with his seventh at the 26-minute mark pushing the Mean Machine lead out to a game-high 103 points.

However, the Bears avoided a triple-figure grand final loss when they scored a behind and Gunn was then awarded a free-kick for a tackle on East and kicked his third goal - the last of the game - which brought the final margin back to 96 points.

MATCH STATS:

Centre clearances: Bridgewater 21; BL-Serpentine 12.

Inside 50s: Bridgewater 64; BL-Serpentine 37.

Stoppages: Bridgewater 26; BL-Serpentine 20.

MATCH DETAILS:

Bridgewater 3.3, 10.8, 15.13, 22.15 (147)

BL Serpentine 2.1, 4.3, 6.6, 7.9 (51)

GOALS - Bridgewater: B. Rohde 7, A. Pollock 4, Z. East 3, Z. Broadbent, A. Collins 2, H. Symons, C. Prest, J. McLeod, T. Strachan. BL-Serpentine: C. Gunn 3, J. Wilson 2, J. North, P. Ring. 

BEST - Bridgewater: A. Pollock, B. Rohde, D. Clutton, Z. East, A. Collins, A. Parry. BL-Serpentine: J. Sandiford, G. Bowes, B. Scott, N. Arthur, M. Ring, A. Gladman.