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TWELVE months on from the disappointment of losing its first Bendigo Football League grand final, Strathfieldsaye is back to vie for its maiden premiership.
The Storm under the guidance of coach Darryl Wilson takes on Sandhurst in Saturday’s grand final at the Queen Elizabeth Oval.
After dominating much of the recruiting headlines during the off-season to strengthen a list that last year lost the grand final to Golden Square by 21 points, the Storm have been a formidable force in 2014.
Aside from a 79-point hiding from Sandhurst in round three, the Storm have won their other 18 games by an average of 72 points.
But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Storm, whose first half of the season was plagued by injuries, with only four of Saturday’s squad - Matt Johnston, Sean Johns, Kris Lea and Kellan Smith - having played every game.
Their 18-1 record has been built on strength across every line and an even spread, which was highlighted at the Michelsen Medal when 15 players polled votes, but only Stephen Milne earned more than 12.
Milne has been one of the star attractions at not only the Storm this year, but in the BFL.
The veteran has provided a constant source of headaches for opposition defenders, kicking 95 goals, including 44 in his past seven games.
Together with Milne’s former St Kilda team-mate, the hard-nosed Steven Baker, the Storm recruited 478 games of AFL experience in the pair, which will no doubt be crucial on Saturday.
While Milne has created most of the goalkicking headlines this year, the Sandhurst defence will also have to contend with the likes of Sam Mildren, Lachlan Sharp, Kris Lea, Shannon Geary, Jake Hall and potentially Tom Bartholomew.
So potent have the Storm been in attack, they’ve kicked at least 20 goals in nine of their 18 games and only been held to a score of less than 100 four times - the last being in round 12 against Sandhurst.
But the Storm’s scoring efficiency has been equally matched by their defensive output led by Leigh Prior, Jake Dickens, Ash Trollop, small backman Lachlan Bonney, swingman Jayden Donaldson and co.
Since Gisborne kicked 103 against the Storm in round eight, in their 11 games since they have conceded an average of just 48 points per game.
Through the midfield there’s no shortage of onball rotations, with Shaun Everington, Vinnie Flood, captain Geary, Sean Johns, Matt Ladson, Hall, Baker, Kellan Smith, Matt Smith and Tom Dowd all able to have an impact through the middle, while also filling roles either forward or back.
The midfield is kickstarted in the ruck by the athletic Michael Pilcher, who along with Lea and Sharp are the three players who will play on Saturday who have been with the club since its inception in 2009.
Back in June, 2008, the Strathfieldsaye committee led by president Ray Paterson made a bold decision for the newly-created senior club to step straight into the major league BFL.
The club has continued to improve every year from 9th in 2009 to 7th, 6th, 3rd and second last season, with the chance to claim that first flag on Saturday.
TALE OF THE TAPE:
Won: 18 Lost: 1
Average for: 120.4 Against: 56.1
Quarters won: 58/76
Average win: 72.2 Loss: 79.0
Time in front: 86.8%
Flag odds: $1.15.
POINTS DIFFERENCE PER QUARTER:
1st: +179 2nd: +360 3rd: +392 4th: +290
SEASON RESULTS:
Rd 1: D GOLDEN SQUARE BY 33.
Best: K. Smith, A. Trollop, V. Flood, J. Hall, S. Baker, S. Milne.
Rd 2: D EAGLEHAWK BY 23.
Best: N. Moffat, M. Johnston, J. Dickens, B. Curnow, A. Trollop.
Rd 3: LT SANDHURST BY 79.
Best: M. Ladson, J. Gawthrop, S. Baker, N. Moffat, S. Johns, A. Trollop.
Rd 4: D CASTLEMAINE BY 124.
Best: M. Ladson, M. Pilcher, S. Milne, J. Hall, S. Baker, M. Johnston.
Rd 5: D MARYBOROUGH BY 78.
Best: S. Baker, M. Smith, A. Trollop, M. Johnston, T. Dowd, N. Smith.
Rd 6: D KYNETON BY 125.
Best: S. Heavyside, A. Trollop, N. Moffat, J. Hall, J. Donaldson, M. Pilcher.
Rd 7: D KANGAROO FLAT BY 107.
Best: S. Johns, M. Pilcher, S. Milne, J. Hall, T. Dowd, J. Donaldson.
Rd 8: D GISBORNE BY 33.
Best: J. Best, M. Johnston, S. Mildren, B. Lester, V. Flood, L. Bonney.
Rd 9: D SOUTH BENDIGO BY 99.
Best: L. Sharp, K. Smith, S. Mildren, M. Smith, M. Johnston, J. Hall.
Rd 10: D GOLDEN SQUARE BY 39.
Best: J. Hall, J. Dickens, M. Ladson, V. Flood, T. Dowd, M. Pilcher.
Rd 11: D EAGLEHAWK BY 30.
Best: K. Smith, M. Smith, B. Lester, S. Geary, M. Ladson, J. Hall.
Rd 12: D SANDHURST BY 22.
Best: M. Pilcher, L. Bonney, N. Smith, A. Trollop, K. Smith, S. Johns.
Rd 13: D CASTLEMAINE BY 92.
Best: N. Smith, S. Milne, S. Mildren, J. Donaldson, M. Smith, L. Prior.
Rd 14: D MARYBOROUGH BY 141.
Best: J. Hall, S. Milne, J. Donaldson, M. Smith, M. Johnston, S. Geary.
Rd 15: D KYNETON BY 83.
Best: M. Ladson, S. Milne, J. Dickens, J. Hall, M. Smith, M. Johnston.
Rd 16: D KANGAROO FLAT BY 32.
Best: M. Johnston, S. Geary, M. Pilcher, S. Milne, L. Bonney, J. Hall.
Rd 17: D GISBORNE BY 69.
Best: K. Smith, J. Dickens, S. Mildren, A. Trollop, M. Smith, J. Donaldson.
Rd 18: D SOUTH BENDIGO BY 128.
Best: K. Smith, S. Baker, M. Smith, S. Milne, S. Everington, M. Johnston.
2ND SEMI: D SANDHURST BY 42.
Best: M. Johnston, M. Ladson, M. Pilcher, L. Prior, S. Mildren, L. Bonney.