AT the time it was nothing more than the end of a 19-year premiership drought and one of the most brutal demolitions in Loddon Valley league grand final history.
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What wasn’t known at the time, though, was grand final day 2010 would signal the beginning of the greatest dynasty of success in Loddon Valley history.
It was a passing-of-the-torch moment – 2000s power club Calivil United playing a re-emerging Bridgewater taking its first steps back on the grand final stage.
For the Demons, it was their ninth grand final in a row, having played in every flag decider from 2002 and at one stage winning what was then a league record six premierships in a row between 2003 and 2008.
Their opponents, Bridgewater, hadn’t played in a grand final for the best part of two decades, with the Mean Machine’s last appearance on the big stage having been when they won the 1991 premiership.
It was billed as the Master v Apprentice.
But what unfolded that September 11 day at Backhaus Oval set the scene for what was to come over the next six years with the dawning of a new era that will go down in league folklore.
Coached by Troy Auld and captained by David Coghlan, the Mean Machine – after kicking 11 goals to one in the first quarter – destroyed the Demons by 115 points in a flawless display of football.
Bridgewater’s 27.6 (168) to 7.11 (53) shellacking marked the first of what has now grown into a history-making seven premierships in a row for the Mean Machine.
The Mean Machine have the opportunity to extend their streak to eight in a row against the team it started against when they play Calivil United in a grand final for the first time since 2010 on Saturday at Serpentine.
The 2010 grand final is remembered for not only the blowout result, but for the remarkable performance from Bridgewater’s X-factor forward Kurt Ashman.
By the 13-minute mark of the first quarter Ashman had already booted six goals, before he added one in the second term, two in the third and one in the last for a grand final haul of 10.
“You don’t have quarters like that every day, so it was nice to have one in the grand final,” Ashman reflected on his first-term onslaught after receiving the best-on-ground medal.
The 2010 premiership side included Darren Clutton, Deon Jones and Daniel Nalder, who all have the chance to win their eighth flag on Saturday as part of the golden run.
A young Zeb Broadbent, now captain of Bridgewater, was one of the Mean Machine’s standouts that day, while one of the 11 goalkickers was Marc Lindsay, who is now coaching the club.
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Match details:
Bridgewater 11.1 17.2 19.5 27.6 (168)
Calivil United 1.0 4.3 4.9 7.11 (53)
GOALS - Bridgewater: K. Ashman 10, A. Ball 4, B. Rohde 3, A. Pollock, Z. East 2, D. Coghlan, J. McLeod, A. Ferguson, D. Clutton, B. Galea, M. Lindsay. Calivil United: G. Scholtes 2, P. Evans, G. Richardson, B. Rogers, N. Balic, H. Richardson.
BEST - Bridgewater: K. Ashman, Z. Broadbent, D. Jones, A. Auld, D. Clutton, A. Pollock. Calivil United: H. Miller, T. Gallagher, R. Maxted, A. Demeo, G. Scholtes, H. Richardson.
