IT'S a sunny Saturday afternoon at the QEO and as the clock nears 2.20pm, players from both sides make their way into position.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Inside the centre square Josh Bowe saddles up alongside fellow Michelsen medallist Matt Fitzgerald.
Two hard-nuts in Jack Geary and Ollie Messaoudi greet each other with a handshake, but that's where the niceties will end for the next couple of hours.
And centremen Simon Rosa and Derrick Filo give each other a pat on the back as they prepare for the siren to sound, the ball to be tossed up by the central umpire and opposing ruckmen Tim Martin and John Hardinge to square off, signalling the beginning of the clash between the Bendigo Football-Netball League's Team of the 2000s vs the Team of the 2010s.
Looking across both star-studded teams, there are mouthwatering match-ups galore when pitting the two against each other as they were selected.
And it all starts in the midfield with captain Geary, vice-captain Rosa, Bowe and Martin for the 2010s going up against the 2000s combination of Filo, Fitzgerald, Messaoudi and Hardinge.
Between those eight players there's five Michelsen medallists - Geary (2018), Bowe (2010), Martin (2013 and 2014) for the 2010s and Filo (1991) and ball magnet Fitzgerald (2003 and 2007) for the 2000s.
The longevity of Filo is highlighted in not only is he captain-coach of the 2000s team and picked in the guts, but he would have been one of the first picked in a BFNL Team of the 90s, too.
The midfield tandem of Fitzgerald and hard-nut Messaoudi was one of the key cogs of the mighty Gisborne era of the 2000s, while Filo's capacity to influence games through the middle and then dominate in the forward 50 made him the ultimate of double acts throughout his career of more than 400 senior games in the league.
Geary and Rosa are two midfield dynamos who between them have played in nine Golden Square flags, while Bowe is a ferocious competitor who can lay claim to being in the exclusive club of both Michesen medallist (2010) and BFNL premiership coach (2018).
The capacity for Martin or Hardinge - the long time heart and soul of South Bendigo - to get first hands on the ball and give their midfield the best opportunity of clearing the ball out of the centre would be vital given the calibre of firepower at either end of the ground.
Steven Oliver, Steven Reaper and Ben Sexton are three names that immediately jump off the page when looking at the imposing 2000s forward line.
Oliver kicked more than 1000 goals in the BFNL, Reaper more than 800, while Sexton spent six seasons on AFL lists with Footscray and Carlton during the '90s.
Sexton was selected at centre half-forward, meaning he would be matched up by another Sandhurst star in Matt Thornton, the centre half-back in the 2010s.
Ben Sexton v Matt Thornton - what a marking duel that would be.
Full back for the 2010s was Tim Hill, giving him the job on Reaper, while back pocket Tim Walsh would have the mighty tough job of opposing Oliver - the player who has the most hauls of 10-plus goals in the league's history with 24 for Castlemaine
For the record, Reaper did it 14 times across his stints at Gisborne and Kyneton.
But there's plenty more 2000s firepower outside of the three key talls in Oliver, Reaper and Sexton for the 2010s defence to counteract.
The two half-forwards are both Gisborne Michelsen medallists - Simon Elsum (2004) and vice-captain Luke Saunders (2005), who is one of the competition's most revered modern figures, while the second forward pocket is another dynamic Bulldog in the crafty Darren Farrugia.
Farrugia being opposed by the tenacious Clayton Anderson, Jon Coe on Saunders and Kallen Geary on Simon Elsum in a battle that oozes class would provide four quarters of entertainment.
Down the other end, the 2010s front half too is overflowing with talent that also has three key targets in Grant Weeks, Matt Gretgrix and Justin Maddern surrounded by three medium-sized players in Ben Weightman, Brodie Filo and Lachlan Sharp.
Weeks is the focal point at full-forward and his deeds speak for itself - 451 goals in just three seasons at Golden Square - with that crucial match-up assigned to 2000s full-back Mal Borchard.
No player throughout the 2010s kicked more goals than Sharp's 655 and he fills one forward pocket, with Gretgrix (570 goals for the decade) in the other.
Between the trio there's 1656 goals for the decade and six Ron Best medals (for the record, Oliver and Reaper combined for nine Ron Best medals in their career).
Their selections in the back pockets for the 2000s would pit Rod Sharp against Gretgrix, while wily defender Keiran Nihill would have the tough ask of trying to curtail the influence of Sharp.
Up across half-forward is Weightman, the athletic Maddern and one of the most damaging X-factors of the past 20 years, Brodie Filo.
And given Filo would no doubt go into the middle throughout the game, there's every chance we'd see father (Derrick) vs son (Brodie) at stages jostling for that all important centre-break.
A battle of Maddern vs 2000s centre half-back Kain Robins, the 2006 Michelsen medallist, would no doubt have the two covering plenty of ground and like Sexton v Thornton down the other end, would be one heck of a marking contest.
With Shannon Milward and Marcus Barham picked on back flanks for the 2000s we'd have Barham v Weightman and Milward v Filo in what would be a duel of two Eaglehawk premiership team-mates who have also both won Michelsen medals.
That leaves 2002 Michelsen medalist Matt Aston (2000s) v Rhys Magin (2010s) in one wing battle, and how about this one on the other - the Golden Square premiership team-mates of speedsters Mark Lloyd (2000s) and Adam Baird (2010s) going head-to-head.
The interchange for the 2010s - coached by Darryl Wilson - features two Michelsen Medal winners in midfielders Lee Coghlan (2009) and Scott Walsh (2012), a second ruckman in Tom Waters and key forward in Tyrone Downie.
For the 2000s interchange, Brady Herdman offers the versatility of playing key position at either end, Rick Andrews and Jason Griffin provide added midfield grunt and Darren Walsh is a proven match-winner either in the middle or attack.
So who wins?
Well, it would be one mighty game that goes down to the wire. With such immense talent on both sides, whichever team makes the most of its chances is probably going to get the job done.
Having said that, Reaper and Oliver are renowned for being two players if your life depended on someone kicking a goal for you, they'd be high on the list. Good luck stopping both of them.
They are both such big presences, but they have worked together in inter-league games in the past - Oliver recalls the two playing alongside each other down at Pakenham one year.
What's also to note is of the 2000s team, 21 of the 22 selected are BFNL premiership players, with the only exception being Hardinge, while the 2010s have 15 players who have played in Bendigo league flags.
I'd back the 2000s just, but whatever the outcome, it would be an absolute ripper of a game and you can have your say by going to the online story at the Bendigo Advertiser website and voting on each of the match-ups.
HOW THEY MATCH UP:
Back pocket - Clayton Anderson (2010s)
Forward pocket - Darren Farrugia (2000s)
............................................
Full back - Tim Hill (2010s)
Full forward - Steven Reaper (2000s)
............................................
Back pocket - Tim Walsh (2010s)
Forward pocket - Steven Oliver (2000s)
............................................
Half-back - Kallen Geary (2010s)
Half-forward - Simon Elsum (2000s)
............................................
Centre half-back - Matt Thornton (2010s)
Centre half-forward - Ben Sexton (2000s)
............................................
Half-back - Jon Coe (2010s)
Half-forward - Luke Saunders (2000s)
............................................
Wing - Rhys Magin (2010s)
Wing - Matt Aston (2000s)
............................................
Centre - Simon Rosa (2010s)
Centre - Derrick Filo (2000s)
............................................
Wing - Adam Baird (2010s)
Wing - Mark Lloyd (2000s)
............................................
Half-forward - Ben Weightman (2010s)
Half-back - Marcus Barham (2000s)
............................................
Centre half-forward - Justin Maddern (2010s)
Centre half-back - Kain Robins (2000s)
............................................
Half-forward - Brodie Filo (2010s)
Half-back - Shannon Milward (2000s)
............................................
Forward pocket - Lachlan Sharp (2010s)
Back pocket - Keiran Nihill (2000s)
............................................
Full forward - Grant Weeks (2010s)
Full back - Mal Borchard (2000s)
............................................
Forward pocket - Matt Gretgrix (2010s)
Back pocket - Rod Sharp (2000s)
............................................
Ruck - Tim Martin (2010s)
Ruck - John Hardinge (2000s)
............................................
Ruck rover - Jack Geary (2010s)
Ruck rover - Ollie Messaoudi (2000s)
............................................
Rover - Josh Bowe (2010s)
Rover - Matt Fitzgerald (2000s)
............................................
Interchange - Lee Coghlan, Tyrone Downie, Scott Walsh, Tom Waters (2010s)
Interchange - Rick Andrews, Brady Herdman, Darren Walsh, Jason Griffin (2000s)
BENDIGO ADDY'S 2010-19 DECADE IN REVIEW SERIES:
BFNL - STRATHFIELDSAYE
BFNL - SOUTH BENDIGO
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
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.