Wimmera Football League 2010-19 decade in review: Horsham

It's near impossible to reflect on the Wimmera Football League's modern era without Horsham entering the conversation. Few country football clubs in the state, let alone the Wimmera, have managed to become as synonymous with success as the Demons. The boys in maroon and blue have reached finals nine times in the 2010s, taking top honours on six occasions. Not only did Horsham win three flags in a row at the turn of the decade, but 2012's success delivered the side its tenth-consecutive premiership - a feat never before achieved in Wimmera Football League history. To understand the significance of the triumph, the hardships the Demons faced before winning the first of its ten-premiership streak in 2003 must be realised, Horsham Football Netball Club president Rodney Dumesny said. "There's been a lot of fantastic loyalty from players, but I believe that's a culture of the club, and it's been built in," he said. "I was involved with the club in the 90s when we were in a lot of trouble, so we focused on that (loyalty). "There were a lot of people that virtually lived at the club. Not only was there a shortage of players, but there was a shortage of money and a shortage of a lot of things. "It was a combined effort from a lot of people, who put a lot of time in and put their heart and soul into the club. "We really just stuck to our guns with what we wanted to do with our kids. "We knew where we wanted to go, and we won 10 grand finals in a row. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best thing for the Wimmera Football League, but we never set out to do anything other than try and win a grand final and put something in place that didn't involve money, but involved loyalty. "There are a lot of father-son, mother-daughter, mother-son, father-daughter duos, with the netball involved too. It's just a thing with the club." One of those father-son partnerships gifted the Demons an electric force in the forward 50. Dylan Parish pulled on Horsham's colours like his forebears before him and quickly earned a reputation of his own. In his four seasons with the club in the 2010s, Parish kicked 272 goals, including a 117-goal season as a 19-year-old in 2011. "He was very handy, a great player...He had a great sense of where the goals were, and he was a very good kick.," Dumesny said. "His father was also a champion goalkicker for us and won a few best and fairests. It's a family tradition actually. His grandfather Tom Parish, and his father Geoff Parish played too. It's a great, traditional Horsham family." Parish moved to Laharum for the 2014 season, before later relocating to Warrnambool and the North Warrnambool Eagles. A famous Horsham last name is also prominent in the club's top vote-getters. Brad Hartigan played the most games for the Demons in the decade and didn't waste them, going on the pick up the most best player votes (six votes for being named best, five for second best etc.). "Brad's played forever and a day and he's still going around this year too if we get going. He just keeps winning the ball, and even in his older age he still can have an influence on the game," Dumesny said. "He doesn't get a lot of accolades, but he doesn't want them for a start. He's a very humble guy. There's been many a game that I've watched where he's won them singlehandedly. He's turned games on a string." Hartigan made his senior debut at 15, starting a trend of sustained faith the Demons placed in their young brigade. Two young talents, Ben Lakin and Rhona Conboy, finished third and fourth respectively in the top vote-getters of the decade. "They're absolute champions, and they're still only young guys. Rhona is joint coach this year, and he's stuck around and stayed with us. We think the world of not only those two but of a lot of players who stay with us," Dumesny said. "We've got a good long-term history of picking kids and playing with them. "We won a grand final in 2014 with five kids in our side under 17 years of age. Ben was fullback and Rhona was centre halfback and they were only 15 and 16 years of age. "Another one was Billy Lloyd. He only made his mind up to play in that grand final at 10am that day and was awarded best on ground. "On Thursday night he couldn't even run. It was a bad ankle injury. He started off the first quarter and just killed them." Lloyd joined VFL outfit Port Melbourne in 2018. Though the season may be on hold, the Demons will be inspired to replicate a decade etched in Wimmera football folklore. 2010 Finished - 1st (15-1) beat Nhill in grand final Most best player votes: Brad Hartigan and Garrett Liston - 42 Leading goalkicker: David Johns - 86 ............................................ 2011 Finished -1st (16-0) beat Warrack Eagles in grand final Most best player votes: Nick Pekin - 74 Leading goalkicker: Dylan Parish - 116 ............................................ 2012 Finished - 1st (15-1) beat Warrack Eagles in grand final Most best player votes: Paul Adlington - 74 Leading goalkicker: Joel Geue - 62 2013 Finished - 2nd (14-2) lost to Horsham Saints in preliminary final Most best player votes: Nick Pekin - 47 Leading goalkicker: Dylan Parish - 53 ............................................ 2014 Finished - 1st (13-3) beat Horsham Saints in grand final Most best player votes: Joel Geue - 53 Leading goalkicker: Nick Pekin - 54 ............................................ 2015 Finished - 2nd (13-3) lost to Horsham Saints in grand final Most best player votes: Simon Hobbs - 49 Leading goalkicker: Joel Geue - 42 ............................................ 2016 Finished - 4th (11-5) lost elimination semi-final to Stawell Most best player votes: Rhona Conboy - 62 Leading goalkicker: Nick Pekin - 41 2017 Finished - 1st (14-2) beat Minyip-Murtoa in grand final Most best player votes: Simon Hobbs - 48 Leading goalkicker: Joel Geue - 60 ............................................ 2018 Finished - 1st (14-2) beat Southern Mallee Giants in grand final Most best player votes: Ben Lakin - 74 Leading goalkicker: Ryan Kemp - 79 ............................................ 2019 Finished - 6th (6-10) Most best player votes: Ben Lakin - 69 Leading goalkicker: Deek Roberts - 27 1 - Brad Hartigan Votes: 314 Times in best: 90 % of games in best: 51.13% Top 3: 40 No.1: 16 2 - Nick Pekin Votes: 306 Times in best: 74 % of games in best: 71.15 Top 3: 53 No.1: 20 ............................................ 3 - Ben Lakin Votes: 228 Times in best: 54 % of games in best: 52.42% Top 3: 35 No.1: 19 4 - Rhona Conboy Votes: 224 Times in best: 58 % of games in best: 50.43% Top 3: 35 No.1: 15 ............................................ 5 - Jordyn Burke Votes: 202 Times in best: 53 % of games in best: 47.74% Top 3: 31 No.1: 10 ............................................ 6 - Joel Geue Votes: 158 Times in best: 42 % of games in best: 34.14% Top 3: 23 No.1: 9 7 - Simon Hobbs Votes: 144 Times in best: 35 % of games in best: 48.61% Top 3: 22 No.1: 10 ............................................ 8 - John Wood Votes: 143 Times in best: 36 % of games in best: 39.13% Top 3: 23 No.1: 9 ............................................ 9 - Ryan Kemp Votes: 137 Times in best: 38 % of games in best: 45.78% Top 3: 20 No.1: 6 ............................................ 10 - Jeremy Hartigan Votes: 128 Times in best: 42 % of games in best: 36.52% Top 3: 16 No.1: 2 1 - Dylan Parish Goals: 272 High: 15 Games: 55 Average per game: 4.94 5+: 27 ............................................ 2 - Joel Geue Goals: 259 High: 11 Games: 123 Average per game: 2.1 5+: 18 ............................................ 3 - Jordyn Burke Goals: 224 High: 12 Games: 111 Average per game: 2.01 5+: 11 4 - Nick Pekin Goals: 196 High: 10 Games: 104 Average per game: 1.88 5+: 7 ............................................ 5 - Ryan Kemp Goals: 172 High: 8 Games: 83 Average per game: 2.07 5+: 9 ............................................ 6 - Alex Thomson Goals: 145 High: 5 Games: 97 Average per game: 1.49 5+: 1 7 - Brad Hartigan Goals: 115 High: 6 Games: 176 Average per game: 0.65 5+: 3 ............................................ 8 - Sean Christopher Goals: 88 High: 8 Games: 84 Average per game: 1.04 5+: 7 ............................................ 9 - David Johns Goals: 86 High: 9 Games: 18 Average per game: 4.77 5+: 10 ............................................ 10 - Deek Roberts Goals: 86 High: 5 Games: 46 Average per game: 1.86 5+: 1 1 - Brad Hartigan Games - 176 ............................................ 2 - Joel Geue Games - 123 ............................................ 3 - Jeremy Hartigan Games -115 ............................................ 4 - Rhona Conboy Games - 115 ............................................ 5 - Darcy Taylor Games - 113 v Ararat Record - (20-2) ............................................ v Dimboola Record - (19-3) ............................................ v Horsham Saints Record - (16-12) ............................................ v Horsham United Record - (8-0) v Minyip-Murtoa Record - (19-6) ............................................ v Nhill Record - (21-1) ............................................ v Southern Mallee Giants Record - (3-3) ............................................ v Stawell Record - (18-5) ............................................ v Warrack Eagles Record - (23-5) Played - 184 Won - 147 Lost - 37 Drawn - 0 Winning % - 79.89% Average for/agst -2080.9/1157.8 Seasons in finals - 9 Finals record - (16-8) Premierships - 6 League best and fairest winners: 2 (Billy Lloyd - 2015, Ryan Kemp - 2018) Played - 182 Won - 109 Lost - 72 Drawn - 1 Winning % - 59.89% Average for/agst - 1296.6/942.5 Seasons in finals - 7 Finals record - (12-10) Premierships - 2 League best and fairest winners: 3 (Carl Obst - 2012, Jye Smith - 2013, Guy Smith - 2014) Played - 177 Won - 121 Lost - 56 Winning % - 68.36% Average for/agst - 1294.5/769.6 Seasons in finals - 8 Finals record - (11-9) Premierships - 3 League best and fairest winners: 1 (Dyson Parish - 2019) Sebastian Ross - (pick 25, 2011 national draft, St Kilda) Jake Lloyd - (pick 16, 2012 rookie draft, Sydney Swans)

Wimmera Football League 2010-19 decade in review: Horsham

Our decade in review series continues with a look at one of the most successful clubs in Wimmera Football League history.

The 2010s delivered Horsham six premierships, including a historic tenth-consecutive flag.

Driving it all, club officials say, was a hardened sense of loyalty and faith in the young brigade.

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YEAR-BY-YEAR:

BEST PLAYER VOTES:

TOP 10 GOALKICKERS:

TOP 5 APPEARANCES:

HEAD-TO-HEAD:

DECADE RECORD:

RESERVES

UNDER-17'S

AFL DRAFTEES

WFL DECADE IN REVIEW

Matt Currill

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