Bendigo Advertiser | TWENTY years on, Derrick Filo recalls the perfect blend of youth and experience combining to deliver Kyneton a drought-breaking Bendigo Football League premiership.
The Tigers' 1995 flag - the club's first since 1966 - will be celebrated this weekend with a 20-year premiership reunion.
The Tigers defeated South Bendigo by 45 points in the 1995 grand final - 18.13 (121) to 11.10 (76) at the QEO - in what was Filo's first year at the helm as coach of the club.
"There was a group that had been together for a while and they were fairly talented," Filo said on Wednesday.
"Quite a number of the younger fellas took the next step that year... guys like Simon Elsum, Steven Reaper, Dean Simon, Daniel Schmidt, who started to play some consistent footy.
"And there was also a good experienced core with players like Shane Muir, Tony Kelly, Terry Mangan, Nick Heath and David Nolte.
"It was a really good mix of youth and experience that year."
While Kyneton hadn't won a flag since Kevin Parks' Tigers beat Golden Square by 12 points in 1966, South Bendigo was gunning for its third premiership in a row, and fifth since 1990.
The Bloods had finished two games clear at the top of the ladder with a monster percentage of 234.5, with their only home and away loss at the hands of the Tigers by 37 points in round five.
But the Bloods were unable to replicate their home and away dominance in the finals, losing both the second semi-final (49 points) and grand final to the Tigers.
The Tigers set up their grand final win in the second quarter when they kicked 8.4 to 0.0 to turn an 18-point quarter-time deficit into a 34-point half-time advantage.
Tigers' captain Shane Muir led superbly, winning the Nalder Medal as best on ground for a game in which he had 35 possessions, took four marks and kicked four goals.
Also among the Tigers' best players were backman Paul Cass, Filo, half-forward David Power, youngster Daniel Schmidt and Roger Cordy.
Saturday's reunion will include a lunch at the Kyneton Showgrounds for the 1995 players, life members and committee, followed by a function at the Kyneton Town Hall from 7pm.
