Two things struck me when I pulled in at Gilbert Gordon Reserve in Woodend the day after the 2015 AFL grand final. First was how neat it was – everything seemed to be in its place – perhaps there’d been a post-season busy bee. And then nearby was the impressive Woodend Equestrian Centre – it was in the news this week as a refuge for horses whose homes were too close to Victoria’s first bushfires of the summer.

Gilbert Gordon is the home of the Woodend-Hesket Football Club who play in the Riddell District Football League. Wooden and Heskett came together in 1978 and won RDFL premierships in 2002 and 2007.