IT WAS half a decade in the making and the reaction showed.
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The anguish of more than 80 consecutive defeats across six seasons – most by enormous margins – was finally over.
Smythesdale had its victory.
The Bulldogs, the easybeats of the Central Highlands Football League since their arrival in 2011, were offered a chance of success against an undermanned Skipton on Saturday. And they took it.
As soon as the siren sounded to confirm the 19-point victory, the celebrations began.
Supporters invaded the ground to congratulate the players before the club song rang loud and proud in the rooms.
Senior coach Stephen Frys has been front and centre during the club’s battle in recent years and was visibly emotional upon achieving what he has long craved – a win.
“Everyone is just over the moon with that result," Frys told The Courier after the game.
“It's pretty emotional. I'm trying to hold tears back now because it has been a long road, but it's a credit to the boys and the guys that have been willing to come over and help us out.
“A lot of guys could have just walked away when it got too tough, but they've stuck it out and they deserve the win.”
Frys said he had held no doubt the Bulldogs would eventually break their winning drought.
“Sometimes I am a very positive person, at times I’m probably not realistic,” he said.
“This day was always going to happen, we just had to get the right blokes around the club and behind the scenes is all going a lot better this year.
“People have been willing to come and help us out and it’s a credit to the whole group.”
Saturday’s victory was the first since the club changed its branding from Illabarook to Smythesdale and exactly five years since the last win over Skipton on April 16, 2011.
Smythesdale's success comes less than a year after it made national headlines for a thrashing of epic proportions at the hands of Gordon.
The Bulldogs were beaten by 429 points by the Eagles in one of the darkest days in the club’s history.
With the horror run of defeats now behind him, it’s no surprise to hear that Frys isn’t content with just one triumph in 2016.
“They (the players) know that they’ve got good footy in them and now they’ve had a taste of this win, we know that we can win a few more games this year if we play well,” he said.
