For the purposes of looking at the best performing side of the decade, we'll be looking just at home and away premiership points, which will include points from byes from first grade alone for the ladder rankings, for both men here and women.

The Bathurst Bushrangers split their senior sides into the Rebels and Outlaws in 2016 which presents a challenge in comparing the club to others with just the one side.

While playing lists between the Rebels and Outlaws had massive overturn from year to year, they'll be treated as separate sides for the purposes of the statistics, meaning the Bushies will have three entries in the ladder, but will still be considered one club.

While you could mount an argument to pull the three Bathurst sides apart, give them a flag each and look at their results tallies individually, it would be an argument made in bad faith.

The Bushrangers club has picked up three flags during the decade and won far more games than anyone else - even when accounting for the extra games played.

Those extra games don't necessarily make it easier for the Bushrangers, either, with more talent spread across two sides from 2016 onwards arguably shooting themselves in the foot from a premiership perspective.

As much as other clubs accuse the Bushies of stacking sides when it comes to finals, the club, if they'd continued with the one first-grade side they'd have won at least one or two more premierships, and their success in the home-and-away season speaks for itself.

The Bushrangers won over 80 per cent of their games from 2010 to 2015, with 73 wins and 17 losses, and since splitting into the Rebels and Outlaws have won 39 and 35 respectively from 56 games apiece.

The pure longevity of their on-field success can't be understated. You could mount an argument, as the next club on the ladder would, that premierships are the only things which matter at the end of the day, but the ladder is undeniable.

The Tigers may well feel jilted having won an extra premiership in the decade over Cowra and the Bushrangers and finding themselves second on the overall ladder, but they'll have to cop it.

They'll rank themselves number one on that figure alone - and arguably rightly so - but they simply weren't the consistent dominant force across the decade the Bushrangers were.

Four seasons with four, six, nine and six home-and-away wins in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2016 respectively don't help their cause, and while the three-peat years of 2013-15 were arguably the best of any side across the decade, it's not quite enough to pip the Bushrangers.

The Blues barnstormed the start of the decade with two flags in a row to open the decade, the second of which followed an undefeated season and the first winning 13 of 15 games.

However, after winning 13 games in 2012 the Blues couldn't maintain the rage, winning just three, five and two games in the years following.

A revival in 2016 brought 15 wins from 17 games and a premiership, but mid-way through the next year they were gone, out of the competition - and in the wilderness for 2018, too.

They returned in 2019 with a new-look squad, but could only manage the one win.

Only in the back half of Dubbo's decade are there season tallies impressive to look at as the Demons became more of a force on the road.

The side only had 12 wins in the first five years of the 2010s, but since then have picked up the pace.

However, regular finals appearances have still eluded the side, who finish the decade without a grand final appearance to their name, let alone a premiership. Rectifying that will be top of the new year's resolutions for 2020.

There's a lot to be said for the Giants' approach to the AFL Central West, only lining up in the four seasons to date but following the footsteps of their namesakes in the national league.

A boon for the league, who have been more used to losing clubs than gaining them in the decade, the Giants won just one game in their first year and five the next.

However, the club made two semi-finals in a row on the back of their talented young list, who can't be knocked around the way they used to be.

A premiership can't be too far off for the Giants - assuming they're able to keep their young talent together.

Played five seasons in the top flight of the AFL Central West, with four years in the wilderness from 2013-2016.

The side made a splash in their first year back with eight wins, but it was their best year of the decade with just four wins coming since then - although they did finish around the top of the table in reserve grade in 2010.

While there was always hope to have Parkes and Cowra return to the competition, it looks like the Young Saints are gone for good from the AFL Central West - as much as the game would want them back.

The side's last season was 2017 after five seasons over seven years providing little return for the club, with just 11 wins from 73 starts.

With news second grade is set to return for the 2020 season, it would be remiss to not make mention of the second tier, which ran until 2015 when it dissolved and Mudgee left the competition.

The Bushrangers won the most games in that competition, with 54 wins ahead of Orange (39), Young (31), Cowra (26), Mudgee (24) and Dubbo (20).