Six new coaches were appointed over summer in 2010 as BFNL clubs prepared for the 2011 season.
There were some top names among the appointments, headlined by Maryborough’s Michelsen Medallist Matt Aston and Gisborne’s ‘Rolls Royce’ Luke Saunders.
The other quartet of new faces included Luke Monaghan (Eaglehawk), Derrick ‘Dekka’ Filo (Kyneton), Darryl Wilson (Strathfieldsaye) and Tony Graham (Sandhurst).
Graham wasn’t a brand-new mentor, though. He’d led the Dragons from 1997 to 2000 including a 1998 grand final loss to Maryborough by 47 points.
He took over from Sandhurst stalwart Kieran Nihill who’d served a three-year stint.
Going through the others alphabetically club-wise, Monaghan was at the Canterbury Park helm following Filo’s eight-season era which had resulted in two senior premierships.
Monaghan had previously coached the Hawks under-18s from 2005 to 2007 and he’d then had three years as the Bendigo Pioneers assistant coach.
Four-time premiership player and Michelsen medallist Saunders took over the Graveyard duties from Ty Elliott.
Not only had he played in the Bulldogs’ string of flag wins he’d also captained the successful sides in 2005 and 2006.
Saunders’ Gisborne side went down to Golden Square in the classic 2012 grannie which wasn’t decided until the final kick of the day.
Final scores: Square 16.10 (106) def. Gisborne 14.19 (103).
A Michelsen Medallist just like Saunders, Aston headed into his first coaching role at Princes Park.
He took over from Shane Fisher who’d led the Maryborough Magpies for three, consecutive seasons.
Filo had previously coached the Kyneton Tigers from 1995 to 1997, leading them to their famous flags in 1995 and 1997.
He’d also coached Kangaroo Flat from 2000 to 2002 taking the Roos to the 2000 grand final against Castlemaine where poor kicking let the Roos down.
Final scores: Castlemaine 12.11 (83) def. Kangaroo Flat 9.17 (71).
Filo took over from Paul Houston who’d coached the Tigers for two seasons: 2009-2010.
Although we didn’t know it then, a dozen years back, Strath Storm’s Wilson would become the most successful and prominent coach of the modern era.
He’d been in charge at Dower Park in 2008 and 2009 and had suceeded in leading the Roos to the 2009 preliminary final.
Final scores: South Bendigo 16.11 (107) def. K. Flat 10.15 (75). The Roos had downed Eaglehawk and Gisborne in earlier finals in that 2009 season.
And then out at Tannery Lane Darryl has moulded the BFNL’s premier side of the modern era as the Storm won flags in 2014-15 and then again in 2017 and 2019.
So that was the list of 2011’s brand new incoming coaches.
But four senior coaches from 2010 had stayed on for the upcoming season.
Premiership mentor Nick Carter would lead Golden Square for another season although he took a couple of weeks after the Wade Street Dogs 2010 flag celebrations had eased off to re-sign with his club.
Paul Eyles was returning for a return stint with Castlemaine and like Carter was going to be back for a second year.
However, Eyles had also enjoyed an earlier crack at coaching in the early Noughties.
He led the Camp Reserve Pies in 2004-2005.
Third returning coach was Murray Collins at Kangaroo Flat who, like Carter and Eyles, was saddling up for a second year.
Longest serving coach to re-sign was South’s Rick Coburn who was going into his fifth season.
He’d taken the Bloods to two second finishes in 2009 and 2010 along with 3rd and 4th placings, but sources had told footy writers the Bloods would go into 2011 with a much younger list.
2009 grand final: G Square 16.12 def. S. Bendigo 10.11 and 2010 grand final, G. Square 11.21 def. S. Bendigo 8.10.
So how did this impressive array of coaches end up as September in 2011 wound to a close?
Well, Carter’s Square finished unbeaten on top of the ladder with an 18 win-0 loss record and cantered home in the grand final over Eaglehawk by 135 points.
They restricted the Two Blues to just five majors for the day.
At the other end of the table Filo’s Tigers didn’t win a game so they finished up with the exact reverse to Square: 0 wins and 18 losses.
So the ladder read at the end of August: Golden Square 18 wins, 0 losses, 72 prem. points, 267.3%; Eaglehawk 13-5, 52, 133.5%; Gisborne 12-6, 48, 142.99%; Sandhurst 11-7, 44, 130.5%; South Bendigo 11-7, 44, 117.4%.
Outside the Five: S’saye Storm 9-9, 36, 124.1%; Maryborough 9-9, 36, 81.8%; Kang. Flat 5-13, 20, 84.8%; C’maine 2-16, 8 prem. points, 55.9% and Kyneton 0-18, 0 points, 27.45%.
So Carter ended 2011 with a brilliant season -- home and away and finals. An unbeaten season for the Square.
And apart from the disastrous grand final Monaghan’s Two Blues did OK. As did Saunders with the Graveyard Dogs reaching the preliminary final.
Graham and Coburn probably rated in the 60-65 per cent mark as both clubs were gone by the end of the second week of the finals.
Wilson’s Storm were pretty new to the BFNL in 2011 so he gets a pass mark and so does Aston with the Princes Park Pies.
Both clubs had a nine win-nine loss record
Eyles and ‘Muzza’ Collins fall short of a pass mark, but at least the Roos under Collins scraped together five wins.
But Filo’s at the bottom of the barrel with the winless Tigers not setting any benchmarks at the Kyneton Showgrounds.
And there were some familiar faces in district coaching ranks for the 2011 season.
In the Heathcote DFNL North Bendigo had appointed Damien Lock, who’d played 18 AFL games for Carlton in 1998 and 1999.
Locky was also an Eaglehawk premiership player and back a little further in his footy career had won the VFL’s Bendigo Diggers fairest and best award.
Ash Wilson was the new coach at HDFL club Huntly. He’d enjoyed a fine career with Kangaroo Flat and had later coached premiership sides at Wandella and in partnership with Barry Pitson took Mitiamo to their 1999 flag.
Matt Pinniger was back in familiar territory at Colbinabbin as he took over from Brent Millar who’d led the Grasshoppers to the 2008 HDFNL flag.
At Mount Pleasant well-travelled local footy personality Denis Grinton had been named as the Mounts coach.
He took over from former Gisborne star Shane Davis who’d handed in his resignation in November 2010.
But it was a late appointment for Mounts as Grinton’s coaching job wasn’t revealed until mid-December.
Jason ‘Jugga’ Stevens was the new man at White Hills having stepped up from assistant coach.
Stevens served under Brent Dyer and for the 2011 season would have ex-South Bendigo outside midfielder Gavin Bowles as his assistant.
Incoming coaches in the LVFL for 2011 included Phil Walsh (YCW) who’d previously coached the Eagles to their 1997 flag.
Jim Angove was taking up the reins at the Marong Panthers, Phil Birchmore was to helm Newbridge while up at Pyramid Hill Leigh Davies was taking over from Shawn Filo whose health issues meant he had to step down.
