“LOOKING at the potential and the age group we’ve got, it’s a similar position to where the club was 13 or 14 years ago before their golden era started. It might not happen next year, but I don’t think we’re that far away.”
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And he was proven right on Saturday that the Demons two years ago certainly weren’t “that far away” by winning the Loddon Valley league premiership.
Time will tell if the Demons can create another era of success like they did when they won six flags in a row between 2003 and 2008.
But for the meantime they are basking in the glory of the 2017 premiership and ending Bridgewater’s streak of seven in a row with their 13.16 (94) to 8.12 (60) win.
“It's obviously going to take a while to sink in. I’m just stoked for all the boys and it means a lot to the club,” Dennis said.
“It’s not just the 22 players who stepped onto the field today and throughout the year, there’s a lot of work that goes in off the field and it’s great today that the whole club gets this reward.”
Dennis – who played all his junior football with the club – kicked two goals and had the ball in his hands at centre half-forward as the siren sounded to signal the Demons’ 14th premiership.
The Demons trailed by 17 points eight minutes into the third quarter, to which stage they had kicked just three goals.
However, when challenged they lifted the gear they needed to through the midfield and in attack to reel off 10 unanswered goals and cap a season in which they finished four games clear on top of the ladder.
“We were down at half-time (10 points) and really had to come out firing in the third quarter,” Dennis said.
“We couldn’t afford to relax like we had the previous two times against them and once we got our mojo going in the third quarter, that’s how we wanted to finish the game off and we did.”
The standout for the Demons was Luke Marchesi, who was awarded the AFL Victoria Country Medal.
Marchesi bagged four goals, including the Demons’ only three in the first half.
Ruckman Chris Down and four defenders in Sam Brinsmead, Mitch Brewer – who held Alex Collins goalless for the first time this season – Jordan Lea and Jonas Somerville were also among Calivil United’s best players.
