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HUNTLY-North Epsom's Brett Elvey recalls the Power finally breaking their six-year winless hoodoo against Eaglehawk in 2010 as just like winning a grand final.
The Power had endured an infamous winless streak of 78 games that stretched from February of 2004 to December of 2010 before finally breaking through for a well overdue victory against the Hawks by 46 runs at home.
While that win over the Hawks at the time may have felt like a grand final win for Elvey, this weekend he'll get to experience the real thing as the Power takes on Golden Square for the BDCA premiership at the QEO.
"That win over Eaglehawk back in 2010 was basically like a grand final for us at the time," Elvey said this week.
"It was huge for the club to get a win, so I guess when you look back at that it's quite unbelievable to be playing in a grand final this week."
Elvey joined the Power from White Hills in the 2009-10 season as one of the new recruits who moved to the club when Linc McRae made the shift from Eaglehawk to captain-coach the struggling Huntly-North.
Keeper-batsman Brodie McRae also went from White Hills to the Power that season, and like Elvey will also be part of this weekend's grand final team.
"Back then Linc was all about just trying to win one session of cricket; over time that turned into winning two sessions and then winning a game," Elvey said.
There was some quick growth from the Power under McRae to the extent that just one season after they ended their 78-game winless streak, the Power played in a semi-final against Strathdale-Maristians.
Despite posting a competitive 6-244 batting first, the Power were thwarted by a Jono Davidson century (120 n.o.) as the Suns won by seven wickets en route to the flag.
Up until this season that 2012 semi-final against Suns was not only the last finals action the Power had been part of, but also their only final since the club as it's now known was established out of a merger between the former North Bendigo senior and Huntly junior clubs in 2001-02.
In between their 2012 semi-final loss and this season's return to the finals, the Power dropped off, finishing 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 7th and 9th.
"After playing in the semi-final that year against Strathdale, it plateaued out after that for a few years. I think we probably thought we were a lot closer than we were and we fell back to the pack again," Elvey said.
Coming off just two wins the previous year, it looked like there would be much of the same for the Power when they began this season 0-3 and then looked headed for another defeat against Golden Square in round four.
Top side Square was cruising to victory when it was 3-171 chasing the Power's 188 at Wade Street.
But what unfolded late in the afternoon lit a spark of momentum and belief that has carried the Power through to the grand final.
The Power launched a stunning revival out of nowhere, bagging 7-16 to defeat Square by one run, get its opening win on the board and take the first step towards a remarkable turnaround that hasn't let up.
"It was looking like being another long year after a fairly big build-up in the pre-season," Elvey said.
"With the way we started it was looking like we were going to be back towards the bottom, but something happened that day and we've gone forward since then.
"We really started to believe after that game and since then we really do believe we can win from any position."
Elvey forms a key component of what has been the BDCA's No.1 ranked bowling attack this season that this weekend takes on the No.1 batting line-up in Square.
As well as taking 21 wickets, medium-pacer Elvey has once again enhanced his reputation as the most stingiest of bowlers in the BDCA.
His 179 overs include 83 maidens and he has conceded 308 runs - an economy rate of just 1.72.
The 35-year-old's capacity to tie up an end was again on show in last weekend's semi-final win over Eaglehawk when he piled the pressure on, taking 2-16 off 18 overs with 11 maidens.
"I've just been steady... I plod along and just do what I can for the team," Elvey said.
"It helps when you've got a really good player around you like Adam Ward, and the Sri Lankan boys (Danushka Wijemanna, Sandun Ranathunga and Shehan De Silva) are all really good cricketers.
"If I can just chip away at my end, hopefully, the good cricketers will get the job done at the other end."
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