TO celebrate the passing of another decade the Northern Daily Leader is taking a look back at the most successful teams of the past 10 years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Watching the drama unfold on the sidelines week in and week out, our sports journalists have been privileged to see some of the region's best players battle it out.
Several clubs have tasted the ecstasy of premiership victory in the past decade, with four of the competition's seven clubs raising a premiership trophy between 2010 and 2019.
The New England Nomads enjoyed a five-year premiership run, while the Gunnedah Bulldogs and Inverell Saints broke their respective premiership droughts.
New England Nomads
Premierships: five (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016).
Players like Tom Hunt and David (Modra) Richards helped lead the New England Nomads to one of the most successful periods in the history of Aussie Rules in the region.
Beginning in 2012, the men from Armidale took down opponent after opponent on their way to winning five-straight premierships.
Much like the start of the decade, the Nomads were in the thick of the finals action to round out the decade, going down in the 2019 grand final.
Gunnedah Bulldogs
Runners up: one (2018).
After enduring some tough times at the beginning of the decade, the Bulldogs came home with a wet sail to feature in three-straight grand finals.
Returning a winning record of two premierships from three appearances, the Bulldogs savoured both premierships, which were won in front of their home crowd.
The 2017 win will long live in the memory of Bulldogs fans as it was the club's first in 26 years.
Inverell Saints
Premierships: two (2010, 2018).
Runners up: four (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014).
Two premierships is nothing to sneeze at but the Saints may count themselves unlucky not to have achieved a dynasty of their own in the past decade.
Losing four consecutive grand finals to the New England Nomads, the Saints were stiff not to add more silverware to their collection.
However, a stirring win in the wet against the Bulldogs in 2018 in front of a home crowd satisfied the Saints faithful.
One of the most consistent sides of the decade, the Saints were in the mix to go back-to-back in 2019, only for their old rivals the Nomads cause an upset in the preliminary final and end their campaign.
Tamworth Kangaroos
Premierships: one (2011).
Runners up: three (2010, 2015, 2016).
Another victim of the Nomads juggernaut, the Roos could also count themselves unlucky not to have claimed more premiership glory in the past decade.
A standard bearer of the competition in the last decade, the Roos looked to carry on with two grand final appearances.
Making up for the 2010 loss to the Saints, the Roos savoured the 2011 premiership with a resounding victory.
Back-to-back grand final losses to the Nomads followed later in the decade, leaving the Roos to rebuild with new young talent.
We know success isn't always measured by the tally in the wins column.
Did we leave anyone off the list?
