FEW, if any, premierships during the 2010s were as hard won as Sandhurst's in 2018.
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That's even accounting for the fact that three of the first four grand finals during the decade (2010, '11 and '13) were decided by a single goal.
But unlike the Dragons' thrilling showdown against Gisborne, none of those grand finals were decided in overtime.
How it actually got to that point is still the subject of much discussion.
Questions abound:
How did Sandhurst go from nine goals up at three quarter time to the brink of defeat?
How did Gisborne, after wresting the lead in the final term, not go on to capitalise and win a second BFNL premiership?
And how were the Dragons able to steady themselves and record a seemingly comfortable six-goal victory?
The chance for some clarity arrived in April, when - early in the coronavirus lockdown - the grand final livestream was replayed on Facebook.
In houses in and outside Bendigo, Sandhurst players gathered online to relive their triumph together.
Nearly two years on, the tense showdown is still able to elicit plenty of raw emotions.
"Seriously, how the hell did we go from nine up to going into overtime?" said Dragons midcourt star Meg Williams, who won the second of two-straight grand final best on court medals on that day in 2018.
"I was watching, already knowing the result, but I was still so nervous. I was still asking what went wrong?
"When we were watching the replay, I knew exactly when it (the comeback) was going to happen.
"They just went bang, bang, bang and like that they were back in the game."
A truly remarkable grand final had earlier looked like being anything but that.
After an even first quarter, Sandhurst - which led by one-goal at the first break (14-13) - took control of the contest in the second quarter and stretched its lead to six-goals at half time (27-21).
Gisborne appeared to have few answers to the dominance of Williams at wing attack, while in defence, Imogen Sexton was doing plenty to rival her fellow 19-year-old as contender for best on court honours.
On a second-straight warm grand final day, Sandhurst's goaling combination of Rebecca Smith and Kelsey Meade were again proving their class, to keep the Dragons on-track for victory.
The duo maintained their strength and accuracy during the third term, as the Dragons increased their lead to nine goals to seemingly put the match out of reach.
But the Bulldogs, who had upset the reigning premiers two weeks' earlier with a convincing semi-final victory, were nowhere near done.
Summoning all their courage and resilience, the Bulldogs battened down for one last furious challenge. It nearly succeeded.
A flurry of goals to start the quarter from Gisborne's Ella Bertachinni edged the Bulldogs closer and closer to their rivals, until the margin was just four.
A steadier from Meade momentarily halted the Bulldogs' momentum to give the Dragons' a 40-35 advantage midway through the term.
That only seemed to spur Gisborne on, as the Bulldogs piled on five unanswered goals to do the unthinkable and tie up the game.
When Bertacchini, who moved from goal attack to goal shooter at the start of the final term, landed another with just another four minutes to play, the Bulldogs were in front.
Beaten only twice previously during the season, Sandhurst was suddenly faced with the prospect of not just another loss, but a grand final slipping from their grasp.
The possibility only strengthened the resolve of the Tamara Gilchrist and Heather Oliver-coached Dragons, in particular their trusty goal attack Meade, who was able to level the scores at 41-apiece and, with about two minutes to play, put her side back in front.
Into the final minute, and with scores again level, Meade showed considerable savvy and poise to give the Dragons a one-goal margin with about 14 seconds to play.
A final roll-of-the-dice for Gisborne ended with the ball in the hands of Bertachinni, who had brought the Bulldogs back from the brink of despair, with a dozen final quarter goals.
Her 13th - calmly delivered after the siren - sent the game into overtime, a situation which had seemed inconceivable only 15 minutes earlier.
Overtime would prove not nearly as dramatic. Early goals, first to Sandhurst's Smith, followed by Gisborne's Rachel Mackenzie, ensured the scores remained level for a short time, until two from Meade put the Dragons two in front.
A response from Bertachinni put the Bulldogs within one, but it would be as close as they would get from there.
A further two from Meade to end the first five minutes of extra time gave the Dragons a 48-45 advantage at the change of ends, before they powered away to record a deserved 53-47 win, giving them back-to-back flags.
The win was even more noteworthy as it was achieved, on-court at least, without one of the club's greatest players, dual Betty Thompson Medal winner Heather Oliver, who missed the end of the season while pregnant.
Now a triple premiership coach after the Dragons went on to win the 2019 season decider against Kangaroo Flat, Tamara Gilchrist was grateful for the opportunity to relive the 2018 success as a group - albeit apart from each other - during lockdown.
"I will probably never get over that. Of the three (premierships), that's the one that sticks in mind, going into overtime," she said.
"We should probably have never been in that position, but you will take (premierships) any way you can get them."
Asked what went wrong in the final quarter, Gilchrist attributed the fade out to both the sheer resilience of an admirable and quality opponent and part their own doing.
"Errors .... our unforced errors," she said.
"There were many unforced errors, some brain fades that just allowed a quality team like Gisborne back into it.
"A little edge, when you are playing a good, quality team, is all they need. It was a great game."
We should probably have never been in that position (overtime), but you will take (premierships) any way you can get them.
- Tamara Gilchrist
To this day, Williams is keen to ensure the influence of their 2018 coaches on the grand final outcome is in no way diminished.
The ace midcourter recalled watching Bertachinni take her shot after the siren, feeling utterly exhausted and wondering what the Dragons had got themselves into.
"But as much as everyone was exhausted, we had to play a bit of a mental game and find an extra gear," she said.
"That was one of the big things with having Tam as our coach, she does a really good pre-season with us and it shows on the court; we're able to play in all sorts of conditions in grand finals.
"We were prepared for situations like that."
Gisborne star Maddy Stewart, who six days earlier had broken through for a long-overdue Betty Thompson Medal, can also vividly recall standing with hands on knees inside the Bulldogs' goal third, on the swimming pool side of the QEO court, as Bertachinni lined up for the match-tying goal.
"I just remember it going in, throwing my hands in the air and it was just 'let's go, let's win now', but it didn't happen," she said.
"Realistically, we came back well, but there are still a few things I still have nightmares about in that last quarter, as we should have had that game wrapped up.
"We'd come back, we'd gotten in front and then a couple of things happened and we drew.
"We probably got a little bit ahead of ourselves."
With the benefit of hindsight, Stewart acknowledged the Dragons were always going to be tough to conquer on grand final day, despite beating them by three-goals earlier in the season and by 12 goals in the semi-final.
"Sandhurst really set the benchmark during that period (2017-19), which certainly hits you more when you consider they won it again last year," she said.
"Who knows what we are going to be doing this year, but they certainly have the team to win another one."
Gisborne's dual Betty Thompson Medal winner Tiana Newman said the 2018 grand final still evoked mixed decisions, but was certain the stirring final quarter fightback and a powerhouse opponent eventually took their toll.
"I guess time heals, but it does make you more hungry," she said.
"Sandhurst ... they are just too good sometimes, they are so professional. They know how to play the big games.
"They always step up when they need to - I hope we can take it up to them the next time we meet, but we will see what happens.
"(The game) is a bit of a blur, there were so many turnovers.
"We came back hard, but we cooked ourselves. Coming from nine or 10 down, you have to work so hard. By the time overtime came around, I don't think we had much left in the gas bottle.
"To get to overtime was one of the best feelings I've had (in netball), to think you are still in it. But we were cooked by the end."
Sandhurst became the first team to notch back-to-back premierships since Kangaroo Flat in 2009-10.
Despite finishing the season as minor premiers, the Dragons were the only BFNL side during the decade to win a grand final without advancing directly from the semi-final.
Sandhurst youngsters shine on the big stage
BEST on court in the Dragons' drought-breaking 2017 premiership, Sandhurst midcourt star Meg Williams produced a brilliant encore.
The then 19-year-old was judged best on court for a second straight year on grand final day for a sensational performance at wing attack against Gisborne.
Interviewed by the Bendigo Advertiser before the announcement, Williams was certain the award would go the way of her team-mate Imogen Sexton for her stellar game in defence.
Two years on, Williams stands by her original assessment but has a slightly different take on award matters.
"There should have been seven best on court medals awarded that day," she said.
"It's not just an individual game that wins it.
"It's nice to be recognised and it was even better to get back-to-backs, but you don't play for (individual awards), if you are you are playing for all the wrong reasons.
"Netball is about seven players, or nine or 10 players, when you are including the bench.
"Immy did have a ripper game and may have deserved it, but there should have been seven of them."
No stranger to medal wins herself, Gisborne's Tiana Newman believed there was no disputing Williams' medal win.
"She's a little gun. For someone so young, to constantly be able to step up in the big games is very impressive," the Bulldogs' dual Betty Thompson medallist said.
"She will go real far in her netball career - she's a great player."
Even less of a surprise has been the Dragons' dominance post-2018, given their depth and quality of their young talent and ability to retain players.
Williams, Sexton and wing defence Sophie Shoebridge were all aged 19 or under against Gisborne.
A look at their bench that day revealed more young talent in future Victorian under-19 selection Ruby Turner and Kelsey Ralph.
Grand final line-ups
Sandhurst: Carly Van Den Heuvel (GK), Imogen Sexton (GD), Sophie Shoebridge (WD), Brooke Bolton (C), Meg Williams (WA), Kelsey Meade (GA), Rebecca Smith (GS), Emma Tindill, Ruby Turner, Kelsey Ralph.
Gisborne: Keara Fitzgerald (GK), Maddy Stewart (GD), Melinda Luke (WD), Tiana Newman (C), Tarryn Rymer (WA), Ella Bertachinni (GA), Clare Vearing (GS), Rachel Mackenzie, Claire Anderson, Rylee Connell.
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