Inside Bambill’s impressive run in the Millewa Football League

A football club in the state’s far north is on a winning streak, the likes of which have rarely been seen, prompting the question of whether these Saints are truly heavenly.

The Bambill Football Netball Club may be able to stake a claim of being the most dominant football team in Victoria in 2022.

In most leagues there are streaks of winning (and losing) but for the team in the Millewa Football League, it is winning in a style rarely ever seen.

Bambill has not lost in its past 14 matches, stretching back to last year, but it is only really in the past nine games where something truly amazing is playing out.

In each of those games the Saints have won by more than 100 points, creating one of the most dominant winning runs in local footy.

The amazing streak started in May when the Saints stunned Cardross to the tune of 197 points.

Since then the margins have read more like cricket scores.

There was the 260-point win over Meringur followed by a 209-point thumping of Werrimull.

Nangiloc were the next team to suffer, going down by 201 points before Gol Gol pushed Bambill to a more respectable 139-point margin.

Cardross fronted up again the following week, losing by 150 points before things got really ugly.

A 358-point destruction of Meringur created history with Brad Congress kicking a club record 24 goals in the contest.

It was followed by another 161-point win over Werrimull before the streak continued last weekend when Bambill recorded a 139-point over Nangiloc.

Bambill coach Jeremy Weinert said a major reason for the ongoing success was the club’s strong culture, which has helped retain players through challenging times in recent years.

Bambill Football Club

Most of the squad has remained intact since 2018, with 15 of the premiership players from 2019 still on the books.

For Congress, he said the 2018 season started the club’s transition to become what it is today.

The Saints, after a winless 2017, vowed to be better and become the best.

“We came in and Nangiloc was the team to beat,” Congress said.

“And we’ve strived to be competitive to beat them.”

Now the club is making sure it sticks to the process instilled at the start, regardless of what the scoreboard says at the end.

Congress said it’s about making sure when finals come around the team is ready to shine.

“We just try and keep to the same structure, we go out every week to play it,” he said.

“That’s what we've done previous years, go out to every game and play the exact same way no matter the opportunity.

“It’s trying to play without getting complacent and letting it creep in.”

Congress has no doubt this team could be aiming for a fourth premiership in a row if Covid didn’t get in the way.

And he admits the team might be playing its best football to make up for the lost years and the limited chances this team has left to win.

“I think that is what it is, I’m 35 turning 36, and there’s a few of us in that age bracket,” Congress said.

“We would have been thereabouts (in 2020 and 2021) so maybe that is why (we’re playing well).”

Bambill’s challenge to make it 10 and 11 matches in a row by more than 100 points could face its sternest test with matches against second and third-place teams in the next two weeks.

The Saints takes on Gol Gol, in third, away from home before taking on the second place Cardross the week after.

Gol Gol was able to keep Bambill to under a 100-point loss in round two at their home ground but was unable to do it in round eight at Bambill’s home ground.

Cardross, despite being next best, have been unable to keep Bambill to under 100-point losses in its past two matches.

It’s not just the men dominating as well with the women also on top in the Sunraysia Women’s Football League.

The team has won all 11 matches so far with five of them coming by more than 80 points.

“The secret would have to be the unity in the club that starts off the track,” Bambill coach Jorja Rowe said.

“It’s also the way we get along with each other.”

Rowe added their success was attracting the eyes of talent scouts with hopes a local young star may be drafted to the AFLW in years to come.

“One of my young girls who is doing a bit is Sienna Charles,” she said.

“She’s a very strong up forward and is one to watch for sure.

“She will be picked up (in the AFL) in the near future.”

For now both teams will be after premiership success with both the men’s and women’s teams well on their way to doing it.