Strathfieldsaye Football Club

The Strathfieldsaye Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Storm, is an Australian rules football and netball club based in the Bendigo suburb of Strathfieldsaye, Victoria.

Strathfieldsaye
Names
Full nameStrathfieldsaye Football & Netball Club
Nickname(s)Storm
2022 season
After finals2nd
Home-and-away season3rd
Club details
FoundedSeptember 2007; 17 years ago (2007-09)
Colours  Navy blue   White
CompetitionBendigo Football League(2009-)
Premierships4
List
  • 2014
    2015
    2017
    2019
Ground(s)Strathfieldsaye Recreation Reserve, Strathfieldsaye
Uniforms
Home
Away
Other information
Official websiteSFNC

The club teams currently compete in the Bendigo Football Netball League.

History

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A predecessor of the current club was founded in 1978 as the "Mandurang-Strathfieldsaye Junior Football Club". This club was formed due to the need to facilitate the increasing population of junior footballers in the Mandurang and Strathfieldsaye district. The club commenced playing in the Bendigo Junior Football League. In 2003 the club became known as the Strathfieldsaye Junior Football Club (Strathfieldsaye JFC).

By 2007 there was enough interest in a senior club forming and in September 2007 the "Strathfieldsaye Football Netball Club" was formed. There were discussions on whether to join the stronger, regional major league and compete in the Bendigo Football League or join the lower, regional district league and compete in the Heathcote District Football League to get the club established, but the members voted overwhelmingly for the Bendigo Football League. The club decided that the Bendigo League was ultimately where they wanted to play, so the committee submitted a business plan to get to a higher standard as quickly as possible. In 2008, an application to join the Bendigo Football League for the following season was submitted and accepted. The club identity 'Strath Storm' was created and the club adopted playing colours of blue & white hoops as these were the colours of the Strathfieldsaye JFC.

In 2009 the Strathfieldsaye Storm competed in senior competition for the first time and in 2012 they played in their first finals series winning both the elimination and first semi-final, before losing the preliminary final.

In 2013 the Storm made their first Grand Final after finishing the Home and Away season on top with 12 wins and 1 draw from 16 games, however lost the Grand Final to Golden Square by 21 points. The Storm went on to claim their first Premiership in 2014, defeating Sandhurst by 55 points.

In 2017, all the football grades of the club (seniors, reserves and U18) won the premiership.[1]

Club song

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Oh we're from Strathfieldsaye
A fighting fury we're from Strathfieldsaye
In any weather you'll see us with a grin
Risking head and shin
If we're behind then never mind
We'll fight and fight and win
For we're from Strathfieldsaye
We never weaken til the final siren's gone
Like the Ranga's of old
We're strong and we're bold
For we're from Strathfield
(blue and white)
We're from Strathfieldsaye
GO STORM

*The term "Ranga's" is a direct reference to the foundation club being Mandurang/Strathfieldsaye JFC and reflects the heritage of the original club.

Year by year performance (home and away only)

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Year Wins Draws Losses For Against % Ladder Position
2009
4
-
14
1454
2089
69.6
9
2010
6
-
12
1643
2226
73.8
7
2011
9
-
9
1807
1456
124.1
6
2012
12
-
6
1986
1490
133.3
4
2013
12
1
3
1645
1020
161.3
1
2014
17
-
1
2174
995
218.5
1*
2015
18
-
-
2081
938
221.9
1*
2016
14
-
4
1715
1034
165.9
3
2017
15
-
3
2267
1039
218.2
2*
2018
16
-
2
2198
974
225.7
1
2019
17
-
1
2646
846
312.8
1*
2020 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria
2021
10
-
2
1469
634
231.7
1 <
2022
14
-
4
1966
1058
185.8
3
Total
164
1
61
25051
15799
158.6
3.1

* denotes Premiership winning year

< denotes ladder position held when Season was abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria

Honours

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Premierships & Grand Finals

League Total Premierships Premiership Years
Bendigo Football League
4
2014, 2015, 2017, 2019

Senior Football Club Captains

Michael Pilcher & Jono Gawthrop 2009 - 2010

Shannon Geary 2011 - 2015 (Premiership 2014 & 2015)

Jayden Donaldson & Shannon Geary 2016 - 2017 (Premiership 2017)

Kallen Geary 2018 - 2019 (Premiership 2019)

Lachlan Sharp 2020 - Current

Year Winner Runner-up Score
2013 Golden Square Bulldogs Strathfieldsaye Storm 14.18 (102) – 12.9 (81)
2014 Strathfieldsaye Storm Sandhurst Dragons 20.18 (138) – 12.11 (83)
2015 Strathfieldsaye Storm Sandhurst Dragons 8.12 (60) – 8.5 (53)
2017 Strathfieldsaye Storm Eaglehawk Hawks 13.10 (88) – 7.14 (56)
2018 Eaglehawk Hawks Strathfieldsaye Storm 19.8 (122) - 11.7 (73)
2019 Strathfieldsaye Storm Eaglehawk Hawks 14.10 (94) – 10.20 (80)
2022 Gisborne Bulldogs Strathfieldsaye Storm 5.20 (50) - 2.10 (22)

Bibliography

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  • History of Football in the Bendigo District, John Stoward, ISBN 978-0-9805929-1-7

References

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