Nhill's 1969 grand final victory came after a dominant season from a side some still regard as the best the Wimmera Football League has ever seen.
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After a round one loss to reigning premier Horsham, Nhill won 19 consecutive games on the way to their third premiership of the decade.
Along the way, they broke the Wimmera league's scoring record twice in the space of three weeks, in a clear display of the side's strength.
Nhill stalwart and reserves player from 1969, Rob Gersch, said it was a special year.
"There have been some fantastic sides in the Wimmera league, but I still maintain that as an individual side, it was one of the best the league has ever seen," Gersch said.
The powerhouse side emerged toward the end of Nhill's most successful era. The club was able to win three flags during the 1960s, including its first since the Wimmera league formed in 1937.
"Rupanyup beat Nhill in the 1963 grand final, but Nhill won its first ever premiership in 1964, then followed it up again in 1965," Gersch said.
"It was the club's most successful era by far."
Gersch said the way the team achieved success was representative of a different era.
"It's just a different story today," Gersch said.
"In those days, we had bankers and school teachers come to town - whereas today it's, unfortunately, all paid players who come to the club.
"We just don't have that employment and it just doesn't quite work like it used to."
Nhill president Ash Dickinson said a changing population also had an influence over the years.
"It's a huge change," he said.
"Looking back ... the attendance of grand finals in the 1960s was on average about 9000 people. That's almost hard to comprehend.
"That, in itself, probably says a fair bit. It's just been the population decline ... we wouldn't be a standalone club today if we didn't import players."
One player who joined the club and was essential to its 1969 triumph was playing-coach Kevin McNamee.
McNamee stepped into the top job prior to the season, taking on his first senior coaching role at just 24 years-old.
Nhill took something of a risk with the appointment, as McNamee missed the first two games of the season through suspension carried over from the previous season.
"It was a challenge for the club to appoint a coach who was only 24, a first-year coach, and was suspended for the first two games," Gersch said.
"But for a first-year coach he was excellent. He was able to instill fitness and discipline."
McNamee's job was made easier with a talented and devoted playing group, lead by a trio of local brothers - Alex, Kevin and Trevor Gilmour.
"I suppose the comment going around at the time was that anyone could have coached the side, it was that good," Gersch said.
"(The Gilmours) played a big part in the success of the Nhill football club.
"Kevin was the youngest - he had spent 1968 in Vietnam, but he came home and played in 1969.
"They were three brothers who would run in a straight line and set an example for the club. They made other players walk a little taller."
Gersch said the stand-out of the trio was Trevor, who would go on to play more than 200 games for Nhill.
"In my experience, Trevor was probably pound for pound the best Wimmera league player there has been," Gersch said.
"He played in all of the grand finals in that era, so he was instrumental to the success.
"The Gilmour family were not only a big part that year, but for many years."
Another star was 1969 Toohey Medallist Rod Coutts, who shared the honour with Stawell's Mike Pickering.
Nhill's strength was perhaps best illustrated by several mid-season thrashings, just as the team was hitting its stride.
They broke the Wimmera league's scoring record with a 36.24 (240) to 5.9 (39) victory against Minyip in round 12, and bested their own record two rounds later, defeating Rupanyup 39.20 (254) to 5.2 (32).
"There was just all-around ability right across the ground, whether that was up the spine or around the flanks," Gersch said.
"They ran the ball exceptionally well. They were probably ahead of their time in the way they played that type of football."
Standing in Nhill's way in the grand final was Stawell - in the midst of their own era of strength following the lead of head coach and former VFL player Des Dickson.
Dickson played 63 games for Hawthorn from 1962 to 1966, earning himself an infamous reputation and the ironic nickname of 'Delicate Des'.
"He had the reputation as one of the toughest footballers to play league football," Gersch said.
But Nhill was too strong on the day, booting six goals to two in the third quarter to set up a hard-fought victory, 15.10 (100) to 12.15 (87).
Kevin Gilmour was named his side's best, one year after returning from service in Vietnam.
It extended a luckless run for Stawell, losing their third consecutive grand final in what would be Dickson's final season at the club.
Nhill would not make a grand final again until claiming their most recent premiership in 1981.