When the Strathfieldsaye Football-Netball Club was accepted into the Bendigo league for the 2009 season, the people running the newly formed entity were thinking long-term.

"I said back then that it was going to be a 10-year process to be successful," Ray Patterson, who was the club's inaugural president, recalled. "Well, I guess it has come along a little quicker than any of us ever envisaged." Indeed, Strathfieldsaye's senior team has enjoyed a meteoric rise since defeating Castlemaine in its first BFL match.

The Storm finished second-last on the ladder in '09 after winning four games, but they won six games the following year and climbed to seventh.

Their upward trajectory continued in 2011 when three-time Colbinabbin premiership coach Daryl Wilson took the reins and guided them to nine wins and sixth place on the ladder.

A year later they climbed into the finals for the first time. In just their fifth season, Strathfieldsaye made their first senior grand final, putting up a brave fight before losing to powerhouse side Golden Square by 21 points.

The Storm then capped their extraordinary run of improvement last year by going 17-1 through the home and away season, finishing on top of the ladder, and defeating Sandhurst in the grand final.

"It's been very exciting," Patterson said. "Winning the flag gave me the satisfaction that the decision we made as a committee to form the club in the first place was a good one.

"There were a lot of doomsayers at the time, but we have proved them wrong. There's probably only one other club in the Bendigo area, and that's Eaglehawk, that would have more support than us. And they're 125 years old."

Strathfieldsaye's first senior premiership was won by a combination of local blokes and big-name recruits like former St Kilda duo Stephen Milne and Steven Baker.

The club copped some flak for signing Milne, given his off-field controversies. But the 34-year-old proved to be revelation on the park, finishing the home and away season with 89 goals, then bringing up his 100th during the grand final.

Milne also won the Storm's best and fairest, impressed the club's hierarchy with his attitude, and attracted bumper crowds to his matches each week.

"Milney has been sensational around the club," Storm president Glen Cowling said. "He came to us because he had a family connection with our coach, Daryl Wilson. Thanks to Milney and our other recruits our gates were up around 25 per cent. That meant our bar and canteen went up as well. It more than covered the cost of paying the players to travel up here."

By defying the odds and winning a premiership so quickly, Strathfieldsaye have put plenty of noses out of joint among Bendigo football's old guard.

"A lot of people hate us already," Patterson said. "But I think that's great. If we had come along and just won half-a-dozen games each year, everyone would love us."

Added Cowling: "There's a fair bit of resentment that we won one after 114 games. And we still get the snide remarks that we spend too much money. But we actually spend a lot less money than they think."

Strathfieldsaye are now gunning for another flag. Despite losing a number of premiership players over the summer, the Storm have started this season in great shape after another impressive recruiting drive.

They have been bolstered by the arrival of Matthew Ferguson, who played 12 games for St Kilda and later coached Sale to Gippsland league premiership, and David Gallagher, who played 33 games for Carlton and Adelaide between 1999 and 2002.

Ferguson kicked three goals while Gallagher was second-best-on-ground when Strathfieldsaye began their premiership defence with a 13-point win over Sandhurst on Good Friday.

However, it wasn't all good news for the Storm. Stoppage specialist Matt Johnston broke his leg during the last quarter and will be sidelined for two months.

Nevertheless, the club knows it has plenty of improvement to come. Milne missed the win over the Dragons because he was playing for Tyabb in the Nepean league, but he will return to Strathfieldsaye for Sunday's home game against Eaglehawk.

"Milney is playing a few games around the state in the next couple of months, but he can't be cleared anywhere after June 30, so he'll be with us every week from then on," Cowling said.

That is among the reasons why many seasoned Bendigo league watchers believe this year's flag will be won by either Strathfieldsaye or a rejuvenated Golden Square.

But as Patterson likes to remind Cowling, winning a premiership is just a par score for the Storm these days. "We've improved every year," Patterson said. "I keep on saying to the president, 'You've got to go through undefeated and win back-to-back flags to improve'. There's no pressure!"

By Admin McNicol