A PAIR of back-to-back Bridgewater teams come in at No.22 and 21 in our 50 most dominant premiership seasons across the Bendigo, Heathcote District and Loddon Valley leagues since 1990.
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22 - BRIDGEWATER 2010
Coach - Troy Auld
Record - 17-1
Percentage - 214.9%
Average for - 123
Average against - 57
Points differential - +66
RESULTS:
def Pyramid Hill 88-76
def Marong 120-61
def Inglewood 134-45
def BL-Serpentine 264-55
def Calivil United 121-53
def Newbridge 115-75
def Mitiamo 104-73
def YCW 89-61
def Pyramid Hill 100-85
def Marong 166-9
def Inglewood 123-45
def BL-Serpentine 128-8
lt Calivil United 66-111
def Newbridge 110-66
def Mitiamo 112-63
def YCW 115-29
Second semi-final:
def Pyramid Hill 88-61
Grand final:
def Calivil United 168-53
SUMMARY - The foundation for what would become the most dominant dynasty in Loddon Valley league history was laid in 2010.
When Troy Auld took over as Bridgewater coach that season the Mean Machine was a club that hadn't won a flag since 1991 and three times in the previous five years had been knocked out in the elimination final, although, they did get through to a preliminary final in 2008.
But in 2010 the Mean Machine again became a force to be reckoned with and would go on to laud over the competition during a league record run of seven-consecutive flags.
The 2010 side that started the historic run lost just one game - a 45-point defeat to Calivil United in round 14.
Up until then the Mean Machine had won their 12 games by an average of 75 points, which included a round four demolition of Bears Lagoon-Serpentine when they crushed the Bears by 209 points.
After finishing on top of the ladder the Mean Machine beat Pyramid Hill by 27 points in the second semi-final, before exploding on grand final day against a Calivil United side that was lambs to the slaughter.
Already 61 points up at quarter-time, the Mean Machine pulverised the Demons - playing in their ninth-straight grand final - by 115, winning 27.6 (168) to 7.11 (53) at Backhaus Oval.
Full-forward Kurt Ashman booted 10 goals - including six inside the first 13 minutes of the game.
"You won't see a much better effort than that in a grand final. He just turned it on," Auld said of Ashman's best-on-ground performance.
Ashman was one of three former Bridgewater coaches in the premiership side, along with Andrew Ball and Andrew Ferguson, while future coach Marc Lindsay was also part of the triumph.
THE TEAM - Brad Rohde, Daniel Nalder, Darren Clutton, Deon Jones, Josh McLeod, Josh Metherell, Zac East, Zeb Broadbent, Ben Galea, Marc Lindsay, David Harrison, Luke Scoble, Alexander Pollock, Kurt Ashman, Adam Auld, Andrew Ball, Andrew Ferguson, David Coghlan, Isaac Broadbent, Nick Harris, Brad Wickham.
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21 - BRIDGEWATER 2011
Coach - Troy Auld
Record - 17-1
Percentage - 223.3%
Average for - 137
Average against - 61
Points differential - +76
RESULTS:
def BL-Serpentine 118-84
def YCW 112-67
def Inglewood 119-47
def Marong 144-72
def Pyramid Hill 107-86
def Newbridge 118-47
def Mitiamo 144-78
def Calivil United 173-82
def BL-Serpentine 149-23
lt YCW 92-99
def Inglewood 173-21
def Marong 205-55
def Pyramid Hill 92-54
def Newbridge 239-46
def Mitiamo 124-51
def Calivil United 124-86
Second semi-final:
def Pyramid Hill 82-55
Grand final:
def Pyramid Hill 150-51
SUMMARY - Premiership season number two in the Bridgewater dynasty as the Mean Machine of 2011, again coached by Troy Auld, picked up from where they left off in 2010.
Just as they had done the previous year, the Mean Machine again lost only one game when they were upset by YCW by seven points in round 11.
Bridgewater's response to the defeat by the Eagles though was emphatic - the Mean Machine demolished Inglewood by 152 points and Marong by 150 in their next two games, beat fellow contender Pyramid Hill by 38 and then destroyed Newbridge by 193 on their way to back-to-back flags.
While it wasn't quite the 115 points of a year earlier, the Mean Machine's grand final victory was again a whitewash as they thrashed Pyramid Hill by 99 points at Calivil, 22.18 (150) to 7.9 (51).
"I'm proud of the whole club for the way we've been able to back up this year," Auld said.
"I suppose the danger after you win a premiership is that you don't want to work as hard off the field or in your preparations, but we overcame these hurdles, as well as the challenge of becoming the hunted.
"Also, we had a lot more injuries to absorb this year compared to last year."
Across the 2010-11 premiership teams the Mean Machine had 15 players who played in both.
Among the additions to the 2011 side was bullocking midfielder Adam Parry, who would later go on to win back-to-back Harding medals in 2013 and 2014, and veteran Danny O'Bree, who won the best-on-ground medal in the grand final.
Just as he had been the previous year when he kicked 80 goals, Brad Rohde was a strong focal point in attack and won the league goalkicking, ending the season with 87.
Rohde was among seven Bridgewater players who were part of the 2011 Loddon Valley inter-league team that beat Maryborough-Castlemaine District, along with recruit Anthony Baker, Darren Clutton, David Coghlan, Deon Jones, Luke Scoble and Zeb Broadbent, while Auld was the coach.
To cap a memorable year, Bridgewater also won the A Grade netball flag.
THE TEAM - Brad Rohde, Daniel Nalder, Darren Clutton, Deon Jones, Josh Metherell, Zac East, Zeb Broadbent, Ben Galea, Luke Scoble, Kurt Ashman, Adam Auld, Andrew Ball, Andrew Ferguson, David Coghlan, Nick Harris, Tristin Nalder, Adam Parry, Andrew Duguid, Anthony Baker, Danny O'Bree, Marcus Emmett.
THE LIST SO FAR
No. 24 & 23 - LBU 2011; Colbinabbin 1998
No. 26 & 25 - Gisborne 2003; LBU 2013
No. 28 & 27 - Gisborne 2002; Colbinabbin 1991
No. 30 & 29 - Maryborough 1998; Gisborne 2005
No. 32 & 31 - South Bendigo 1994; Golden Square 2009
No. 34 & 33 - Castlemaine 1992; South Bendigo 1990
No. 36 & 35 - Mitiamo 1999; Sandhurst 2016
No. 38 & 37 - North Bendigo 2019; Leitchville-Gunbower 2018
No. 40 & 39 - Bridgewater 1991; Calivil United 2017
No. 42 & 41 - Heathcote 1992, Sandhurst 2004
No. 44 & 43 - Eaglehawk 2008, Elmore 2007
No. 46 & 45 - Mount Pleasant 1990, Newbridge 2018
No. 48 & 47 - Gisborne 2006, Calivil United 1990
No. 50 & 49 - Calivil United 2003, Eaglehawk 2018
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