BFNL DECADE THAT WAS - the 2011 season

Grand final thrashings don't come any more brutal than the one dished out by Golden Square to Eaglehawk on what was an anti-climatic end to the 2011 BFNL season.

The Bulldogs had gone into the grand final as the raging hot favourites given they were unbeaten, but what they produced on the big stage set a new league record.

Golden Square's staggering winning margin of 135 points surpassed the league's previous mark for the most one-sided grand final of 117 points by Sandhurst against Maryborough in 1933.

Remarkably given the blowout margin they were on the receiving end of, the fast-starting Hawks quickly kicked the first three goals of the game - the Bulldogs then kicked 25 of the next 27.

Coach Nick Carter's pre-match speech based on the 'Bulldogs' brotherhood' has gone down in Golden Square folklore; even Square's reserves coach Mark Billings was ready to pull on a jumper and take the field.

The best-on-ground medals were shared by Square team-mates Mark Lloyd (Nalder Medal) and the oldest player on the field, Matt O'Toole (VCFL Medal).

The silky Lloyd carved the Hawks up through the midfield and O'Toole took 12 marks and kicked two goals across half-forward.

The Bulldogs led by four points at quarter-time; 70 at half-time and 85 at three quarter-time before the final margin of 135 in what was Eaglehawk's biggest loss for more than 250 games.

The victorious Golden Square side featured five sets of brothers - Nick (non-playing coach) and Christian Carter; Matt and Lachlan O'Toole; Simon and Luke Rosa; Shaun and Dale Young; and Adam and Travis Baird.

The shellacking was Golden Square's third premiership in a row - and the Bulldogs weren't done yet.

CASTLEMAINE

Finished - 9^th (2-16)

Only two wins for the Magpies in 2011, but it was an improvement on the previous year's tally of zero.

Both victories came at the expense of Kyneton, but the Magpies were stiff not to record up to five after losing three other games to Maryborough twice and Kangaroo Flat by a combined 17 points.

Despite the lack of wins, it didn't stop pacy rover Wayne Schultz from polling six best-on-grounds to win the Michelsen Medal, while ruckman Angus Fortune was also the league's Rising Star.

Best player votes:

(6 for being named best; 5 for second best and so on)

Wayne Schultz - 63

Angus Fortune - 38

Nick Bone - 30

Top goalkickers:

Joel Smith - 38

Ken Cummings - 33

Ben Rose - 16

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EAGLEHAWK

Finished - 2^nd (15-7)

The Hawks were lambs to the slaughter on grand final day against Golden Square - but the fact is they were there on the big stage and eight other teams weren't.

2011 marked the beginning of a new Eaglehawk era under coach Luke Monaghan following the eight-year tenure of Derrick Filo.

The season got off to a shaky start, losing their first two games, including a massive upset defeat at home to touted wooden-spooner Maryborough in round one.

But from 0-2 the Hawks went 13-3 over their next 16 games to finish in second position on the ladder en route to the grand final.

After winning the Michelsen Medal the previous year, Josh Bowe almost did so again, finishing runner-up.

Best player votes:

Tim Hill - 44

Troy Coates - 40

Josh Bowe - 34

Top goalkickers:

Matt Gretgrix - 86

Matt Gilmore - 48

Troy Coates - 47

.........................................

GISBORNE

Finished - 3^rd (13-8)

The Bulldogs were the bolters of 2011.

After winning just four games in 2010 the appointment of the revered Luke Saunders as coach had an immediate impact as the Bulldogs more than tripled their tally in 2011 to 13.

Had led the preliminary final against Eaglehawk by 10 points at half-time, but were beaten by six points, despite kicking a score of 103.

2011 would prove the beginning of a string of finals heartbreak for the Bulldogs in the coming years.

Best player votes:

Tom May - 45

Ollie Messaoudi - 44

Casey Summerfield - 41

Top goalkickers:

James Petran - 55

Darren Farrugia - 42

Jarrad Lynch - 38

.........................................

GOLDEN SQUARE

Finished - 1^st (20-0)

Perfection - that's the only way to sum up Golden Square's 2011 season.

Nick Carter's Bulldogs became the first BFNL team since Rochester in 1962 to go through a season undefeated, with their 135-point grand final demolition of Eaglehawk capping a 20-0 record.

However, they could have so easily been beaten in round two by Sandhurst before James Bristow kicked the final goal of the match in the dying stages to give the Bulldogs a three-point win in a game played at Huntly due to upgrade works at the QEO.

Apart from the scare from Sandhurst, the Bulldogs won their other 19 games by an average of 93 points in what was a season of sheer dominance.

Best player votes:

Simon Rosa - 52

Jack Geary - 49

Grant Weeks - 44

Top goalkickers:

Grant Weeks - 130

James Bristow - 48

Shaun Young - 34

.........................................

KANGAROO FLAT

Finished - 8^th (5-13)

Just as he had done in round one the previous year, star forward Justin Maddern opened the season with a haul of 10 goals - this time in a 121-point win under lights at home against Castlemaine.

It was the start of a hot patch of form for Maddern, who after seven games had kicked 51 goals before earning a call-up into the VFL with the Bendigo Bombers.

The Roos had been 3-3 after six rounds, but won just two of their next 12 games, with the season culminating in a dismal 186-point thrashing from Gisborne.

Among the early-season wins was a 17-point victory over Sandhurst, which eight years on remains the Roos' last against the Dragons.

Best player votes:

Tyson Mihocek - 55

Aaron Walklate - 39

Martin Kelly - 31

Top goalkickers:

Justin Maddern - 54

Tyson Mihocek - 26

Simon Davies - 22

.........................................

KYNETON

Finished - 10^th (0-18)

Not even the return of 179-game AFL forward Nathan Thompson, or the mid-season inclusion of future Western Bulldogs' forward Jack Redpath from a knee injury, could help the Tigers win a game in 2011.

Following his eight years coaching Eaglehawk, there was no break for Derrick Filo, who immediately took on the Tigers' job in 2011 in a season marred by belting after belting, with their average losing margin 126 points.

Best player votes:

Shane Page - 67

David Romer - 55

Will Gunter - 45

Top goalkickers:

Jack Redpath - 29

Nathan Thompson - 15

Rhys Ellis - 13

.........................................

MARYBOROUGH

Finished - 7^th (9-9)

The Magpies had been a popular tip pre-season to finish with the wooden-spoon.

But Matt Aston's side made a mockery of such predictions, not only winning their first three games, but splitting their season 9-9 and finishing in seventh position.

The season began with a stirring 22-point win over eventual grand finalist, Eaglehawk - the Magpies' first at Canterbury Park since 2003 - while the side possessed two of the competition's top talls in 2011 in Tyson MacIlwain and Lachlan Woodward.

Best player votes:

Tyson MacIlwain - 57

Lachlan Woodward - 47

Matt Johnston - 46

Top goalkickers:

Ben Jackson - 33

Matt Bond - 31

Cameron Skinner - 22

.........................................

SANDHURST

Finished - 4^th (12-8)

It was deja vu for the Dragons, who just like the year prior in 2010 had to fight back from a scratchy 1-3 start to reach the finals under new coach Tony Graham.

Even at round 11 the Dragons were still well off the pace at 4-7 and in seventh position, before getting on a roll, winning their next seven games and then easily accounting for South Bendigo in the elimination final.

But they proved no match for Gisborne in the first semi-final, copping a 55-point hiding.

The surprise packet for the Dragons was forward Braidy Dickens, who after spending the bulk of 2010 in the reserves finished 2011 as one of the competition's top goalkickers with 57.

Best player votes:

Jon Coghlan - 49

Tom Hartney - 40

Lee Coghlan - 27

Top goalkickers:

Braidy Dickens - 57

Jake Ward - 37

Michael Cornish - 34

.........................................

SOUTH BENDIGO

Finished - 5^th (11-8)

The Bloods had been beaten grand finalists the previous two years, but this time were unable to get past the first week of finals, knocked out by QEO rivals Sandhurst in the elimination final.

Had sat second on the ladder at the halfway mark at 7-2, but ran out of steam in the second half of the season.

Athletic forward Michael Leech provided a strong target inside 50 for the Bloods, finishing equal third on the league goalkicking with 59.

Best player votes:

Daniel Anderson - 55

Brady Childs - 48

Tom Hams - 38

Top goalkickers:

Michael Leech - 59

Jackson Ireland - 36

Steven Stroobants - 30

.........................................

STRATHFIELDSAYE

Finished - 6^th (9-9)

Year one of what would prove to be the super successful Darryl Wilson era as coach of the Storm.

In what was the club's third year in the competition the Storm went from four wins in 2009 to six in 2010 and nine in 2011 in what remains the last season the club has missed the finals.

Looked headed for their first finals berth when they sat fifth with two rounds to go, but a pair of single-figure losses in their last two games to South Bendigo and Maryborough consigned the Storm to sixth - still another step in the right direction.

One of the rare teams to have two players kick 50-plus goals - recruit Sam Mildren (59) and Lachlan Sharp (57) - but miss the finals.

Best player votes:

Jono Gawthrop - 34

Tom Dowd - 30

Matthew Ladson - 25

Top goalkickers:

Sam Mildren - 59

Lachlan Sharp - 57

Kris Lea - 37

History wasn't on the side of Wayne Schultz heading into the Michelsen Medal.

Only Kennington's Rod Southon (1988) and Castlemaine's Derek Cowen (1967) had claimed the Michelsen Medal in lowly teams that won just two games.

But Castlemaine's Schultz added his name to the list, causing an upset by winning with 22 votes in his first season in the competition.

"You look around the league at all the talent, particularly at Golden Square with Simon (Rosa) and Weeksy (Grant Weeks), so it's a big honour," Schultz said.

A second Ron Best Medal in a row for Golden Square superboot Grant Weeks, this time "only" kicking 125 goals - the previous year he had bagged 145 in the home and away season.

Weeks' biggest haul was his 18 against Kyneton in a 188-point win in round 14.

Weeks ended the whole season with 130 goals after adding a further five in the finals, which included four in the grand final blitz.

Weeks' 2011 season tallies - 9, - , 4, 5, 8, 6, 3, 5, 5, 9, 12, - , 9, 18, 7, 10, 6, 9, 1, 4.

1. GOLDEN SQUARE

Record - 18-0, 259.4%

2. EAGLEHAWK

Record - 13-5, 133.9%

3. GISBORNE

Record - 12-6, 142.8%

4. SANDHURST

Record - 11-7, 130.6%

5. SOUTH BENDIGO

Record - 11-7, 117.5%

6. STRATHFIELDSAYE

Record - 9-9, 123.8%

7. MARYBOROUGH

Record - 9-9, 82.0%

8. KANGAROO FLAT

Record - 5-13, 84.6%

9. CASTLEMAINE

Record - 2-16, 55.9%

10. KYNETON

Record - 0-18, 28.3%

...........................................

ELIMINATION FINAL:

Sandhurst 19.19 (133) d South Bendigo 12.11 (83)

QUALIFYING FINAL:

Eaglehawk 16.16 (112) d Gisborne 13.10 (88)

1ST SEMI-FINAL:

Gisborne 17.14 (116) d Sandhurst 9.7 (61)

2ND SEMI-FINAL:

Golden Square 10.13 (73) d Eaglehawk 3.12 (30)

PRELIMINARY FINAL:

Eaglehawk 17.7 (109) d Gisborne 14.19 (103)

GRAND FINAL:

Golden Square 25.18 (168) d Eaglehawk 5.3 (33)

...........................................

Bendigo 15.12 (102) lt Geelong 19.8 (122) at Skilled Stadium, Geelong.

Bendigo's best - S. Rosa, G. Weeks, T. Waters, T. Hams, T. Baird, A. Baird

...........................................

(includes finals)

130 - Grant Weeks

(Golden Square)

86 - Matt Gretgrix

(Eaglehawk)

59 - Michael Leech

(South Bendigo)

59 - Sam Mildren

(Strathfieldsaye)

57 - Braidy Dickens

(Sandhurst)

57 - Lachlan Sharp

(Strathfieldsaye)

...........................................

FOOTBALL:

SENIORS:

Golden Square

RESERVES:

Gisborne

UNDER-18S:

Sandhurst

.....................

NETBALL

A GRADE:

Golden Square

A RESERVE:

Sandhurst

B GRADE:

Eaglehawk

17-UNDER:

Sandhurst

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