Ten years on: Bathurst High's memorable 2013 Astley Cup success

The school ended its 21-year wait for victory in 2010 and then got back on top in 2012 to show that it was no fluke.

Then in 2013 the school produced a victory that told Orange High School and Dubbo Senior College that the '10s were going to belong to Bathurst.

That success 10 years ago was memorable not just because it was a third victory in the space of four years, but the manner in which it came about is what makes it so special.

Bathurst found a way to overcome a 116-point deficit after the opening day of their tie against Orange to win 412-388 in a stirring comeback performance.

The team won all four sports on offer on day two and claimed a pair of 1-0 wins in the girls and boys soccer in a high pressure situation.

Bathurst then carried that momentum into their tie against Dubbo, where they recorded a thumping 483-317 win to win the school's 23^rd Astley Cup.

It added to what was already a massive year for Bathurst High School, which at the time was celebrating 100 years at its current site.

The school would go on to claim the cup seven times in the 2010s.

One of the dominant forces in that time was the school's rugby league side.

In 2013 they played a crucial role in winning the cup by beating Orange convincingly, 36-6, before they accounted for Dubbo 32-22 in the next tie.

One member of that side, Josh Small, said it was great to witness not only the rugby league team but many other sports at the school really hit their stride towards the middle of the decade.

"When I was in the lower years of high school we'd only won once but when my year came through to being the senior players we managed to string a few wins together," he said.

"It was great seeing how the school reacted to that. It's definitely my highlight from being at Bathurst High.

"We ended up winning the University Shield with that team, and that was the first time a team from the school had won that. Being a part of that was amazing.

"It wasn't a team of many standout players either. We just played outstanding as a team."

Bathurst and Orange fielded two top notch hockey teams for the tie, and the latter got up 2-0 when they met.

However, Bathurst showcased their quality in a big 10-0 win over Dubbo to help lock up the cup.

Emma Siejka was lucky enough to be involved with the hockey squad through every year of her time at Bathurst High and captained the team in her later years with the school.

She was a part of four Astley Cup victories (2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015) and treasured every opportunity to play for her school.

"My first year at high school was 2010, which was the first time the school had won it in 21 years, and I'd won four by the time I left, which I feel very fortunate to have done. There were a lot of people before me who never got to win one," she said.

"Those wins really shaped a lot of my high school life. The Astley Cup was my favourite part of my time there.

"Towards the later part of my participation with the school we had players like Sophie Macauley, who's still involved in the local comp, and in the earlier years there were players like Alana Webber and Caitlin Davis who were great."

The victory in 2013 helped secure the school's first back-to-back Astley Cups since 1963 and '64.

"The hype from winning back-to-back was amazing. That was also the year that we were really trying to get all the old chants back in," Siejka said.

"And 2013 was also the 100 years of Bathurst High, and that's why we worked hard to bring back those chants, and the hype around the Astley Cup seemed to build even more."

Netball: Orange 54 def Bathurst 22 (Points split 71-29), Tennis: Orange 13 def Bathurst 3 (Points split 81-19), Basketball: Bathurst 63 def Orange 28 (Points split 69-31), Hockey: Orange 2 def Bathurst 0 (Points split 75-25)

TOTAL: Orange 258 lead Bathurst 142

Athletics: Bathurst defeated Orange (Points split 52-48), Rugby league: Bathurst 36 defeated Orange 6 (Points split 86-14), Girls soccer: Bathurst 1 defeated Orange 0 (Points split 66-34), Boys soccer: Bathurst 1 defeated Orange 0 (Points split 66-34)

TOTAL: Bathurst 412 defeated Orange 388

Tennis: Dubbo 13 def Bathurst 3 (81-19), Girls' soccer: Bathurst 5 def Dubbo 0 (86-14), Boys' soccer: Bathurst 2 drew Dubbo 2 (50-50), Girls' hockey: Bathurst 10 def Dubbo 0 (91-9)

TOTAL: Bathurst 246 lead Dubbo 154

Athletics: Bathurst 67 def Dubbo 33 (67-33), Rugby League: Bathurst 32 def Dubbo 22 (59-41), Netball: Bathurst 31 drew Dubbo 31 (50-50), Basketball: Bathurst 51 def Dubbo 34 (60-50)

TOTAL: Bathurst 483 defeated Dubbo 317

Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.