For any club, winning a premiership is a memorable occasion, no less when it draws the curtains on a 28-year-long drought.
Our decade in review series continues with MATT CURRILL looking back on an enduring ten years for the Dimboola faithful.
It wouldn't have been an afternoon that lived long in the memory, but for the feats of 21 players and the milestone that was to follow.
Pre-game showers had drowned Davis Park, and dark clouds lingered as Dimboola's history-makers took to the field for the 2013 grand final.
After a near-flawless season behind them, the Roos' faithful had reason to be quietly optimistic.
Yet, doubt remained, as the previous season's preliminary final heartbreak and the semi-final exit before that remained fresh.
Only a few hours and plenty of goals later, it would all be irrelevant, as the sight of first-year Dimboola coach Stuart Farr and long-serving captain Al McKinnon with trophy in hand brought to an end a 28-year premiership drought for the proud club.
"Over a 10-year period when you can win a flag, its obviously a huge highlight. Especially given the previous one wasn't won since 1985. To win one after that long was pretty unique," Dimboola Football Netball Club president Justin Ward said.
"To be a rural outlying community and have a football club be as successful as it has, we're pretty lucky really.
"It's all about the community really. When the football club has a bad week, the whole town feels it, and when the club has a good week, the town is up and about too."
One player was pivotal in Dimboola's historic premiership.
Lachie Exell kicked seven goals, on his way to being named best on ground in the grand final.
Exell stands as the Roos' leading goalkicker and highest vote-getter (six votes for being named best, five for second etc.) of the decade, despite leaving at the end of the 2016 to travel and eventually rejoin junior club Kalkee.
"He was a big, mobile full forward, which is what everyone wants these days. He was pretty pivotal in those times," Ward said.
"He was pretty demanding on his body in training and keeping fit. It was a typical Exell style. The whole family was like that.
"He wasn't a gloating player, just hard-hitting and hard at the ball. If you were in between him and the ball you were in the grips of whatever could happen.
"He was also a really good mentor to some players that were even younger than he was. More so as a person than a footballer. He was a great, fantastic club person."
Exell's older brother Hamish also wrote his name into Roos' folklore as a hard-working midfielder.
Hamish Exell - who coached the Roos' in 2016 - was named among the Roos' best in more than half of the 98 games he played in the 2010s.
"Hamish was probably the pick of the players, and I still believe that to be the case. Hamish was fair and a really tough footballer," Ward said.
"It's quite often rumoured around the footy club that their father Greg when he used to hip and shoulder people in a football game it was like hearing one of the red gums crack. He was always fair; he would never be dirty."
"It was just those first five-to-10 ten steps that all the family have got that is so explosive."
Dimboola would not feature in finals again after 2013, as the gap between the club and the league's powerhouses grew larger.
Last season's season-opening victory against Nhill brought to an end a 616-day drought between wins for the Roos.
A loyal group of homegrown talent remains ready to be part of the resurgence, led by the Roos' most capped-senior player of the decade, Jayden Lehmann.
"He's a Dimboola born-and-bred lad that came right through the juniors," Ward said.
"He's probably a bit of a gentle giant, but if push comes to shove he's the right man to have behind you. He's a hell of a nice person and a hell of a nice footballer."
"There is a core group that's been there for 10 years now and Jayden Lehmann is one of them. There's Jackson O'Neill (120 senior apperances) and Darcy Dubois (85 appearances) too.
"They're three guys who have been with the club through thick and thin, they've seen the highs and seen the lows, and they're still there now. They're a fantastic trio.
"They've been mentored too by guys like Darren Jones and Al McKinnon and guys who have been around for a long time. There are some fantastic names that are still there and have been there for the past decade."
The Roos celebrated their best finish since 2015 last season under Justin Beugelaar and were building for bigger things before the coronavirus crisis put the brakes on the 2020 season.
Time away from the demands of a new season offered Ward a chance to reflect on the decade that'd been.
"I would say it's been somewhat successful, given we've won a flag in those 10 years and played in a few finals leading up to it. The reserves have won a flag, and the netball sides have won a few premierships too," he said.
"Though we haven't won 7 or 10 premierships in a row, we've been up there playing finals.
"We've had the years where we've been up, but also the years where we've been down. So all in all. It's been reasonably even I'd say."
YEAR-BY-YEAR:
2010
Finished - 8th (5-11)
Most best player votes:
Allistair McKinnon - 42
Leading goalkicker:
Jason Przibilla - 49
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2011
Finished - 3rd (9-1-6)
lost elimination semi-final to Horsham Saints
Most best player votes:
Hamish Exell - 54
Leading goalkicker:
Jason Przibilla - 36
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2012
Finished - 4th (10-6)
lost preliminary final to Horsham
Most best player votes:
Daniel Baker - 44
Leading goalkicker:
Lachie Exell - 86
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2013
Finished - 1st (15-1)
beat Horsham Saints in grand final
Most best player votes:
Ashley Clugston - 39
Leading goalkicker:
Lachie Exell - 79
2014
Finished - 6th (7-9)
Most best player votes:
Andrew Seers - 41
Leading goalkicker:
Lachie Exell - 68
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2015
Finished - 6th (6-10)
Most best player votes:
Torin Petrie - 41
Leading goalkicker:
Ash Clugston - 53
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2016
Finished - 8th (1-15)
Most best player votes:
Ben Miller - 57
Leading goalkicker:
Jayden Kuhne - 23
2017
Finished - 8th (1-15)
Most best player votes:
Michael Pohlner - 37
Leading goalkicker:
Thomas Magee - 21
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2018
Finished - 9th (0-16)
Most best player votes:
Joshua Edgar - 51
Leading goalkicker:
Justin Beugelaar - 12
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2019
Finished - 7th (4-12)
Most best player votes:
Matthew Rosier - 67
Leading goalkickers:
Justin Beugelaar and Sam Godden - 25
BEST PLAYER VOTES:
1 - Lachie Exell
Votes: 239
Times in best: 60
% of games in best: 56.07%
Top 3: 36 No.1: 16
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2 - Hamish Exell
Votes: 204
Times in best: 52
% of games in best: 53.06%
Top 3: 34 No.1: 11
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3 - Allistair McKinnon
Votes: 158
Times in best: 45
% of games in best: 31.03%
Top 3: 26 No.1: 5
4 - Daniel Baker
Votes: 147
Times in best: 36
% of games in best: 53.73%
Top 3: 21 No.1: 12
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5 - Lachlan Watts
Votes: 143
Times in best: 44
% of games in best: 40.74%
Top 3: 18 No.1: 7
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6 - Jayden Lehmann
Votes: 141
Times in best: 43
% of games in best: 29.52%
Top 3: 21 No.1: 11
7 - Oliver Braithwaite
Votes: 125
Times in best: 37
% of games in best: 50.68%
Top 3: 17 No.1: 2
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8 - Clancy Bennett
Votes: 124
Times in best: 36
% of games in best: 58.06%
Top 3: 19 No.1: 5
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9 - Ashley Clugston
Votes: 123
Times in best: 28
% of games in best: 57.14%
Top 3: 18 No.1: 12
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10 - Ben Miller
Votes: 120
Times in best: 34
% of games in best: 56.66%
Top 3: 17 No.1: 4
TOP 10 GOALKICKERS:
1 - Lachie Exell
Goals: 289
High: 12 Games: 107
Average per game: 2.7
5+: 25
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2 - Ashley Clugston
Goals: 137
High: 9 Games: 49
Average per game: 2.79
5+: 12
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3 - Lachlan Watts
Goals: 109
High: 6 Games: 108
Average per game: 1.01
5+: 2
4 - Jason Przibilla
Goals: 85
High: 7 Games: 30
Average per game: 2.83
5+: 6
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5 - Allistair McKinnon
Goals: 65
High: 4 Games: 145
Average per game: 0.45
5+: 0
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6 - Darren Jones
Goals: 65
High: 9 Games: 136
Average per game: 0.47
5+: 2
7 - Jackson O'Neill
Goals: 57
High: 3 Games: 120
Average per game: 0.47
5+: 0
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8 - Jayden Kuhne
Goals: 55
High: 4 Games: 60
Average per game: 0.91
5+: 0
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9 - Elliot Braithwaite
Goals: 54
High: 3 Games: 80
Average per game: 0.67
5+: 0
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10 - Ryan Bell
Goals: 54
High: 6 Games: 78
Average per game: 0.69
5+: 1
TOP 5 APPEARANCES:
1 - Jayden Lehmann
Games - 147
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2 - Allistair McKinnon
Games - 145
............................................
3 - Darren Jones
Games - 136
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4 - Jackson O'Neill
Games - 120
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5 - Lachlan Watts
Games - 108
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
v Ararat
Record - (10-11)
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v Horsham
Record - (3-19)
............................................
v Horsham Saints
Record - (7-18)
............................................
v Horsham United
Record - (8-0)
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v Minyip-Murtoa
Record - (8-14)
v Nhill
Record - (12-10)
............................................
v Southern Mallee Giants
Record - (0-4)
............................................
v Stawell
Record - (8-1-11)
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v Warrack Eagles
Record - (6-17)
DECADE RECORD:
Played - 167
Won - 62
Lost - 104
Drawn - 1
Winning % - 37.12%
Average for/agst - 1296.9/1533.1
Seasons in finals -3 (2011, 2012, 2013)
Finals record - (4-3)
Premierships - 1 (2013)
League best and fairest winners: 1 (Justin Chilver - 2013)
RESERVES
Played - 170
Won - 71
Lost - 99
Winning % - 41.76%
Average for/agst - 853.4/1169.1
Seasons in finals -4 (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Finals record - (6-5)
Premierships - 1 (2014)
League best and fairest winners: 1 (Jackson O'Neill - 2013)
UNDER-17'S
Played - 158
Won - 19
Lost - 139
Drawn - 0
Winning % - 12.02%
Average for/agst -433.9/1612.8
Seasons in finals - 0
Finals record - n/a
Premierships - 0
League best and fairest winners: 0
AFL Draftees
Brett Goodes - (pick 4 2012 rookie draft)
Goodes played his junior football with Dimboola, before moving to the VFL.
WFL DECADE IN REVIEW
Matt Currill
Matt covers the Ballarat Football Netball League and cricket. Get in touch at matt.currill@thecourier.com.au
Matt covers the Ballarat Football Netball League and cricket. Get in touch at matt.currill@thecourier.com.au
