EDENHOPE-APSLEY are the first Horsham District football league club subject to our new decade in review series.
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The Saints have emerged as a consistant finals threat across the last several seasons, but it wasn't always smooth sailing since the two fierce rivals of Edenhope and Apsley merged in 1999.
A drought-breaking finals berth in 2012 set the platform for a markedly improved decade for the club, as it moved from strength to strength both on and off the field.
The club's leading goalkickers and best players - determined by who was named in the best each round, with six "votes" given for being named the best, five votes for being named second best, four for third etc - have also been revealed at the bottom of the page.
The crowning achievement of Edenhope-Apsley's decade undoubtedly came in 2012 - even if at the time, that achievement was overshadowed by disappointment.
Led by several outstanding footballers, leaders, and club legend-turned-coach Brian "Cobber" Cassidy, the Saints snapped an 11-year finals drought, making the Horsham District league finals for the first time since crossing from the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara league in 2006.
And the Saints weren't just making up the numbers.
Heart-and-sole defender Chris Oliver, star ruckman Michael Ryan, young gun Addison Milner and goal-kicking machine James Dixon led the Saints all the way to the grand final.
However, despite carrying the tag of favouritism into the contest and leading by 27 points at quarter time, the Saints fell short against a once-in-a-generation team from Kalkee, who stormed to a fifth consecutive premiership.
Reflecting on the decade, Edenhope-Apsley president Carolyn Middleton said 2012 was the "standout" year.
"We probably haven't recognised the value of it," she said.
"It was a great achievement, at the time we were just disappointed we couldn't get over the line.
"The reserves were in the grand final as well and lost by a point I think too, so looking back that was a big part of our history.
"We hadn't had much success at all, and we were struggling for teams and players and everything for a little while there.
"Cobber Cassidy, no doubt he was a legend at the club prior to that ... and he's certainly up there at the club as a favourite son now."
Leading the way in 2012 was Chris Oliver, who also defined most of the club's decade.
Oliver played nine of a possible ten seasons with the Saints, and was named in the best on 68 occasions.
He earned a total of 272 best player votes - 78 votes ahead of the second-highest vote-getter.
Oliver also coached the last two seasons at the Saints, and not-coincidentally was named in the best just twice during those two seasons.
"He's been a very significant player and a great club person as well," Mrs Middleton said.
"He never put himself in the best (when he was coach), even though he played some rippers and had a great leading role.
"He used to joke too that he never got many votes from the umpires either, because he used to give them a bit too much lip."
Mrs Middleton said Oliver had also had a significant impact off the field, particularly when the Saints were discussing a potential merger with KNTFL club Border Districts in 2017 and 2018.
"He was a big part of our survival during the merger talks," she said.
"He stuck by us and was prepared to do anything to help the club stay together. So he's not only great player, he's a great leader."
Featuring alongside Oliver in the top ten of the club's 'best player votes' across the decade are two pairs of brothers - the highly talented Taylor and Addison Milner, and the devoutly loyal Bernard and Jeremy Kealy.
Taylor - who joined Taylors Lake as a co-coach during the off-season- secured the second most best player votes, while Addison finished fourth, thanks largely to the remarkable season he had in 2011.
The then-18-year-old was named in the best in 17 of the club's 18 games, securing 68 best player votes and finishing second at the Dellar Medal count.
Addison is one of several Saints who have fared remarkably well at the league's best and fairest count across the last ten years.
Young gun midfielder Lachlan Middleton and versatile ruckman Jak Ryan shared the honour in a three-way tie with Harrow-Balmoral's Nick Pekin last season, while big-bodied midfielder Brent Christie won back-to-back Delllar Medals in 2013 and 2014.
Christie was lured to the club from Melbourne through his friendship with homegrown midfield star Dave Mcleish, and wasted no time in stamping his mark on the competition.
He was named in the best on 16 occasions and poll an amazing 71 votes in 2013 - the most of any Edenhope-Apsley player in a season this decade.
Christie played just three seasons in Saints colours but finished seventh on the most votes of the decade, illustrating his unrivalled dominance in the district league.
On the goalkicking front, it was sharp-shooter James Dixon who booted the most goals for the decade with 177, despite playing just two seasons for the club.
Dixon was pivotal in the club's grand final appearance in 2012, booting his 100th and 101st goal of the season in the grand final against Kalkee.
Dixon co-coached Edenhope-Apsley to a preliminary final appearance the following year before returning to the KNTFL.
Coming in at second on the goalkicking list is loyal clubman Cameron Domaschenz with 174 goals.
A crafty midfielder and medium-sized forward, Domaschenz put together seven consistent seasons with the Saints across the 2010s.
Young key-forward George Walker kicked the third most goals of the decade with 162.
Walker burst onto the scene with a 59-goal haul in 2017 and never looked back, overcoming an injury-interrupted start in 2019 to finish with 41 goals last season.
Beyond individual achievements, it has been a transformative decade for the senior football side at Edenhope-Apsley.
The Saints evolved from a club that hadn't played finals in 11 years to a perennial finals threat during the 2010s, playing in three preliminary finals and one grand final across a decade of improvement.
And for Mrs Middleton, the success of the decade stretched beyond the footy oval.
"We've had some really outstanding players coming and going throughout the last ten years, but success is measured in different ways as well," she said.
"We had a lot of disruption with merger talks and things like that, but it really did bring our club together and made us fight for the things that we believe in.
YEAR-BY-YEAR:
2010
Record - (8-7-1)
Finished - 6th
Most best player votes:
Chris Oliver - 31
Leading goalkicker:
Oliver Close - 40
............................................
2011
Record - (9-9)
Finished - 6th
Most best player votes:
Addison Milner- 68
Leading goalkicker:
Josh Peters - 32
............................................
2012
Record - (17-4)
Finished - 2nd
lost grand final to Kalkee
Most best player votes:
Chris Oliver - 58
Leading goalkicker:
James Dixon - 101
............................................
2013
Record - (15-6)
Finished - 3rd
lost preliminary final to Laharum
Most best player votes:
Brent Christie - 71
Leading goalkicker:
James Dixon - 76
............................................
2014
Record - (12-8)
Finished - 4th
lost semi-final to Swifts
Most best player votes:
Dave Mcleish - 52
Leading goalkicker:
Thomas Clissold - 46
............................................
2015
Record - (6-10)
Finished - 7th
Most best player votes:
Taylor Milner - 35
Leading goalkicker:
Taylor Milner - 25
............................................
2016
Record - (11-6)
Finished - 5th
lost elimination final v Kalkee
Most best player votes:
Chris Oliver - 33
Leading goalkicker:
George Walker - 59
............................................
2017
Record - (8-7-1)
Finished - 7th
Most best player votes:
Jason Rae - 56
Leading goalkicker:
George Walker - 57
............................................
2018
Record - (12-7)
Finished - 3rd
lost preliminary final to Kalkee
Most best player votes:
Taylor Milner - 50
Leading goalkicker:
Cameron Domaschenz - 35
............................................
2019
Record - (12-6)
Finished - 3rd
lost preliminary final to Noradjuha-Quantong
Most best player votes:
Lachlan Middleton - 47
Leading goalkicker:
Carl Slape - 47
BEST PLAYER VOTES:
1 - Chris Oliver
Votes: 272
Times in best: 68
Times at No.1: 19
............................................
2 - Taylor Milner
Votes: 194
Times in best: 56
Times at No.1: 10
............................................
3 - Dave Mcleish
Votes: 184
Times in best: 46
Times at No.1: 8
............................................
4 - Addison Milner
Votes: 163
Times in best: 39
No.1: 11
............................................
5 - Jeremy Kealy
Votes: 162
Times in best: 47
No.1: 9
............................................
6 - Bernard Kealy
Votes: 155
Times in best: 44
No.1: 8
............................................
7 - Brent Christie
Votes: 136
Times in best: 32
No.1: 8
............................................
8 - Cameron Domaschenz
Votes: 107
Times in best: 26
No.1: 4
............................................
9 - Matt Butler
Votes: 100
Times in best: 22
No.1: 3
............................................
10 - Michael Ryan
Votes: 98
Times in best: 24
No.1: 5
TOP 10 GOALKICKERS:
1 - James Dixon
Goals: 177
High: 9
Times kicked 5+: 16
............................................
2 - Cameron Domaschenz
Goals: 174
High: 7
Times kicked 5+: 7
............................................
3 - George Walker
Goals: 162
High: 10
Times kicked 5+: 12
............................................
4 - Taylor Milner
Goals: 112
High: 5
5+: 2
............................................
5 - Matthew Cranage
Goals: 109
High: 13
5+: 5
............................................
6 - Taylor Mulraney
Goals: 93
High: 5
5+: 3
............................................
7 - Dave Mcleish
Goals: 80
High: 5
5+: 2
............................................
8 - Michael Crilly
Goals: 76
High: 10
5+: 6
............................................
9 - Shayne Williams
Goals: 74
High: 5
5+: 1
............................................
10 - Addison Milner
Goals: 66
High: 4
5+: 0
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD:
Edenhope-Apsley hold a winning record against six of the 11 HDFNL clubs.
v Harrow-Balmoral
Record - (5-12)
............................................
v Jeparit-Rainbow
Record - (3-4, 1 draw in 2017)
............................................
v Kalkee
Record - (7-15, 1 draw in 2010)
............................................
v Laharum
Record - (8-12)
............................................
v Natimuk United
Record - (16-2) - both losses in 2017 season
............................................
v Noradjuha-Quantong
Record - (14-5)
............................................
v Pimpinio
Record - (18-0)
............................................
v Rupanyup
Record - (15-3)
............................................
v Swifts
Record - (9-10)
............................................
v Taylors Lake
Record - (14-3)
DECADE RECORD:
Played - 177
Won - 109
Lost - 66
Drawn - 2
Seasons in finals - 6
Finals record - 6-8
Premierships - 0
League best and fairest winners: 2 (Brent Christie - 2013, 2014, Lachlan Middleton - 2019)
RESERVES
Played - 181
Won - 104
Lost - 77
Seasons in finals - 7
Finals record - 4-10
Premierships - 0
League best and fairest winners: 2 (Shane Grigg - 2011, 2013, Tim Adams - 2013)
UNDER-17'S:
Played - 172
Won - 85
Lost - 86
Seasons in finals - 4
Finals record - 7-5
Premierships - 1 (2014)
League best and fairest winners: 0
AFL Draftees
Tom McDonald - (pick 53 2010 national draft, Melbourne)
Oscar McDonald - (pick 53 2014 national draft, Melbourne)
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