Gisborne has held off a never-say-die Strathfieldsaye to condemn the Storm to its first defeat of the 2024 campaign.
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Heading in, the big question was, could the 5-0 Storm perform against one of the consensus BFNL top two sides in Gisborne or Sandhurst?
We got our answer, and while yes, they will be a more than competitive challenger for the Bulldogs and Dragons this season, the Storm are still just a level below them at this stage.
Gisborne was excellent in a back-and-forth 16.14 (110) to 13.4 (82) contest where momentum changed hands on numerous occasions.
The game appeared over when Zac Denahy slotted through his second of the afternoon early in the final term to open up a 34-point buffer.
But a brilliant three-goal final quarter from Storm key forward James Schischka had his side back in the contest and only 15 points down with plenty of time remaining.
As they had done all day though, the Bulldogs weathered the Storm's challenge, and it was a pair of youngsters who sealed the deal for Rob Water's side.
At a stoppage on their half-forward line, some excellent contested work from Dylan Johnstone, where he rag-dolled Storm tough nut Daniel Clohesy, and a brilliant, contested mark and goal from the ensuing kick by Harry Luxmoore (three goals) iced the contest.
Brad Bernacki, again one of the Bulldogs' best, nailed a major after the siren to make the final margin 28 points, which was probably a fair reflection of the game.
Storm coach Luke Freeman told the Bendigo Advertiser despite the defeat, he was pleased with his team's efforts on one of the toughest road trips in the BFNL.
"There was plenty of stages throughout the game we were right in it and had the momentum, but they'd just find a goal when required," Freeman said.
"It was their ability to win the footy at the contest and break away cleanly that was probably the difference.
"But I was proud of the boys as they kept fighting all day, especially during that last term when we came home pretty hard."
Earlier, Gisborne were dominant in the first stanza, killing their opponents at the coalface.
Three of their five opening-term majors came from stoppage, giving them a handy 20-point buffer at quarter time.
The Storm rectified this issue in the second term as their half-forwards pushed up higher to saturate the contest.
By midway through the second quarter, they had hit the front when Schischka profited from a back-half turnover to kick his third of seven for the afternoon.
The Storm's efficiency going inside 50 kept them in the contest as they made the most of their opportunities despite being beaten in the territory battle.
"Our forward 50 entries are getting better as the year goes on, and that's us getting used to our new system," Freeman said.
"Schischka had a day out, and having Caleb Ernst (Coburg) back in the side assisted him massively.
"His ability to clunk strong marks when required was pretty important."
Gisborne's response to the Storm hitting the front was impressive, with Macklan Lord's run and dash from half back a dangerous weapon all sides will have to watch this season.
The Bulldog's ball movement was excellent on their home deck, and that was no more evident in the third term when they took control of the game.
They dominated the third quarter, and when Johnstone nailed a beauty from 50, they had opened up a 32-point final change lead.
Ruckman Braidon Blake continued his superb form for the Bulldogs, while Lakey and Bernacki won the much-hyped midfield battle over Lachlan Gill, Matt Harvey and Riley Wilson.
Gisborne travels to Camp Reserve next week while the Storm have the second leg of their Gisborne-Sandhurst double.
