FOR South Bendigo the 2010s were a decade that began as one of the BFNL's top premiership contenders, but ended with the Bloods enduring their longest finals absence since the 1960s.
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Having lost the 2009 grand final to Golden Square, the Bloods earned a shot at redemption - also against the Bulldogs - the following season in the first premiership battle of the new decade.
But just like 2009, the Bloods, coached by Rick Coburn, suffered grand final defeat in 2010, going down to the Bulldogs by 29 points, 11.21 (87) to 8.10 (58).
The Bloods would play finals again the following two seasons - losing elimination finals in both 2011 and 2012 - before 2013 signaled the beginning of a September absence that still hasn't been broken.
South Bendigo slid to sixth in 2013, missing the finals for the first time since 2004, and then in 2014 claimed its first wooden spoon since 1965 when it won just two games.
The No.1 ranked player of the decade for the Bloods was champion midfielder and former skipper Aaron Connaughton.
Connaughton racked up 225 best player votes (six for being named best, five for second best) for the decade.
One of the highlight wins of the decade for the Bloods came in Connaughton's 150th senior game against arch-rivals Sandhurst in round six of 2017.
The Bloods beat the reigning premiers by 30 points and in doing so regained the Graeme Wright Memorial Cup for the first time since 2013.
Another of the Bloods' memorable wins among their 82 during the decade was their 15-point triumph over Golden Square on the weekend they celebrated their 125th in July of 2018.
Among the best and fairest winners for the Bloods during the decade was ruckman Kieran Strachan, who provided another of the decade's highlights for South Bendigo with his selection by Adelaide in the 2018 rookie draft.
In attack Kaiden Antonowicz (174), who won the Ron Best Medal in 2018, Michael Leech (152) and Steven Stroobants (103) all kicked more than 100 goals for the Bloods during a decade in which they began their transition from the QEO to Harry Trott Oval, playing their first games at Kennington in 2014.
The Bloods' sole representative in the BFNL Team of the Decade was centre half-forward Justin Maddern, who was with the club across 2012-13 and won the 2013 Ron Best Medal.
YEAR-BY-YEAR:
2010
Finished - 2nd (19-3)
lost grand final to Golden Square
Most best player votes:
Alex Galea - 40
Leading goalkicker:
Steven Stroobants - 55
............................................
2011
Finished - 5th (11-8)
lost elimination final to Sandhurst
Most best player votes:
Daniel Anderson - 55
Leading goalkicker:
Michael Leech - 59
............................................
2012
Finished - 5th (11-8)
lost elimination final to Strathfieldsaye
Most best player votes:
Brady Childs - 48
Leading goalkicker:
Michael Leech - 48
............................................
2013
Finished - 6th (9-6-1)
Most best player votes:
Brady Childs - 42
Leading goalkicker:
Justin Maddern - 67
............................................
2014
Finished - 10th (2-16)
Most best player votes:
Daniel Frew - 49
Leading goalkicker:
Josh Whelan - 28
............................................
2015
Finished - 9th (4-14)
Most best player votes:
Aaron Connaughton - 44
Leading goalkicker:
Michael Tonkin - 23
............................................
2016
Finished - 8th (5-13)
Most best player votes:
Kieran Strachan - 37
Leading goalkicker:
Leroy Miller - 23
............................................
2017
Finished - 6th (9-9)
Most best player votes:
Mitch Rogerson - 52
Leading goalkicker:
Kaiden Antonowicz - 29
............................................
2018
Finished - 7th (7-10-1)
Most best player votes:
Liam Bartels - 43
Leading goalkicker:
Kaiden Antonowicz - 76
............................................
2019
Finished - 7th (5-13)
Most best player votes:
Brody Haddow - 57
Leading goalkicker:
Kaiden Antonowicz - 69
BEST PLAYER VOTES:
1 - Aaron Connaughton
Votes: 225
Times in best: 56
Top 3: 32 No.1: 17
............................................
2 - Brady Childs
Votes: 190
Times in best: 46
Top 3: 30 No.1: 13
............................................
3 - Daniel Frew
Votes: 131
Times in best: 35
Top 3: 22 No.1: 6
............................................
4 - Daniel Anderson
Votes: 131
Times in best: 35
Top 3: 20 No.1: 7
............................................
5 - Daniel Nalder
Votes: 128
Times in best: 37
Top 3: 17 No.1: 6
............................................
6 - Brad Wright
Votes: 125
Times in best: 37
Top 3: 17 No.1: 5
............................................
7 - Tom Hams
Votes: 104
Times in best: 28
Top 3: 16 No.1: 3
............................................
8 - Kieran Strachan
Votes: 103
Times in best: 28
Top 3: 16 No.1: 5
............................................
9 - Liam Bartels
Votes: 99
Times in best: 23
Top 3: 16 No.1: 9
............................................
10 - Joel Swatton
Votes: 97
Times in best: 26
Top 3: 13 No.1: 4
TOP 10 GOALKICKERS:
1 - Kaiden Antonowicz
Goals: 174
High: 13 Games: 40
5+: 15 10+: 3
............................................
2 - Michael Leech
Goals: 152
High: 8 Games: 46
5+: 12 10+: 0
............................................
3 - Steven Stroobants
Goals: 103
High: 8 Games: 29
5+: 8 10+: 0
............................................
4 - Brock Harvey
Goals: 73
High: 7 Games: 33
5+: 1 10+: 0
............................................
5 - Justin Maddern
Goals: 72
High: 8 Games: 16
5+: 8 10+: 0
............................................
6 - Alex Galea
Goals: 70
High: 6 Games: 30
5+: 3 10+: 0
............................................
7 - Brady Childs
Goals: 70
High: 5 Games: 46
5+: 1 10+: 0
............................................
8 - Jackson Ireland
Goals: 67
High: 5 Games: 30
5+: 2 10+: 0
............................................
9 - Michael Tonkin
Goals: 60
High: 5 Games: 36
5+: 1 10+: 0
............................................
10 - Liam Bartels
Goals: 57
High: 5 Games: 29
5+: 2 10+: 0
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
v Castlemaine
Record - 15-5
............................................
v Eaglehawk
Record - 6-16
............................................
v Gisborne
Record - 8-12
............................................
v Golden Square
Record - 3-18
............................................
v Kangaroo Flat
Record - 13-7
............................................
v Kyneton
Record - 10-7-1
............................................
v Maryborough
Record - 18-3
............................................
v Sandhurst
Record - 5-16
............................................
v Strathfieldsaye
Record - 4-16-1
DECADE RECORD:
Played - 184
Won - 82
Lost - 100
Drawn - 2
Winning % - 44.6%
Average for/agst - 84/85
Seasons in finals - 3
Finals record - 2-4
Premierships - 0
RESERVES:
Total wins - 98
Seasons in finals - 8
Premierships - 0
UNDER-18S:
Total wins - 67
Seasons in finals - 2
Premierships - 0
BENDIGO ADDY'S DECADE IN REVIEW SERIES:
BFNL - SANDHURST
BFNL - MARYBOROUGH
BFNL - KYNETON
BFNL - KANGAROO FLAT
BFNL - GOLDEN SQUARE
BFNL - GISBORNE
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
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