4 - CALIVIL UNITED 2005
YOU could argue Ross Maxted was on a hiding to nothing when he took on the Calivil United coaching role for the 2005 Loddon Valley league season.
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Given the Demons were coming off an undefeated premiership season in 2004, how could Maxted raise the incredibly high bar that had already been set a year earlier under his predecessor Andrew Freemantle?
Yet he did.
Remarkably, the Demons not only completed a second-straight undefeated season, their average winning margin of 75 points in 2005 compared to 2004's 65 points shows an even greater dominance of their opposition.
So, what made the 2005 Calivil United side such the force it was?
Bears Lagoon-Serpentine coach Damien Featherby offered some insights into Calivil United in the week leading into that year's grand final when his Bears were pitted against the Demons in the battle for the flag.
"I went out and watched Calivil United play Mitiamo earlier in the year and the things I wrote down were they have about 15 or 16 blokes who are all six-foot tall," Featherby said.
"They can all run, they are great marks, but when it hits the deck they get down on the deck and are good with the ball as well.
"They are just so balanced on every line."
Starting with a 66-point win over YCW in round one, the Demons powered through 2005, with the season culminating in their third-straight premiership with a 29-point win over the Bears, 21.11 (137) to 16.12 (108), at Marong.
Of the Demons' 18 wins for the season, five were by more than 100 points, while the closest any side got to them was the 28 points the Bears lost by in round five.
Having kicked 92 goals the previous year, gun forward Phil Hetherington bettered that output in 2005 when he booted 112, including a season-high of 15 against Inglewood in round seven.
But it wasn't just Hetherington opposition defences had to concern themselves with.
The Demons' forward line was full of dangerous options with Glen Scholtes (35) - who was best on ground in the grand final - Nic Balic (34), Nick Manley (28) and Freemantle (23) combining for 120 goals.
The grand final win over the Bears was the Demons' 40th victory in a row.
They hadn't lost since round 17 of the 2003 season against Pyramid Hill and their winning streak would peak at 44 before coming to an end - also at the hands of Pyramid Hill - in round six of 2006.
"It's a relief, there's no doubt that," an elated Maxted said after the grand final win.
"This is what we play for, this is what we're all about, and if we didn't win on Saturday the season would have been wasted."
To cap a big year for the Demons, they also won the reserves flag in 2005.
SNAPSHOT:
Coach - Ross Maxted
Record - 18-0
Percentage - 227.2%
Average for - 133
Average against - 58
Points differential - +75
Quarters won - 62 of 72
Time in front - 95.8%
THE SEASON:
ROUND 1 - 16.11 (107) def YCW 6.5 (41)
Best - Glen Scholtes, Steve Blake, Steve Dean
Record: 1-0, 261.0%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 2 - 24.12 (156) def Bridgewater 8.12 (60)
Best - Nick Manley, Jade Clymo, Andrew Freemantle
Record: 2-0, 260.4%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 3 - Bye
.............................................
ROUND 4 - 28.18 (186) def Mitiamo 5.4 (34)
Best - Phil Hetherington, Andrew Schepers, Evan Ralphs
Record: 3-0, 332.6%, 1st
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ROUND 5 - 15.12 (102) def BL-Serpentine 11.8 (74)
Best - Lloyd Maxted, Daniel Smith, Jacob Grieves
Record: 4-0, 263.6%, 1st
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ROUND 6 - 16.7 (103) def Pyramid Hill 9.11 (65)
Best - Ross Maxted, Andrew Freemantle, Glen Scholtes
Record: 5-0, 238.7%, 1st
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ROUND 7 - 32.10 (202) def Inglewood 10.3 (63)
Best - Phil Hetherington, Andrew Schepers, Evan Ralphs
Record: 6-0, 254.0%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 8 - 17.4 (106) def Marong 8.10 (58)
Best - Steve Dean, Jacob Grieves, Phil Hetherington
Record: 7-0, 243.5%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 9 - 16.9 (105) def Newbridge 5.8 (38)
Best - Steve Dean, Lloyd Maxted, Steve Blake
Record: 8-0, 246.3%, 1st
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ROUND 10 - 14.14 (98) def YCW 10.6 (66)
Best - Brock Rogers, Evan Ralphs, Aaron Demeo
Record: 9-0, 233.5%, 1st
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ROUND 11 - 19.16 (130) def Bridgewater 2.7 (19)
Best - Brock Rogers, Steve Dean, Steve Blake
Record: 10-0, 250.0%, 1st
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ROUND 12 - Bye
.............................................
ROUND 13 - 21.19 (145) def Mitiamo 10.5 (65)
Best - Steve Dean, Steve Blake, Phil Hetherington
Record: 11-0, 247.0%, 1st
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ROUND 14 - 13.17 (95) def BL-Serpentine 7.6 (48)
Best - Grant Ralphs, Ross Maxted, Steve Dean
Record: 12-0, 243.3%, 1st
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ROUND 15 - 16.15 (111) def Pyramid Hill 7.5 (47)
Best - Jacob Grieves, Steve Blake, Brock Rogers
Record: 13-0, 242.8%, 1st
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ROUND 16 - 28.16 (184) def Inglewood 8.6 (54)
Best - Evan Ralphs, Lloyd Maxted, Glen Richardson
Record: 14-0, 250.0%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 17 - 16.12 (108) def Marong 12.7 (79)
Best - Glen Richards, Evan Ralphs, Ross Maxted
Record: 15-0, 239.0%, 1st
.............................................
ROUND 18 - 28.19 (187) def Newbridge 9.18 (72)
Best - Phil Hetherington, Ross Maxted, Daniel Smith
Record: 16-0, 240.7%, 1st
.............................................
SECOND SEMI FINAL - 19.12 (126) def Pyramid Hill 9.6 (60)
Best - Jarad Smith, Nick Manley, Daniel Smith
Record: 17-0, 238.7%
.............................................
GRAND FINAL - 21.11 (137) def BL-Serpentine 16.12 (108)
Best - Steve Blake, Glen Scholtes, Aaron Demeo
Record: 18-0, 227.2%
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PREMIERSHIP TEAM:
Lachlan Ralphs, Steve Dean, Rorey Doolan, Nic Balic, Glen Scholtes, Andrew Schepers, Evan Ralphs, Aaron Demeo, Nick Manley, Glenn Richards, Daniel Smith, Brock Rogers, Grant Ralphs, Steve Blake, Marcus Allen, Lloyd Maxted, Phil Hetherington, Jarad Smith, Ross Maxted, Andrew Freemantle, Glen Richardson.
TOP 10 BEST PLAYER VOTES:
Phil Hetherington - 33
Ross Maxted - 32
Steve Blake - 32
Steve Dean - 32
Evan Ralphs - 30
Glen Scholtes - 24
Aaron Demeo - 22
Lloyd Maxted - 21
Jacob Grieves - 19
Brock Rogers - 18
TOP 5 GOALKICKERS:
Phil Hetherington - 112
Glen Scholtes - 35
Nic Balic - 34
Nick Manley - 28
Andrew Freemantle - 23
THE LIST SO FAR
No. 5 - Calivil United 2004
No. 6 - Strathfieldsaye 2015
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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