With the immediate future of football in the region uncertain, the Mail-Times has decided to look back on the decade just been in a new series.
We'll review every Wimmera Football League and Horsham District football league club's 2010-19 decade, revealing the top goalkickers, the stars who rack up best player votes for fun and the opponent your club just can't seem to beat.
Up first is the Southern Mallee Giants.
In late 2014 the brains trusts of the Hopetoun and Beulah football clubs met to address the threat of football disappearing from the towns.
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What eventuated was a united club that reached heights few would have predicted so quickly.
In their five seasons, the Giants have featured in four grand finals, taking top honours in two of those contests.
In the 97 games the Giants have played, they've walked away victors nearly 75 per cent of the time.
It's a feat made even more impressive by having to compete across three leagues; the Mallee Football League, Horsham District Football Netball League and Wimmera Football League.
At the centre of it all is a strong core of homegrown Hopetoun and Beulah talent; a factor club president Simon Cook believed was behind the success.
"We've managed to keep all the group together for a long period of time. Since the merger we've had pretty much the same group of players, which is a good effort I reckon," he said.
"Players like Haydn Drew, he played for Hopetoun, Ben Webster played for Hopetoun. It's even the same for the Beulah boys. Kai Forsyth and Tyler Lehmann, they've all still hung around.
"That's a key to our success I believe; all being really good mates and having kept the same side for so long."
The feats of one Hopetoun product almost defy belief.
Kain Robins kicked 306 goals in his three-year stint with the Giants, including two consecutive 100-plus goals seasons in the HDFNL.
After learning his trade at Hopetoun as a junior, Robins spent time with Bendigo's TAC Cup and VFL sides, a year in the WAFL and stints in Bendigo's community leagues, before signing for the Giants in 2015.
Robins is now coaching Charlton in the North Central football league.
"He was a ripper, and was a lot of fun off the field. He was not only big on the field, but his presence around the club was fantastic as well, in terms of making everyone at the club feel welcome. He was just a good fella," Cook said.
The players the Giants attracted as a standalone club haven't fared too badly either.
Samuel Weddell joined the club in 2015 and went on to rack up more best player votes (six for being named best, five for second best etc) than anyone.
"He was very good in the backline, and created a lot of run off that half-backline for us. In turn him and Kain worked together really well," Cook said.
Though the two standouts have departed, many of the Giants' best performers of the decade remain, ready for the new season, whenever that may begin.
YEAR-BY-YEAR:
2015
(Mallee Football League)
Finished - 3rd (9-7)
lost to Ouyen United in elimination semi-final
Most best player votes:
Kain Robins - 56
Leading goalkicker:
Kain Robins - 69
............................................
2016
(Horsham District Football Netball League)
Finished - 1st (16-0)
beat Harrow-Balmoral in grand final
Most best player votes:
Haydn Drew - 53
Leading goalkicker:
Kain Robins - 120
............................................
2017
(Horsham District Football Netball League)
Finished - 1st (16-0)
beat Harrow-Balmoral in grand final
Most best player votes:
Coleman Schache - 63
Leading goalkicker:
Kain Robins - 117
2018
(Wimmera Football League)
Finished - 2nd (12-4)
lost to Horsham in grand final
Most best player votes:
Samuel Weddell - 41
Leading goalkicker:
Ben Webster - 30
............................................
2019
(Wimmera Football League)
Finished - 3rd (11-5)
lost to Minyip-Murtoa in grand final
Most best player votes:
Lou White - 59
Leading goalkickers:
Josh Webster and Riley Lehmann - 38
BEST PLAYER VOTES:
1 - Samuel Weddell
Votes: 168
Times in best: 43
% of games in best: 48.3% (54% - WFL, 37.14% - HDFNL, 58.8% - MFL)
Top 3: 27 No.1: 8
............................................
2 - Clinton Burdett
Votes: 159
Times in best: 44
% of games in best 66.6% (65.5% - WFL, 55% - HDFNL, 82% - MFL)
Top 3: 22 No.1: 8
............................................
3 - Lou White
Votes: 146
Times in best: 39
% of games in best: 51.3% (61.5% - WFL, 46.8% - HDFNL, 0% MFL)
Top 3: 24 No.1: 8
4 - Coleman Schache
Votes: 144
Times in best: 35
% of games in best: 62.5% (48.6% - WFL, 94.4% - HDFNL, 0%- MFL)
Top 3: 21 No.1: 13
............................................
5 - Kain Robins
Votes: 135
Times in best: 30
% of games in best: 56.6% (52.7 - HDFNL, 64.7 - MFL)
Top 3: 23 No.1: 11
............................................
6 - Haydn Drew
Votes: 126
Times in best: 36
% of games in best: 44.4 (40% - WFL - 50% - HDFNL, 41.7% - MFL)
Top 3: 18 No.1: 7
7 - Sam White
Votes: 118
Times in best: 34
% of games in best: 60.7 (57.9% - WFL, 66.6% - HDFNL)
Top 3: 16 No.1: 7
............................................
8 - Tyler Lehmann
Votes: 112
Times in best: 29
% of games in best: 46% (41.4% - WFL, 41.6% - HDFNL, 70% - MFL)
Top 3: 19 No.1: 4
............................................
9 - Luke Mahony
Votes: 77
Times in best: 19
% of games in best: 54.3% (59.2% - HDFNL, 37.5% - MFL)
Top 3: 13 No.1: 4
............................................
10 - Brock Orval
Votes: 69
Times in best: 15
% of games in best: 23% (35.3% - WFL, 15.1% - HDFNL, 26.6% - MFL)
Top 3: 10 No.1: 4
TOP 10 GOALKICKERS:
1 - Kain Robins
Goals: 306 (237 - HDFNL, 69 - MFL)
High: 17 Games: 53 (36 - HDFNL, 17 - MFL)
Average goals per game: 5.7 (6.5 - HDFNL, 4.05 - MFL)
5+: 28
............................................
2 - Brock Orval
Goals: 166 (27 - WFL, 97 - HDFNL, 42 - MFL)
High: 13 Games: 65 (17 - WFL, 33 - HDFNL, 15 - MFL)
Average goals per game: 2.5 (1.58 - WFL, 2.9 - HDFNL, 2.8 - MFL)
5+: 10
............................................
3 - Haydn Drew
Goals: 103 (36 - WFL, 54 - HDFNL, 13 - MFL)
High: 5 Games: 81 (30 - WFL, 34 - HDFNL, 17 - MFL)
Average goals per game: 1.27 (1.2 - WFL, 1.58 - HDFNL, 0.76 - MFL)
5+: 2
4 - Ben Webster
Goals: 78 (58 - WFL, 7 - HDFNL, 13 - MFL)
High: 5 Games: 65 (34- WFL, 18 - HDFNL, 13 - MFL)
Average goals per game: 1.2 (1.7 - WFL, 0.3 - HDFNL, 1 - MFL)
5+: 3
............................................
5 - Sam White
Goals: 66 (25 - WFL, 41 - HDFNL)
High: 7 Games: 56 (38 - WFL, 18 - HDFNL)
Average goals per game: 1.17 (0.65 - WFL, 2.2 - HDFNL)
5+: 0
............................................
6 - Jackson Fisher
Goals: 64 (21 - WFL, 43 - HDFNL)
High: 5 Games: 49 (16 - WFL, 33- HDFNL)
Average goals per game: 1.3 (1.3 - WFL, 1.3 - HDFNL)
5+: 1
7 - Josh Webster
Goals: 60 (60 - WFL)
High: 5 Games: 36
Average goals per game: 1.6
5+: 3
............................................
8 - Shaun Monohan
Goals: 58 (58 - HDFNL)
High: 5 Games: 27
Average goals per game: 2.14
5+: 4
............................................
9 - Riley Lehmann
Goals: 56 (46 - WFL, 10 - HDFNL)
High: 8 Games: 35 (25 - WFL, 7 - HDFNL)
Average goals per game: 1.75 (1.84 - WFL, 1.42 - HDNFL)
5+: 3
............................................
10 - Coleman Schache
Goals: 52 (23 - WFL, 29 - HDFNL)
High: 4 Games: 56 (37- WFL, 18 - HDFNL,1 - MFL)
Average goals per game: 0.92 (0.6 - WFL, 1.6 - HDFNL, 0 -MFL)
5+: 0
TOP 5 APPEARANCES:
1 - Timothy Sanford
Games: 92 (39 - WFL, 36 - HDFNL, 17 - MFL)
............................................
2 - Samuel Weddell
Games: 89 (32 - WFL, 35 - HDFNL, 17 - MFL)
............................................
3 - Haydn Drew
Goals: 81 (30 - WFL, 35 - HDFNL, 17 - MFL)
............................................
4 - Liam Price
Games: 78 (28 - WFL, 33 -HDFNL, 17 - MFL)
............................................
5 - Lou White
Games: 76 (39 - WFL, 32 - HDFNL, 5 - MFL)
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
Note: The Mail-Times has chosen only to include the Giants' Wimmera Football League matchups, given the club went through its two years in the HDFNL undefeated.
v Ararat
Record - 6-1
............................................
v Dimboola
Record - 4-0
............................................
v Horsham
Record - 3-3
v Horsham Saints
Record - 2-2
............................................
v Minyip-Murtoa
Record - 1-5
............................................
v Nhill
Record - 4-0
............................................
v Stawell
Record - 4-0
............................................
v Warrack Eagles
Record - 4-0
DECADE RECORD:
Played - 97 (39 - WFL, 36 - HDFNL, 17 - MFL)
Won -72 (27 - WFL, 36 - HDFNL, 9 - MFL)
Lost - 20 (12 - WFL, 0 - HDFNL, 8 - MFL)
Drawn - 0
Winning % - 74.22% (69.23% - WFL, 100% - HDFNL, 52.94% - MFL)
Average for/agst - 2055/1089 (1673/1117 - WFL, 2629/783 - HDFNL, 1673/1644 - MFL)
Seasons in finals - 5 (2x WFL, 2x HDFNL, 1 x MFL)
Finals record - (8-4) (4-3 - WFL, 4-0 - HDFNL, 0-1 - MFL)
Premierships - 2 (2x HDFNL)
Giants coverage throughout the decade
- Beulah and Hopetoun's journey to becoming the Southern Mallee Giants
- Giants announce several signings, farewell premiership stars for 2020 season
- Southern Mallee Giants move to HDFNL confirmed; Mallee Football League to fold
- Giants granted admission into Wimmera Football League
- Inaugural Giants coach Geoff Burdett was never far from home | Legends of yesterday
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