RED-HOT favourites Gisborne withstood a spirited last quarter challenge from Golden Square to win the 2002 premiership by 27 points.

The senior triumph capped off a great September afternoon a decade ago for the Gardiner Reserve Dogs as the club won all three BFL footy grades.

A footy trifecta for Gisborne.

The feat had last been achieved by South Bendigo in 1993 when former Essendon and Collingwood star Peter Bradbury was the Bloods' senior coach.

The Mick McGuane coached Bulldogs went into the 2002 play-off as red-hot favourites and withstood a spirited challenge from the Square to win by 27 points.
The Gardiner Reserve Dogs' pacy midfielders, tight-knit defence and a forward structure led by Steven "Bundy" Reaper and Aaron James was too strong.
One line by McGuane at the three-quarter time huddle summed up Gisborne's season and their approach to the Big Dance.
"There's only one place where success comes before work ---- in the dictionary," thundered McGuane.
Although there were Gizzy jitters as Golden Square surged to within 14 points at the halfway mark of the final stanza, the Graveyard Dogs would not be denied their first senior BFL premiership.
Gisborne had joined the BFL only in 2000, the Sydney Olympics year.

FIVE unanswered opening quarter goals placed Gisborne in control of the grand final.
The Square was first to split the big sticks through inspirational skipper Darren Walsh, but with midfielder Matt Fitzgerald breaking clear at centre bounces Gisborne raced to a 36-10 lead.
When big spearhead Steve Reaper marked and goaled early in the second it looked "how far Gisborne".
Majors to Square's Shaun Fletcher and Jarrod Loring cut the margin to 15 points before Gisborne struck back with four goals in six minutes.
Hard nut Ollie Messaoudi, Matt Cannard, Aaron James and Shane "Dogger" Davis all capitalised on the work of Fitzgerald, Mark O'Sullivan and Stewie Hamilton.
Down by 39 points the Square Dogs kept working hard in the contested ball stakes. Goals to Loring, Andy Grant and Fletcher lifted spirits by the long break.
Fired up by coach Brian Walsh, Golden Square matched Gisborne's intensity in the third term.
Still, their reward was just one goal.
Reaper's third goal summed up the day as Grant's diving tackle forced a turnover, but the kick to Square's half-forward line was cut off by Eddie Barake.
The Gisborne enforcer kicked long to Reaper and the resulting six-pointer meant Gisborne shot out to a 27-point advantage.
Reaper's second effort set up a Davis kick to the goal square. Fitzgerald took the mark and goaled.
Again the Square cut the deficit, this time in the last term. Anderson, Walsh and C.J. Malone were all on target as the Wade Street Dogs surged.
Gisborne came back with Fitzgerald stealing the ball at half-forward and passing accurately to Reaper.
Although Reaper nailed Gizzy's first goal of the quarter, it marked the start of ‘celebration time' for the Gisborne fans.

Gisborne 5.8 10.9 13.11 16.14 (110)
Golden Square 2.4 7.6 8.9 12.11 (83)
GOALS --- Gisborne: Steven Reaper 5, Aaron James 3, Matthew Fitzgerald 2, Shane Davis, Marcus Barham, Ollie Messaoudi, Matthew Cannard, Hayden Langbourne, Michael Dillon. Golden Square: Darren Walsh 3, Shaun Fletcher 3, Jarrod Loring 2, Chris Malone, Mark Billings, Andrew Grant, Dillon Anderson.
BEST - Gisborne: Mark O'Sullivan, Matthew Fitzgerald, Stewart Hamilton, Steven Reaper, Rodney Sharp, Jason Allen, Ollie Messaoudi. Golden Square: Brent Corcoran, Paul Sharkey, Daryl Harrison, Dillon Anderson, Darren Walsh.

Nalder Medal for best afield: Mark O'Sullivan (Gisborne)
VCFL Work Safe Medal: Matthew Fitzgerald (Gisborne).

SNIPPETS from the grand final day and following few days of 10 years ago: Sandhurst def. Maryborough in the A grade netty grand final, 46-40.
Maryborough's Alisha Thomas was awarded the best-on-court medal from the BFNL's donor of the A grade fairest and best, Betty Thompson.
Harcourt, coached by Nick Churchill, won the 2002 MCDFL grand final with a 45-point trouncing of pre-game favourites Talbot.
The Lions' forwards belted the Hawks' defence with Chris Stone (5 goals), Justin Maddern (4) and Sean Smith (4) contributing 13 of Harcourt's 19 majors.
Final scores: Harcourt 19.16 (130) def. Talbot 12.13 (85). Daniel Smith of Harcourt took out the VCFL medal. John Rayner was Talbot's best.
Peter Tyack was re-appointed South Bendigo F.C. senior coach for 2003, his second in charge of the Bloods.
South had lost to Golden Square in the 2002 preliminary final.
And Eaglehawk announced that Derrick Filo had been appointed as senior coach for 2003, after three years in charge at Kangaroo Flat.
The Two Blues were planning to hold a "meet the coach" night for Filo to get to know the people at Eaglehawk.

IN AN exclusive interview with the Advertiser's Mark Brown (published on the Monday) BFL chairman Jock Clark backed the in-principle merger between the embattled VFL side, the Bendigo Diggers, and AFL heavyweight Essendon.
Mr. Clark said his board supported the establishment of the Bendigo Bombers and would even be prepared to alter the BFL playing fixture to ensure the alignment proceeded.
"Contrary to what most people think, we are keen to see Bendigo retain a presence in the VFL," Mr. Clark said.
"We see the big picture and if we have to look at maybe re-scheduling a couple of games at the QEO to a Sunday, then we're open to that."
The BFL chief added should the City of Greater Bendigo fast-track the installation of improved lighting at the QEO, conflicts in future programming between the BFL and the Bendigo Bombers wouldn't be an issue.
"I could see BFL games, for argument's sake, being played on a Wednesday, Thursday or a Friday night. Saturday nights and double-headers also become real options," he added.
Mr. Clark said it wasn't just a case of stating that South Bendigo or Sandhurst games wouldn't be moved off the QEO.
"We'd say: let's sit down and have a yarn about it (the situation)," he concluded.

From the Bendigo Advertisers of Friday, September 20th, Saturday, September 21st and Monday, September 23rd, 2002.
With thanks to Advertiser writers Nathan Dole and Mark Brown.

TO ROUND out my 2012 series looking back at recent decades ending in a "2", here are the respective grand final results down the seasons:
60 years ago, 1952: Castlemaine 15.9 (99) def. Sandhurst 9.16 (70).
50 years ago, 1962: Rochester 9.17 (71) def. Golden Square 7.20 (62).
40 years ago, 1972: Golden Square 14.12 (96) def. South Bendigo 11.9 (75)
30 years ago, 1982: Eaglehawk 18.19 (127) def. Golden Square 6.12 (48).
20 years ago, 1992: Castlemaine 14.13 (97) def. G. Square 14.8 (92).
And 5 years ago (OK, so there's no "2" at the end, here), 2007: Eaglehawk 12.12 (84) def. Gisborne 12.10 (82).

Grand final selection: Golden Square by 23 points over Gisborne.
Nalder Medal tip: Travis Baird (GS).
Tipping tally for 2012 including, prelim. final: 74.

By Richard Jones