Dodgers sweep Falcons to complete BBA three-peat

STRATHFIELDSAYE Dodgers have etched their name into Bendigo Baseball Association history, securing a division one championship three-peat.

A well-drilled Dodgers outplayed Falcons for a 7-2 win in game two of the best of three playoff series at Albert Roy Reserve to clinch the title on September 14.

They won the first game 13-4 a fortnight earlier, with rain delaying game two by a week.

Capping a memorable season for the club, the Dodgers added the division two championship with a 4-2 win.

The division one three-peat continued an era of dominance that kick-started with their division one championship win in 2019.

Four players in this year’s championship line-up have played in all four flags, including this year’s playing coach Anthony Amsing, Rod Baulch, Nick Whatley and Steve Skipper.

For Amsing, also the club’s president, the 2025 championship brought equal doses of jubilation and relief.

 

“It’s a long season and when you finish on top, you’ve got that target on your back a bit, so initially it was relief,” he said.

“But it’s fair to say it’s been good times for the club recently.

“It’s been a great time to be involved.

“Sometimes the stars just align. Like some footy clubs, you can go and buy players, but that doesn’t necessarily work.

“But to get some players just pop up, without knowing who else is playing, it’s all just clicked and continued to roll from there.”

The Dodgers were pushed all the way in game two, with Falcons holding a one-run lead for much of the contest before the shackles were broken.

Whatley drove in four runs on two hits to lead the charge.

He tripled in the fourth inning, scoring three runs, and singled in the fifth inning, scoring one.

The bottom of the line-up was strong for Dodgers.

Amsing (two hits), Brett Ritchie and Whatley (two hits) combined for five of the team’s eight hits in their victory.

 

They scored three runs and drove in five.

The Dodgers’ win was highlighted by another strong pitching performance by league MVP, 18-year-old Callum Bolton, who earned the win.

The southpaw surrendered four hits and two runs (one earned) over four and two-thirds innings, striking out four and walking four.

Aaron Petri appeared in relief for Dodgers.

Nine players have featured in the three-peat – Amsing, Baulch, Skipper, Whatley, Bolton, Petri, Julian Howe, Jack Warner and Ritchie, who was playing coach in 2023 and 2024.

A period of success for the Dodgers has followed a leaner period for the club.

The 2019 flag was the club first in nearly 20 years, filling the club with a sense of it ‘making up for a bit of lost time’, according to Amsing.

“But you know these things go in cycles, so you have to enjoy them while they are there,” he said.

“Another club’s time will come, so we’ll just keep fighting.”

Pivotal to the club’s success was undoubtedly the decision to relaunch the club’s junior program a few years ago.

This year’s division one and two teams contained five players, who started in the club’s under-14s, among them Bolton, who has won the past two league MVP awards and was rookie of the year in 2024.

Amsing is looking forward to the next batch of juniors filtering through the ranks.

“We’ve probably got a good base of six or seven, who hopefully – if they stick around in the next three to five years – will be coming through,” he said.

“Hopefully that sets us up for future success.

“But there’s no doubt that emphasis on juniors has helped get us to where we are now.

“Falcons are the same; they have some good kids coming through, so it bodes well for the future of the sport in Bendigo.”