SIX points, five points, four points and three points - they are the mere margins Gisborne lost three preliminary finals and a grand final by during a 2010s decade of near misses in the BFNL for the Bulldogs.
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The Bulldogs featured in six finals series throughout the decade, with four of them ending in agonising defeat - most notably the 2012 grand final against Golden Square.
That's the grand final that will be best remembered in the annals of BFNL history for Rod Sharp's kick after the siren when he had the chance to deliver Gisborne a three-point victory.
But Sharp's kick from the timekeeper's flank of the QEO to the city end just fell short as Golden Square clung on to win by three points, while Gisborne was left to rue what could have been given it had seven more scoring shots.
As well as the heartbreak of the three point grand final loss of 2012, the Bulldogs also endured gutwrenching preliminary final defeats by six points to Eaglehawk in 2011, five points to Sandhurst in 2014 and four points to Eaglehawk in 2019.
While the majority of Gisborne's 20 seasons in the BFNL have been spent with the Bulldogs towards the top end of the ladder, they did endure a three-year period between 2015 and 2017 when they had to rebuild both on and off the field.
An exodus of experienced players, tight finances and dwindling volunteer numbers forced the club into rebuild mode, but by the end of the decade the Bulldogs were back up at their familiar position competing at the pointy end of the season.
Midfielder Scott Walsh won the Michelsen Medal in 2012 with 23 votes and was later selected on the interchange in the BFNL Team of the Decade.
Fellow Bulldogs Tim Walsh (back pocket) and Tom Waters (interchange) also featured in the team.
Among the leading goalkickers at the Bulldogs for the decade was Pat McKenna (155), who was plucked straight from Gisborne by the GWS Giants in the 2014 AFL Draft at No.23.
McKenna spent four years in the AFL system - two each at the Giants and Melbourne - before returning home to Gisborne last year and booting 95 goals.
Gisborne's top ranked player of the decade was hard nut midfielder Ollie Messaoudi, who amassed 270 best player votes, while Darren Farrugia (184) was the No.1 goalkicker.
YEAR-BY-YEAR:
2010
Finished - 8th (4-14)
Most best player votes:
Ollie Messaoudi - 66
Leading goalkicker:
Darren Farrugia - 35
............................................
2011
Finished - 3rd (13-8)
lost preliminary final to Eaglehawk
Most best player votes:
Tom May - 45
Leading goalkicker:
James Petran - 55
............................................
2012
Finished - 2nd (16-4-1)
lost grand final to Golden Square
Most best player votes:
Scott Walsh - 49
Leading goalkicker:
Darren Farrugia - 75
............................................
2013
Finished - 4th (11-7)
lost first semi-final to Eaglehawk
Most best player votes:
Casey Summerfield - 56
Leading goalkicker:
Matt Knox - 35
............................................
2014
Finished - 3rd (14-7)
lost preliminary final to Sandhurst
Most best player votes:
Tom May - 55
Leading goalkicker:
Pat McKenna - 45
............................................
2015
Finished - 6th (6-12)
Most best player votes:
Ollie Messaoudi - 42
Leading goalkicker:
Matt Knox - 55
............................................
2016
Finished - 9th (3-15)
Most best player votes:
Jarrad Lynch - 43
Leading goalkicker:
Jake Conolan - 24
............................................
2017
Finished - 7th (6-12)
Most best player votes:
Daniel Weaver - 40
Leading goalkicker:
Thomas Wood - 37
............................................
2018
Finished - 5th (11-8)
lost elimination final to Sandhurst
Most best player votes:
Jack Reaper - 51
Leading goalkicker:
Jake Conolan - 34
............................................
2019
Finished - 3rd (15-6)
lost preliminary final to Eaglehawk
Most best player votes:
Ethan Minns - 49
Leading goalkicker:
Pat McKenna - 95
BEST PLAYER VOTES:
1 - Ollie Messaoudi
Votes: 270
Times in best: 64
Top 3: 42 No.1: 19
............................................
2 - Casey Summerfield
Votes: 256
Times in best: 67
Top 3: 40 No.1: 13
............................................
3 - Tim Walsh
Votes: 204
Times in best: 51
Top 3: 33 No.1: 8
............................................
4 - Jarrad Lynch
Votes: 187
Times in best: 51
Top 3: 22 No.1: 12
............................................
5 - Tom May
Votes: 160
Times in best: 42
Top 3: 24 No.1: 7
............................................
6 - Scott Walsh
Votes: 158
Times in best: 45
Top 3: 23 No.1: 6
............................................
7 - Ethan Minns
Votes: 138
Times in best: 34
Top 3: 23 No.1: 8
............................................
8 - Anthony Belcher
Votes: 137
Times in best: 35
Top 3: 22 No.1: 7
............................................
9 - Tom Waters
Votes: 126
Times in best: 38
Top 3: 17 No.1: 4
............................................
10 - Nick Doolan
Votes: 113
Times in best: 32
Top 3: 16 No.1: 4
TOP 10 GOALKICKERS:
1 - Darren Farrugia
Goals: 184
High: 8 Games: 58
5+: 15 10+: 0
............................................
2 - Jarrad Lynch
Goals: 160
High: 7 Games: 79
5+: 9 10+: 0
............................................
3 - Pat McKenna
Goals: 155
High: 11 Games: 40
5+: 13 10+: 1
............................................
4 - Matthew Knox
Goals: 148
High: 12 Games: 49
5+: 9 10+: 1
............................................
5 - Jake Conolan
Goals: 115
High: 6 Games: 53
5+: 5 10+: 0
............................................
6 - Tom May
Goals: 108
High: 5 Games: 56
5+: 4 10+: 0
............................................
7 - Thomas Wood
Goals: 104
High: 5 Games: 52
5+: 1 10+: 0
............................................
8 - Shaun Comerford
Goals: 96
High: 4 Games: 71
5+: 0 10+: 0
............................................
9 - Ben Sonogan
Goals: 90
High: 6 Games: 47
5+: 3 10+: 0
............................................
10 - Luke Saunders
Goals: 85
High: 7 Games: 26
5+: 7 10+: 0
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
v Castlemaine
Record - 17-3
............................................
v Eaglehawk
Record - 7-18
............................................
v Golden Square
Record - 8-15-1
............................................
v Kangaroo Flat
Record - 14-6
............................................
v Kyneton
Record - 9-9
............................................
v Maryborough
Record - 18-2
............................................
v Sandhurst
Record - 8-17
............................................
v South Bendigo
Record - 12-8
............................................
v Strathfieldsaye
Record - 6-15
DECADE RECORD:
Played - 193
Won - 99
Lost - 93
Drawn - 1
Winning % - 51.3%
Average for/agst - 94/87
Seasons in finals - 6
Finals record - 5-10
Premierships - 0
RESERVES:
Total wins - 122
Seasons in finals - 8
Premierships - 1
UNDER-18S:
Total wins - 135
Seasons in finals - 10
Premierships - 1
BENDIGO ADDY'S DECADE IN REVIEW SERIES:
BFNL - EAGLEHAWK
BFNL - CASTLEMAINE
HDFNL - WHITE HILLS
HDFNL - NORTH BENDIGO
HDFNL - MOUNT PLEASANT
HDFNL - LOCKINGTON-BAMAWM UNITED
HDFNL - LEITCHVILLE-GUNBOWER
HDFNL - HUNTLY
HDFNL - HEATHCOTE
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
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