BENDIGO ADDY'S DECADE IN REVIEW SERIES:
LVFNL - PYRAMID HILL
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
LVFNL - NEWBRIDGE
LVFNL - MITIAMO
LVFNL - MARONG
LVFNL - MAIDEN GULLY YCW
LVFNL - INGLEWOOD
LVFNL - CALIVIL UNITED
LVFNL - BRIDGEWATER
LVFNL - BEARS LAGOON-SERPENTINE
NCFL - ALL EIGHT CLUBS
FOR the first time since the 1980s, Colbinabbin endured a decade without a senior premiership in the Heathcote District league during the 2010s.
It was a decade that featured six finals appearances for the Grasshoppers, but the only grand final they reached was last year against North Bendigo when beaten by 36 points.
It wasn't the first time for the decade the Grasshoppers' premiership hopes had been thwarted by the Bulldogs after they also lost preliminary finals to North Bendigo in 2015 (70 points) and 2018 (39 points).
The Grasshoppers were one of four clubs through the decade to win at least 100 senior games, racking up 101 victories following a lean start when they won just nine matches across 2010 and 2011.
Of their 101 victories, the Grasshoppers' biggest was the 245-point hammering they dished out to Heathcote in round 18 of 2015.
With a final scoreline of 38.25 (253) to 1.2 (8), it was the most one-sided game of the decade in the league and featured a 20-goal bag from superboot Grant Weeks.
Following his stints at Golden Square (2010-12, 451 goals) and Rochester (2013-14, 176 goals), Weeks returned to Colbinabbin in 2015, winning the league's Cheatley Medal in his first season back home - bucking the trend of league medals being midfielder awards.
Weeks kicked 182 goals from 29 games across 2015-16 for the Grasshoppers, before a back injury forced an end to his career at the age of 28.
Ryan Hon (146) and former coach Nick Knight (128) were the only other players to kick more than 100 goals through the decade for the Grasshoppers.
The reliable Tom Hill, who spent much of the decade in the backline, topped the Grasshoppers' best player votes (six for being named best, five for second best and so on) for the decade.
Hill featured among the Grasshoppers' best players in 65 games to earn 269 votes, with midfielder Pat O'Brien (245) the only other player with more than 200.
While a senior premiership eluded the Grasshoppers - their last flag remains 2008 - the club's reserves and under-17s both won grand finals in the 2010s.
The reserves won flags in 2015 and 2018, while the club won its first under-17 premiership in 2013.
The decade for Colbinabbin included a major milestone for the club in 2015 when it celebrated its centenary.
YEAR-BY-YEAR:
2010
Finished - 8th (3-13)
Most best player votes:
Tom Hill - 54
Leading goalkicker:
Brent Millar - 24
............................................
2011
Finished - 7th (6-10)
Most best player votes:
Darcy Booth - 59
Leading goalkicker:
Brent Millar - 24
............................................
2012
Finished - 4th (13-5)
lost first semi-final to North Bendigo
Most best player votes:
Tom Hill - 64
Leading goalkicker:
Jack Lloyd - 55
............................................
2013
Finished - 6th (8-8)
Most best player votes:
Pat O'Brien - 64
Leading goalkicker:
Sam Hill - 35
............................................
2014
Finished - 6th (8-8)
Most best player votes:
Lochlan Sirett - 46
Leading goalkicker:
Linton Jacobs - 40
............................................
2015
Finished - 3rd (13-6)
lost preliminary final to North Bendigo
Most best player votes:
Grant Weeks - 63
Leading goalkicker:
Grant Weeks - 129
............................................
2016
Finished - 4th (13-5)
lost first semi-final to North Bendigo
Most best player votes:
Nick Knight - 42
Leading goalkicker:
Ryan Hon - 59
............................................
2017
Finished - 4th (11-7)
lost first semi-final to Huntly
Most best player votes:
Nat Nixon - 44
Leading goalkicker:
Nick Knight - 47
............................................
2018
Finished - 3rd (12-7)
lost preliminary final to North Bendigo
Most best player votes:
Mitch Bright - 68
Leading goalkicker:
Ryan Hon - 41
............................................
2019
Finished - 2nd (14-5-0)
lost grand final to North Bendigo
Most best player votes:
Todd Bryant - 55
Leading goalkicker:
Matt Riordan - 35
BEST PLAYER VOTES:
1 - Tom Hill
Votes: 269
Times in best: 65
Top 3: 45 No.1: 16
............................................
2 - Pat O'Brien
Votes: 220
Times in best: 57
Top 3: 34 No.1: 12
............................................
3 - Matt Riordan
Votes: 186
Times in best: 54
Top 3: 25 No.1: 8
............................................
4 - Hadleigh Sirett
Votes: 153
Times in best: 50
Top 3: 22 No.1: 2
............................................
5 - Will Morrow
Votes: 148
Times in best: 41
Top 3: 21 No.1: 9
............................................
6 - Darcy Booth
Votes: 141
Times in best: 35
Top 3: 24 No.1: 6
............................................
7 - David Price
Votes: 118
Times in best: 40
Top 3: 15 No.1: 4
............................................
8 - Sam Vale
Votes: 118
Times in best: 34
Top 3: 18 No.1: 6
............................................
9 - Damien Carmody
Votes: 107
Times in best: 26
Top 3: 17 No.1: 7
............................................
10 - Nick Knight
Votes: 103
Times in best: 26
Top 3: 16 No.1: 6
TOP 10 GOALKICKERS:
1 - Grant Weeks
Goals: 182
High: 20 Games: 29
5+: 16 10+: 6
............................................
2 - Ryan Hon
Goals: 146
High: 7 Games: 45
5+: 12 10+: 0
............................................
3 - Nick Knight
Goals: 128
High: 8 Games: 48
5+: 7 10+: 0
............................................
4 - Sam Hill
Goals: 94
High: 8 Games: 43
5+: 5 10+: 0
............................................
5 - Dylan Cuttriss
Goals: 80
High: 6 Games: 24
5+: 7 10+: 0
............................................
6 - Alex Van Ruiswyk
Goals: 79
High: 5 Games: 50
5+: 1 10+: 0
............................................
7 - Lochlan Sirett
Goals: 78
High: 6 Games: 39
5+: 2 10+: 0
............................................
8 - Will Morrow
Goals: 65
High: 3 Games: 53
5+: 0 10+: 0
............................................
9 - Linton Jacobs
Goals: 63
High: 9 Games: 26
5+: 3 10+: 0
............................................
10 - Pat O'Brien
Goals: 57
High: 3 Games: 46
5+: 0 10+: 0
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
v Elmore
Record - 17-4
............................................
v Heathcote
Record - 13-8
............................................
v Huntly
Record - 12-10
............................................
v Leitchville-Gunbower
Record - 10-12
............................................
v LBU
Record - 10-12
............................................
v Mount Pleasant
Record - 16-4
............................................
v North Bendigo
Record - 7-20
............................................
v White Hills
Record - 16-4
DECADE RECORD:
Played - 175
Won - 101
Lost - 74
Drawn - 0
Winning % - 57.7%
Average for/agst - 87/74
Seasons in finals - 6
Finals record - 6-9
Premierships - 0
RESERVES:
Total wins - 115
Seasons in finals - 8
Premierships - 2
UNDER-17S:
Total wins - 47
Seasons in finals - 1
Premierships - 1
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.
