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7 - HEATHCOTE 2010
"A SIDE with plenty of ticker" is the way coach Brent Chapman describes his Heathcote team of 2010.
Chapman's 2010 Saints went through the Heathcote District league season undefeated, capping the year with an arduous grand final win over Lockington-Bamawm United by 17 points in the most horrendous of conditions at Colbinabbin.
According to league ladder records that are available back to 1975, the Saints of 2010 are the only Heathcote District team of the past 45 seasons to have completed an undefeated year.
The Saints had already won the flag the year before and under new coach Chapman took their game to another level in 2010, completing an 18-0 season.
"It was a side with plenty of ticker... all the guys got along really well and just had a never-say-die attitude," Chapman said this week.
"Looking back to the grand final, we went in undefeated against Lockington and we were down at quarter-time (by 27 points) in atrocious conditions and I remember thinking, 'what am I going to say here?'
"But everyone was just so upbeat at quarter-time and approaching it as this is just the next challenge.
"We weren't the best skilled side in the competition, but you can't beat that never-say-die attitude and will to win that the group had."
While they went through the season undefeated, the Saints weren't a side that obliterated their opposition.
Of their 18 wins only two were by more than 10 goals - by 65 points against Huntly in round five and 104 against Mount Pleasant in round 16.
And their shot at an undefeated season was nearly derailed in the opening round when the Saints trailed LBU by 16 points at three quarter-time, but dug deep to win by 10 points.
The Saints also overcame a 17-point three quarter-time deficit against LBU in round 10 to win by 23 points, while in round 15 against Elmore they went from 30 points down at quarter-time to win by 34.
In attack the Saints shared the load with Chapman (38), Brent Jacques (32), midfielder Simon Thorsen (31) and Reece Carmichael (31) all kicking 30-plus goals.
The backline pf Anthony Mellington, Luke Bell, Pat Jess, Daniel Carroll, Brenton Conforti and Chris Anderson didn't concede a score above 100, while leading the charge from the midfield was 21-year-old captain Joel Condon.
"It was a flexible playing group; Anthony Mellington played most of the year at centre half-back, but was also able to go forward when we needed him to and we got a lot of goals from the midfield as well," Chapman said.
"It was a team with a great mix across the whole ground."
SNAPSHOT:
Coach - Brent Chapman
Record - 18-0
Percentage - 156.5%
Average for - 107
Average against - 68
Points differential - +39
Quarters won - 49 of 72
Time in front - 76.4%
THE SEASON:
ROUND 1 - 15.11 (101) def LBU 14.7 (91)
Best - Daniel Russell, Daniel Carroll, Simon Thorsen
Record: 1-0, 111.0%, 3rd
.............................................
ROUND 2 - 16.10 (106) def North Bendigo 13.5 (83)
Best - Daniel Carroll, Jake Condon, Pat Jess
Record: 2-0, 119.0%, 3rd
.............................................
ROUND 3 - 14.17 (101) def Colbinabbin 14.6 (90)
Best - Pat Jess, Mick Ring, Daniel Russell
Record: 3-0, 116.7%, 2nd
.............................................
ROUND 4 - 21.15 (141) def Leitchville-Gunbower 14.10 (94)
Best - Luke Bell, Brenton Conforti, Joel Condon
Record: 4-0, 125.4%, 2nd
.............................................
ROUND 5 - 21.19 (145) def Huntly 12.8 (80)
Best - Mick Ring, Jake Condon, Luke Bell
Record: 5-0, 135.6%, 2nd
.............................................
ROUND 6 - 15.10 (100) def Elmore 10.14 (74)
Best - Daniel Carroll, Brent Chapman, Mick Ring
Record: 6-0, 135.5%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 7 - 11.16 (82) def Mount Pleasant 7.10 (52)
Best - Anthony Mellington, Lech Featherstone, Mick Ring
Record: 7-0, 137.6%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 8 - 16.15 (111) def White Hills 11.14 (80)
Best - Simon Thoren, Lech Featherstone, Christian Sargeant
Record: 8-0, 137.7%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 9 - Bye
.............................................
ROUND 10 - 17.10 (112) def LBU 13.11 (89)
Best - Lech Featherstone, Daniel Carroll, Simon Thorsen
Record: 9-0, 137.1%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 11 - 19.25 (139) def North Bendigo 14.13 (97)
Best - Lech Featherstone, Anthony Mellington, Dayne Carmichael
Record: 10-0, 137.8%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 12 - 14.10 (94) def Colbinabbin 6.13 (49)
Best - Lech Featherstone, Joel Condon, Jake Condon
Record: 11-0, 140.8%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 13 - 16.18 (114) def Leitchville-Gunbower 8.12 (60)
Best - Mick Ring, Pat Jess, Jake Condon
Record: 12-0, 144.0%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 14 - 11.10 (76) def Huntly 4.6 (30)
Best - Jake Condon, Luke Ring, Daniel Carroll
Record: 13-0, 147.4%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 15 - 15.4 (94) def Elmore 9.6 (60)
Best - Anthony Mellington, Marc Millard, Ben Carboon
Record: 14-0, 147.9%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 16 - 22.10 (142) def Mount Pleasant 5.8 (38)
Best - Brent Chapman, Brent Jacques, Daniel Carroll
Record: 15-0, 156.0%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 17 - 13.10 (88) def White Hills 6.9 (45)
Best - Pat Jess, Anthony Mellington, Mick Ring
Record: 16-0, 157.6%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 18 - Bye
.............................................
SECOND SEMI - 17.10 (112) def Elmore 11.10 (76)
Best - Anthony Mellington, Simon Thorsen, Joel Condon
Record: 17-0, 156.9%
.............................................
GRAND FINAL - 8.8 (56) def LBU 5.9 (39)
Best - Tom Tobin, Simon Thorsen, Joel Condon
Record: 18-0, 156.5%
.............................................
PREMIERSHIP TEAM:
Brent Jacques, Chris Anderson, Daniel Carroll, Joel Condon, Lech Featherstone, Luke Bell, Marc Millard, Mick Ring, Pat Jess, Patrick Ring, Tom Tobin, Anthony Mellington, Brent Chapman, Brenton Conforti, Christian Sargeant, Daley Bear, Dayne Carmichael, Jake Condon, Jye Ledin, Nathan Jones, Reece Carmichael, Simon Thorsen.
TOP 10 BEST PLAYER VOTES:
Daniel Carroll - 40
Anthony Mellington - 36
Simon Thorsen - 31
Mick Ring - 29
Lech Featherstone - 28
Jake Condon - 26
Joel Condon - 25
Patrick Jess - 25
Luke Bell - 20
Brent Chapman - 15
TOP 5 GOALKICKERS:
Brent Chapman - 38
Brent Jacques - 32
Simon Thorsen - 31
Reece Carmichael - 31
Lech Featherstone - 22
THE LIST SO FAR
No. 8 - South Bendigo 1993
No. 10 & 9 - Golden Square 2010; Strathfieldsaye 2019
No. 12 & 11 - Castlemaine 2000; Strathfieldsaye 2014
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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