LVFNL DECADE IN REVIEW SERIES:
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THE 2010-19 decade spawned a new identity in the Loddon Valley league - Maiden Gully YCW.
YCW had competed in the league since 1985 at Backhaus Oval, but 2017 signalled the dawning of a new era when a merger between the YCW Sporting and Social Club and Maiden Gully Junior Football Club formed the Maiden Gully YCW Eagles.
The club based at Maiden Gully's new Marist College, with Eagles' president Chris Garlick saying on the eve of the first game against Inglewood: "It provides sustainability, an identity and longevity for the club."
The Eagles' new football and netball uniforms encompassed YCW's history of blue and white, as well as incorporating orange to signify the beginning of the new era, while a new club song to the theme of the Western Bulldogs was adopted.
On field, the Eagles played senior finals four times for the decade - twice as YCW (2010 and 2011) and twice as Maiden Gully YCW (2018 and 2019).
In between the 2011 and 2018 finals berths were six lean seasons in which the Eagles won just 23 games.
The Eagles reached the preliminary final in both 2011 and 2018, with the 2011 defeat to Pyramid Hill under coach Phil Walsh by an agonising two points after a goal in the dying seconds to Gavin James sent the Bulldogs through to the grand final and left YCW gutted.
That 2011 season included the Eagles' best winning streak of the decade when they peeled off nine wins in a row, including inflicting Bridgewater's only defeat that year by seven points.
Their 2018 preliminary final appearance under new coach Wayne Mitrovic in which they bowed out to Mitiamo capped a stunning turnaround from 2017 when they had finished second-last with just three wins.
The standout player of the decade for the Eagles was wingman/midfielder Nick Waterson.
Waterson played six seasons (2013-16 and 2018-19) and racked up 299 best player votes.
Waterson featured among the Eagles' best players 71 times and finished 139 votes clear of Ryan Walker's distant 160.
Cohen Kekich's 97 goals were the most kicked by an Eagles' player through the decade, while Daine Lowry (10 in 2013) and Brayden Aitkin (10 in 2019), both against Inglewood, kicked the club's only two double-figure bags.
Meanwhile, no team won more under-17/18 games than the Eagles' 136 during the decade, which included premierships in 2012 and 2016.
YEAR-BY-YEAR:
2010
lost elimination final to Mitiamo
Finished - 5th (7-10)
Most best player votes:
Devin Brown - 61
Leading goalkicker:
Adrian Cronin - 27
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2011
lost preliminary final to Pyramid Hill
Finished - 3rd (13-6)
Most best player votes:
Chris Wilmot - 30
Leading goalkicker:
Kieran Atkin - 40
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2012
Finished - 7th (4-12)
Most best player votes:
Kyle Morcombe - 40
Leading goalkicker:
Grant Connelly - 26
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2013
Finished - 7th (3-13)
Most best player votes:
Nick Waterson - 57
Leading goalkicker:
Nick Waterson - 17
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2014
Finished - 6th (5-11)
Most best player votes:
David Millard - 51
Leading goalkicker:
Daine Lowry - 32
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2015
Finished - 8th (3-12-1)
Most best player votes:
Mitch Collins - 52
Leading goalkicker:
Mathew Waterson - 17
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2016
Finished - 8th (5-11)
Most best player votes:
Nick Waterson - 55
Leading goalkicker:
Dooley Niemann - 17
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2017
Finished - 8th (3-13)
Most best player votes:
Brayden Aitken - 40
Leading goalkicker:
Nat McLaren - 21
............................................
2018
Finished - 3rd (13-6)
lost preliminary final to Mitiamo
Most best player votes:
Nick Waterson - 56
Leading goalkicker:
Cohen Kekich - 42
............................................
2019
lost first semi-final to BL-Serpentine
Finished - 4th (10-8)
Most best player votes:
Nick Waterson - 45
Leading goalkicker:
Brayden Aitken - 32
BEST PLAYER VOTES:
1 - Nick Waterson
Votes: 299
Times in best: 71
Top 3: 51 No.1: 18
............................................
2 - Ryan Walker
Votes: 160
Times in best: 47
Top 3: 21 No.1: 9
............................................
3 - Steve Turner
Votes: 152
Times in best: 47
Top 3: 18 No.1: 5
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4 - Brayden Aitken
Votes: 146
Times in best: 34
Top 3: 24 No.1: 10
............................................
5 - David Millard
Votes: 99
Times in best: 23
Top 3: 17 No.1: 7
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6 - Cohen Kekich
Votes: 96
Times in best: 28
Top 3: 14 No.1: 3
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7 - Mitch Collins
Votes: 96
Times in best: 26
Top 3: 13 No.1: 6
............................................
8 - Mathew Waterson
Votes: 86
Times in best: 19
Top 3: 16 No.1: 6
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9 - Jordan Crisp
Votes: 86
Times in best: 24
Top 3: 10 No.1: 3
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10 - Kyle Morcombe
Votes: 86
Times in best: 23
Top 3: 14 No.1: 4
TOP 10 GOALKICKERS:
1 - Cohen Kekich
Goals: 97
High: 7 Games: 46
5+: 4 10+: 0
............................................
2 - Daine Lowry
Goals: 91
High: 10 Games: 34
5+: 3 10+: 1
............................................
3 - Luke Gray
Goals: 89
High: 4 Games: 45
5+: 0 10+: 0
............................................
4 - Nick Waterson
Goals: 72
High: 5 Games: 50
5+: 1 10+: 0
............................................
5 - Adrian Cronin
Goals: 71
High: 5 Games: 32
5+: 2 10+: 0
............................................
6 - Wayne Mitrovic
Goals: 69
High: 7 Games: 22
5+: 4 10+: 0
............................................
7 - Grant Connelly
Goals: 68
High: 6 Games: 30
5+: 3 10+: 0
............................................
8 - Michael Allen
Goals: 63
High: 6 Games: 34
5+: 1 10+: 0
............................................
9 - Kieran Atkin
Goals: 61
High: 6 Games: 22
5+: 3 10+: 0
............................................
10 - Tim Wood
Goals: 60
High: 5 Games: 32
5+: 1 10+: 0
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
v BL-Serpentine
Record - 7-14
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v Bridgewater
Record - 4-16
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v Calivil United
Record - 8-13
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v Inglewood
Record - 17-3
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v Marong
Record - 10-10
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v Mitiamo
Record - 6-17
............................................
v Newbridge
Record - 9-11-1
............................................
v Pyramid Hill
Record - 6-17
DECADE RECORD:
Played - 169
Won - 66
Lost - 102
Drawn - 1
Winning % - 39.1%
Average for/agst - 79/94
Seasons in finals - 4
Finals record - 3-6
Premierships - 0
RESERVES:
Total wins - 81
Seasons in finals - 5
Premierships - 0
UNDER-18S:
Total wins - 136
Seasons in finals - 9
Premierships - 2
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