BENDIGO ADDY'S DECADE IN REVIEW SERIES:
HDFNL - HEATHCOTE
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HDFNL - ELMORE
HDFNL - COLBINABBIN
LVFNL - PYRAMID HILL
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 so long the battlers of the Heathcote District league, the 2010s decade signalled a long-awaited re-emergence of Huntly.
From 2002 to 2011 the Hawks claimed 10 consecutive wooden-spoons (winning just nine of 160 games), but the turnaround finally began in 2012.
And it came quickly, going from the 10th wooden spoon in a row in 2011 to the finals in 2012 under new coach Stacy Fiske.
The Hawks lost the 2012 elimination final to North Bendigo by 42 points, but it proved to be a stepping stone to a grand final appearance in 2013.
"It's a great credit to the committee and the community that we've got ourselves into this position," Fiske said in the week leading up to the 2013 grand final clash with LBU at Elmore.
"We've got a fantastic group of players and committee and hopefully, we can do them justice on Saturday.
"We've spoken this week that we've worked really hard to get ourselves into this position, but we can't be just satisfied in making the grand final."
However, the Hawks' remarkable turnaround couldn't be capped off with a premiership as the Cats dominated after half-time to win 15.13 (103) to 6.9 (45) - the third of their four premierships in a row.
As well as the grand final defeat of 2013, the Hawks also reached two preliminary finals during the decade, but were knocked out by arch rivals North Bendigo both times in 2016 and 2017.
While a premiership eluded the Hawks during the 2010s, they did boast the league's first triple winner of the Cheatley Medal.
Superstar midfielder/forward Ryan Semmel won the Cheatley three times in the decade - 2013 (25 votes), 2016 (20 votes) and 2018 (19 votes).
Arriving in 2012, Semmel played six seasons for the Hawks (2012-13 and 2015-18) and featured in the Hawks' best players 65 times.
Semmel - who has returned to the Hawks this year - earned 273 best player votes for the decade (six for being named best, five for second best and so on), but it was Fiske who racked up the most for the club with 294.
Harry Whittle (222) also cracked the 200-mark, while Chris Gleeson was the Hawks' most dominant forward of the decade with 283 goals.
The Hawks' 81 wins in the 2010s was three more than their combined tally of 78 across the 2000s (25) and 1990s (53).
YEAR-BY-YEAR:
2010
Finished - 9th (2-14)
Most best player votes:
Ben O'Sullivan - 42
Leading goalkicker:
Daniel Sladden - 32
............................................
2011
Finished - 9th (1-15)
Most best player votes:
Stacy Fiske - 72
Leading goalkicker:
Danny Beriman - 22
............................................
2012
Finished - 5th (10-7)
lost elimination final to North Bendigo
Most best player votes:
Ryley Dickens - 44
Leading goalkicker:
Braidy Dickens - 47
............................................
2013
Finished - 2nd (15-5)
lost grand final to LBU
Most best player votes:
Ryan Semmel - 61
Leading goalkicker:
Chris Gleeson - 53
............................................
2014
Finished - 7th (6-10)
Most best player votes:
Harry Whittle - 53
Leading goalkicker:
Lachlan O'Toole - 33
............................................
2015
Finished - 5th (9-8)
lost elimination final to White Hills
Most best player votes:
Ryan Semmel - 40
Leading goalkicker:
Chris Gleeson - 63
............................................
2016
Finished - 3rd (13-6)
lost preliminary final to North Bendigo
Most best player votes:
Ryan Semmel - 59
Leading goalkicker:
Harry Whittle - 54
............................................
2017
Finished - 3rd (12-7)
lost preliminary final to North Bendigo
Most best player votes:
Ryan Semmel - 43
Leading goalkicker:
Harry Whittle - 51
............................................
2018
Finished - 4th (12-6)
lost first semi-final to Colbinabbin
Most best player votes:
Ryan Semmel - 52
Leading goalkicker:
Chris Gleeson - 47
............................................
2019
Finished - 9th (1-15)
Most best player votes:
Harry Whittle - 46
Leading goalkicker:
Jack Burns - 18
BEST PLAYER VOTES:
1 - Stacy Fiske
Votes: 294
Times in best: 72
Top 3: 44 No.1: 24
............................................
2 - Ryan Semmel
Votes: 273
Times in best: 65
Top 3: 43 No.1: 19
............................................
3 - Harry Whittle
Votes: 222
Times in best: 54
Top 3: 35 No.1: 16
............................................
4 - Jaydon Cowling
Votes: 145
Times in best: 32
Top 3: 26 No.1: 8
............................................
5 - Josh Harris
Votes: 123
Times in best: 35
Top 3: 16 No.1: 6
............................................
6 - Phil Ryan
Votes: 109
Times in best: 29
Top 3: 17 No.1: 5
............................................
7 - Ryley Dickens
Votes: 107
Times in best: 29
Top 3: 17 No.1: 4
............................................
8 - Braidy Dickens
Votes: 102
Times in best: 26
Top 3: 15 No.1: 8
............................................
9 - Chris Gleeson
Votes: 87
Times in best: 24
Top 3: 10 No.1: 6
............................................
10 - Jack Daley
Votes: 80
Times in best: 19
Top 3: 14 No.1: 5
TOP 10 GOALKICKERS:
1 - Chris Gleeson
Goals: 283
High: 9 Games: 80
5+: 23 10+: 0
............................................
2 - Harry Whittle
Goals: 191
High: 10 Games: 75
5+: 8 10+: 1
............................................
3 - Ryan Semmel
Goals: 190
High: 9 Games: 78
5+: 8 10+: 0
............................................
4 - Braidy Dickens
Goals: 140
High: 6 Games: 60
5+: 7 10+: 0
............................................
5 - Lachlan O'Toole
Goals: 88
High: 6 Games: 34
5+: 6 10+: 0
............................................
6 - Jacob Greenwood
Goals: 79
High: 5 Games: 38
5+: 3 10+: 0
............................................
7 - Stacy Fiske
Goals: 68
High: 5 Games: 45
5+: 1 10+: 0
............................................
8 - Jaydon Cowling
Goals: 63
High: 4 Games: 40
5+: 0 10+: 0
............................................
9 - Daniel Lloyd
Goals: 55
High: 4 Games: 29
5+: 0 10+: 0
............................................
10 - Phil Ryan
Goals: 50
High: 6 Games: 32
5+: 2 10+: 0
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
v Colbinabbin
Record - 10-12
............................................
v Elmore
Record - 12-8
............................................
v Heathcote
Record - 15-5
............................................
v Leitchville-Gunbower
Record - 4-18
............................................
v LBU
Record - 8-14
............................................
v Mount Pleasant
Record - 13-7
............................................
v North Bendigo
Record - 7-19
............................................
v White Hills
Record - 12-10
DECADE RECORD:
Played - 174
Won - 81
Lost - 93
Drawn - 0
Winning % - 46.6%
Average for/agst - 88/94
Seasons in finals - 6
Finals record - 5-9
Premierships - 0
RESERVES:
Total wins - 64
Seasons in finals - 4
Premierships - 0
UNDER-17S:
Total wins - 46
Seasons in finals - 2
Premierships - 0
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