LOOKING back in hindsight, it probably shouldn't have come as a surprise that the Strathfieldsaye team of 2015 completed an undefeated Bendigo league season.

Every year in the Storm's short history the club had improved, finishing 9th in its debut season in 2009, 7th in 2010, 6th in 2011, 3rd in 2012, 2nd in 2013 and then winning the 2014 premiership with a 19-1 record.

Coming off their imposing 19-1 2014 the only way the Storm could continue their trend of getting better each season was to go through 2015 20-0 - and that's just what they did.

Further strengthened by the inclusions of former AFL pair Matthew Ferguson and David Gallagher to a side that already had former St Kilda forward Stephen Milne, plus the arrival of dual Bendigo Pioneers' best and fairest Kallen Geary and defender Kane Airdrie, coach Darryl Wilson had a formidable Storm outfit at his disposal.

"The experience and confidence the side had from the year before really helped and those players like Matt Smith, Kellan Smith and Lachlan Sharp just kept better," Wilson said.

"And the pressure probably wasn't as high as the year before having won one, but the boys all drove themselves still really hard."

The Storm's front half was chock full of talent as Ferguson (43), Sam Mildren (41), Sharp (36), Tom Bartholomew (25), Jake Hall (23) and Milne (21), who only played 11 games, provided an array of goalkicking options.

Such was their ability to share the load, Ferguson (ninth) was the only Storm player to feature in the top 10 of the league goalkicking

"To have a forward line like that... it was certainly fairly handy," Wilson said.

The Storm had an average winning margin of 59 points for the year, with Sandhurst the only side to cause them any genuine concern.

They met three times during the season with the Storm's biggest win over the Dragons being 13 points in round one, while their grand final margin was seven points in what was the bizarre decider played in perfect conditions that had a half-time scoreline that read Strathfieldsaye 2.9 to Sandhurst 0.1.

Shaun Everington (16), who was runner-up to Eaglehawk's Brodie Filo, Kallen Geary (13), Sam Heavyside (11), Mildren (11) and Hall (11) all polled double figure votes in the Michelsen Medal for the Storm, whose average score against of just 53 ranks No.2 in the BFNL since 1950.

Coach - Darryl Wilson

Record - 20-0

Percentage - 213.1%

Average for - 112

Average against - 53

Points differential - +59

Quarters won - 64 of 80

Time in front - 98.8%

ROUND 1 - 11.16 (82) def Sandhurst 10.9 (69)

Best - Matt Johnston, David Gallagher, Harry Conway

Record: 1-0, 118.8%, 5th

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ROUND 2 - 16.16 (112) def Eaglehawk 11.7 (73)

Best - Matt Smith, Shannon Geary, Harry Conway

Record: 2-0, 136.6%, 2nd

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ROUND 3 - 13.13 (91) def Golden Square 6.8 (44)

Best - Harry Conway, Matt Smith, Kane Airdrie

Record: 3-0, 153.2%, 1st

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ROUND 4 - 10.15 (75) def Castlemaine 3.6 (24)

Best - Sam Mildren, Sam Heavyside, Shaun Everington

Record: 4-0, 171.4%, 1st

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ROUND 5 - 24.24 (168) def Maryborough 5.2 (32)

Best - Tom Bartholomew, Tom Dowd, Jayden Donaldson

Record: 5-0, 218.2%, 1st

.............................................

ROUND 6 - 20.18 (138) def Kyneton 5.8 (38)

Best - David Gallagher, Shaun Everington, Sam Mildren

Record: 6-0, 237.9%, 1st

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ROUND 7 - 13.11 (89) def Kangaroo Flat 9.12 (66)

Best - Sam Mildren, Kane Airdrie, Shannon Geary

Record: 7-0, 218.2%, 1st

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ROUND 8 - 17.17 (119) def Gisborne 8.7 (55)

Best - Lachlan Sharp, Fergus Payne, Shannon Geary

Record: 8-0, 218.0%, 1st

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ROUND 9 - 13.8 (86) def South Bendigo 7.10 (52)

Best - Lachlan Sharp, Harry Conway, Fergus Payne

Record: 9-0, 211.9%, 1st

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ROUND 10 - 15.17 (107) def Golden Square 9.11 (65)

Best - Fergus Payne, Matthew Ferguson, Jake Hall

Record: 10-0, 206.0%, 1st

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ROUND 11 - 15.16 (106) def Eaglehawk 12.8 (80)

Best - Sam Mildren, Jake Hall, Kallen Geary

Record: 11-0, 196.2%, 1st

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ROUND 12 - 12.14 (86) def Sandhurst 12.9 (81)

Best - Jake Moorhead, Tyler Romeril, Sam Heavyside

Record: 12-0, 185.4%, 1st

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ROUND 13 - 17.21 (123) def Castlemaine 6.7 (43)

Best - Kallen Geary, Matthew Ferguson, Harry Conway

Record: 13-0, 191.4%, 1st

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ROUND 14 - 25.14 (164) def Maryborough 4.2 (26)

Best - Lachlan Bonney, Tom Bartholomew, Matthew Ferguson

Record: 14-0, 206.7%, 1st

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ROUND 15 - 22.20 (152) def Kyneton 11.3 (69)

Best - David Gallagher, Matthew Ferguson, Tom Bartholomew

Record: 15-0, 207.8%, 1st

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ROUND 16 - 24.17 (161) def Kangaroo Flat 3.6 (24)

Best - Matt Smith, Kallen Geary, Jake Hall

Record: 16-0, 221.0%, 1st

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ROUND 17 - 19.21 (135) def Gisborne 8.5 (53)

Best - David Gallagher, Kallen Geary, Shannon Geary

Record: 17-0, 223.0%, 1st

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ROUND 18 - 11.21 (87) def South Bendigo 6.8 (44)

Best - Kallen Geary, Michael Pilcher, Tom Bartholomew

Record: 18-0, 221.9%, 1st

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SECOND SEMI - 15.13 (103) def Golden Square 9.8 (62)

Best - Kallen Geary, Sam Mildren, Michael Pilcher

Record: 19-0, 218.4%

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GRAND FINAL - 8.12 (60) def Sandhurst 8.5 (53)

Best - Matt Smith, Jayden Donaldson, Michael Pilcher

Record: 20-0, 213.1%

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Kellan Smith, Lachlan Sharp, Shannon Geary, Fergus Payne, Harry Conway, Kallen Geary, Jake Hall, Jayden Donaldson, Lachlan Bonney, Ash Trollop, Matthew Smith, Michael Pilcher, Sam Mildren, Shaun Everington, Stephen Milne, Tom Bartholomew, Tom Dowd, David Gallagher, Jordan Wilson, Kane Airdrie, Matthew Ferguson,Nick Smith.

Kallen Geary - 42

David Gallagher - 39

Matt Smith - 30

Sam Mildren - 29

Harry Conway - 28

Shannon Geary - 25

Matthew Ferguson - 24

Shaun Everington - 23

Tom Bartholomew - 21

Fergus Payne - 21

Matthew Ferguson - 43

Sam Mildren - 41

Lachlan Sharp - 36

Tom Bartholomew - 25

Jake Hall - 23

No. 7 - Heathcote 2010

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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