NUMBERS 12 and 11 in our series on the 50 most dominant premiership seasons across the Bendigo, Heathcote District and Loddon Valley leagues since 1990.
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12 - CASTLEMAINE 2000
Coach - Shane Robertson
Record - 19-1
Percentage - 203.4%
Average for - 146
Average against - 72
Points differential - +74
RESULTS:
lt Kangaroo Flat 91-150
def Eaglehawk 128-96
def Kyneton 208-33
def Sandhurst 148-65
def Golden Square 133-23
def Gisborne 80-65
def Maryborough 180-74
def LBU 195-57
def South Bendigo 143-91
def Kangaroo Flat 144-74
def Eaglehawk 113-78
def Kyneton 180-22
def Sandhurst 116-115
def Golden Square 176-46
def Gisborne 219-65
def Maryborough 189-63
def LBU 104-50
def South Bendigo 165-87
Second semi-final:
def Kangaroo Flat 117-107
Grand final:
def Kangaroo Flat 83-71
SUMMARY - One of the region's most dominant premiership seasons over the past 30 years certainly didn't get off to the most encouraging of starts.
Coming off a grand final loss to Maryborough in 1999, Castlemaine opened its 2000 Bendigo league season with a 59-point hiding from Kangaroo Flat.
It was a rough start to the season for Shane Robertson's Magpies, but would very much prove an anomaly.
The Magpies didn't lose again for the rest of the year, with their grand final win over the side that had belted them first-up - Kangaroo Flat - the culmination of a 19-game winning streak.
There were some huge wins along the way - eight by more than 100 points - including a three-game stretch in the run to the finals where they thrashed Golden Square by 130 points, BFNL new-comers Gisborne by 154 and reigning premier Maryborough by 126 in consecutive weeks.
Star forward Steven Oliver booted 132 goals for the home and away season, including six bags of 10-plus, and won the best and fairest.
"We had a real will to win. We had lost the 1999 grand final, so we made a pact that we would stick together and we knew we had the side to have a crack at it again," Robertson said.
"We had a lot of depth that year. Our reserves won the flag as well, so we were putting pressure on each other.
"So a combination of the pact we had made together after 1999 and the pressure to perform with a lot of blokes coming up from underneath made that side what it was in 2000."
Co-captained by Lachlan Brown and Richard Atkin, the Magpies beat an inaccurate Kangaroo Flat by 12 points in the grand final, winning 12.11 (83) to 9.17 (71).
THE TEAM - Brendan Shepherd, Chris Stone, Trevor Bell, Michael Blake, Neven Kelly, Evan Showell, Andrew Denahy, Steven Oliver, David Cox, Clive Raak, Scott Winduss, Chris Jardine, Sean Smith, Paul Eyles, Shane Robertson, Lachlan Brown, Richard Atkin, Chris McGeachan, Scott Baxter, Luke Adams, Clayton Scoble, Luke Walters.
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11 - STRATHFIELDSAYE 2014
Coach - Darryl Wilson
Record - 19-1
Percentage - 211.1%
Average for - 121
Average against - 57
Points differential - +64
RESULTS:
def Golden Square 118-85
def Eaglehawk 100-77
lt Sandhurst 35-114
def Castlemaine 143-19
def Maryborough 135-57
def Kyneton 162-37
def Kangaroo Flat 147-40
def Gisborne 136-103
def South Bendigo 159-60
def Golden Square 82-43
def Eaglehawk 77-47
def Sandhurst 76-54
def Castlemaine 115-23
def Maryborough 158-17
def Kyneton 142-59
def Kangaroo Flat 122-90
def Gisborne 116-47
def South Bendigo 151-23
Second semi-final:
def Sandhurst 113-71
Grand final:
def Sandhurst 138-83
SUMMARY - 2014 was a historic season for Strathfieldsaye, winning its first Bendigo league senior premiership in just its sixth year in the competition.
The Storm had constantly been on an upwards curve in their short history, finishing 9th in their debut season in 2009, 7th in 2010, 6th in 2011, 3rd in 2012 and 2nd in 2013.
Two marquee signings in the off-season with the acquistions of former St. Kilda duo Stephen Milne, who had only retired from the AFL the previous year, and Steven Baker firmly had the Storm as 2014 flag favourites and they duly delivered on expectation.
Apart from copping a 79-point belting off Sandhurst in round three when they were far from full strength, the Storm won their other 19 games by an average of 71 points.
Milne became the Storm's first centurion, ending the season with 101 goals - he brought up the ton in the grand final win over Sandhurst - while fellow star forward Sam Mildren slotted 45 goals.
The Addy's BFNL Team of the Year featured four Strathfieldsaye players - Matt Ladson (half-back), Jake Hall (wing), Milne (forward pocket) and Matt Smith (interchange), with apologies given to Nick Smith and Matt Johnston.
Coached by Darryl Wilson, the Storm restricted their opposition to under 10 goals in 13 of their 20 games, while they notched five victories by more than 100 points.
Such was the spread of talent among the powerful Storm team, they had 15 players poll votes in the Michelsen Medal, led by Milne (21), who finished equal second.
The Storm capped their season of dominance with a second-half grand final blitz against Sandhurst, powering away from the Dragons to win by 55 points, 20.18 (138) to 12.11 (83).
THE TEAM - Kellan Smith, Lachlan Sharp, Shannon Geary, Jake Hall, Jayden Donaldson, Lachlan Bonney, Ash Trollop, Matthew Smith, Michael Pilcher, Sam Mildren, Shaun Everington, Stephen Milne, Tom Bartholomew, Tom Dowd, Vinnie Flood, Daniel Geary, Kris Lea, Leigh Prior, Matt Johnston, Matthew Ladson, Sean Johns, Steven Baker.
THE LIST SO FAR
No. 14 & 13 - Leitchville-Gunbower 2017; South Bendigo 1991
No. 16 & 15 - Colbinabbin 1999; Mount Pleasant 1995
No. 18 & 17 - YCW 1997; Bridgewater 2015
No. 20 & 19 - Mount Pleasant 1997; Mount Pleasant 1993
No. 22 & 21 - Bridgewater 2010; Bridgewater 2011
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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