Two of the BFNL’s S’s: Storm and South

Strathfieldsaye and South Bendigo enjoyed markedly different outcomes in the BFNL seasons between 2010 and 2019.

South played just three seasons in the finals for a win-loss record of 2-4 while the Storm fronted for finals in eight of those 10 years winning four premierships (in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019) and finished with a 13-8 win-loss record in September action.

They were runners-up in 2013 and 2018. Of course, there were no finals in both 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

It’s amazing to look back at cold, hard facts half-a-decade after stats for a 10-year period have been compiled, seasons wound up and premierships collected.

The Storm were newcomers to BFNL footy when the decade unrolled but by the end they were the BFNL football powerhouse.

And they started their upwards rise from 2010 (7th), up to 6th a season later and then into 3rd slot by 2012.

Grand finals followed in 2013 and 2014 after that third-placed finish 11 years back: in 2012.

Worst season for the Storm in the mid-2010s was 2016 when they finished fourth. They lost to Eaglehawk in the first semi-final.

In contrast the Bloods also started the Teens pretty well finishing runner-up to Square in 2010 (after losing to Square also in 2009) and were in the Top Five in 2011 and again in 2012.

Ironically the Bloods lost the 2012 elimination final to the Storm and then tumbled to sixth in 2013 with nine wins and a draw --- their first finish outside the finals-bound sides since 2004.

Then came one of South Bendigo’s most impotent seasons as they finished in the 2014 cellar, in 10th spot (2 wins, 16 losses), claiming their first wooden spoon since 1965.

Jut as had been the case in the mid-Sixties the Bloods managed just a pair of wins in 2014 ending up with a 2-16 record.

Just as playing coach Nathan Horbury has been for the Bloods in the early 2020s, South’s top player of the decade was unquestionably Aaron Connaughton.

One of the highlights between 2010 and 2019 was registered in 2017: Rd. 6.

It was Aaron’s 150th senior game and, up against major QEO rivals Sandhurst, South roared home by 30 points.

By registering that victory the Bloods regained the Graeme Wright Memorial Cup for the first time since 2013. Four seasons leaving the prized Cup in the Dragons’ lair.

But it wasn’t the only memorable victory during the 2010-2019 decade.

South Bendigo beat Golden Square by 15 points on the Saturday in July they celebrated their 125th BFL season.

The vital victory was registered in July of 2018. So from foundation year 1893 to 2018 marked 125 years.

Another big milestone, albeit on a personal level in 2018, came when classy key forward Kaiden Antonowicz won the 2018 Ron Best medal by booting 76 majors.

His overall tally for the decade was 174 goals. Joining Kaiden on more than a century of majors were Michael Leech (152) and Steven ‘Stroobie’ Stroobants on 103.

The decade was also memorable for another milestone.

It marked the Bloods’ transition from the QEO to the Harry Trott Oval in Neale Street, Kennington and they played their first matches there for premiership points in 2014.

Among other personal milestones was the selection by the Adelaide Crows of South’s No. 1 ruckman Kieran Strachan in the 2018 AFL rookie draft.

Strachan had won a South club fairest and best award before the Crows picked him up.

Centre half-forward Justin ‘Harry’ Maddern was South’s sole representative in the Team of the Decade.

He played with South in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, taking out the Ron Best medal in his final season: 2013.

Overall records for the decade --- South Bendigo: won 82, drew 2 and lost 100 in 184 total games. Average scores for and against: 84/85. Winning %: 44.6%.

Storm: won 149, lost 49 and drew 1 in 199 total games. Average scores for and against: 110/69. Winning %: 74.9%.

Another stat. which should remain in the memories of footy followers, but might need brushing-up, is the Storm’s amazing winning streak.

From Rd. 4 in 2014 when they belted Castlemaine Strathfieldsaye won 39 games in a row. Yes, that’s right. Thirty-nine.

They didn’t lose again until Rd. 3 in 2016 when the Wade Street Bulldogs won by four goals.

That’s almost two complete seasons without a loss. The players must have had hoarse throats after singing the club song weekend after weekend from 2014 through until early 2016.

In 2015 Strathfieldsaye didn’t lose a single game. They finished that season 20-0.

The loss to Square in early 2016 was significant for another reason, however. Brilliant forward Lachlan Sharp suffered a season ending knee injury which probably put paid to their grand final hopes seven years ago.

He was back, though, in 2017 when the Storm downed Eaglehawk in the grand final, he won the Michelsen and Ron Best medals --- the latter with 142 goals --- plus the AFL Victoria grand final medal.

Sharp is one of only three players in BFNL history to have won the grand final, the Michelsen Medal and the senior goalkicking award all in the one season.

He joined Rochester’s Ray Willett (1962, 67 goals) and Eaglehawk’s Greg Kennedy (1971, 139 goals).

The 2017 season was notable not just for Sharpy’s incredible accomplishments but also because Strathfieldsaye celebrated the trifecta ---- flags in the seniors, reserves and under-18 grades.

The Storm became the first BFNL club to achieve that since Gisborne in 2002.

And second behind Sharp on the decade’s overall sgoalkicking list was Sam Mildren with 243 while tough half-back or on-baller Kallen Geary polled the most club best player votes for the decade with 248 votes.

Amazingly enough only two Storm players in Sharp and Geary made the Team of the Decade, joined by the 2010-2019 Coach of the Decade Daryl Wilson ---- premiership mentor in 2014, 2015 and again in 2017.

I remember sitting on the seven-strong selection committee in 2019 for the ten Hall of Famers and the inaugural five Legends.

Don’t think I was on the Team of the Decade committee. Maybe my memory is playing up.

Let’s return to year-end results. Strath’s Twos and Threes won a few flags. The Reserves (131 total wins) saluted twice while the under-18s (146 victories) were successful in three grand finals.

The Bloods Twos (98 wins) played in eight finals series of the decade’s 10 seasons but didn’t win a premiership. Neither did the Threes (67 total victories) who contested just two finals series.

Of course in the season just-finished’s major individual awards Storm’s brilliant on-baller Jake Moorhead won the 2022 Michelsen medal with 19 votes.

He ended up four ahead of joint runners-up Nathan Horbury (South’s playing coach) and Gisborne mid Brad Bernacki.

The Bloods’ Chloe Gray with 15 votes finished sixth in the A grade netball’s Betty Thompson medal count, won by Gisborne’s Madeline Stewart who polled an outstanding 29 votes.