IN MAY 1982 the then Bendigo Golden City Football League placed a total ban on alcohol being carried into league grounds.
The edict came into force during the same week the State Government banned patrons from taking booze into VFL arenas.
Sales at VFL venues were restricted to two, small opened cans of beer at a time to each purchaser.
Football fans found breaking the law were to be removed from the grounds by police with Victoria Police announcing numbers would be boosted at each VFL ground.
In Bendigo, board of management spokesmen said the move here was part of a clean-up campaign to eradicate loutish behaviour from BGCFL matches.
We voted to direct clubs to refuse admission to any person attempting to carry cans or bottles of alcohol into their grounds, the statement read.
The clubs were also told they had to erect signs on all entrance gates and hoardings informing the public of the total alcohol ban.
Bendigo police pledged support to the BGCFL initiative and said they would patrol grounds regularly each weekend.
OUT on the playing arena 27 years ago, South Bendigo proved too powerful and accomplished for Kangaroo Flat in a Sunday clash at the QEO.
The Bloods cruised home to a 51-point win in a scrambly match where no fewer than 41 behinds were scored by the two clubs.
South emerged victorious 14.22 (106) to the Flats 6.19 (55) with the most incredible feature of the game the outspoken remarks of central umpire Terry ODonnell.
ODonnell commented to the Advertiser about the uninspiring spectacle he had been assigned to as the central man-in-white.
I have been coming to Bendigo for 17 years and that was the worst standard game I have been called upon to umpire, he said.
No longer can umpires make such outspoken statements as did ODonnell more than a quarter of a century ago, let alone speak about the standard of football hed seen.
The Green and Whites went into the match without rover Peter Tyack (groin) while Geoff Hodge, Jim Thompson and Stephen May were dropped.
Skipper Peter Hinck, Robert Williams and Trevor Trunk Curram were back in the Roo line-up. Brian Bubba Howard was named as first rover in Tyacks absence.
The Bloods named only a from team, headed by acting coach Graeme Wright, in Fridays paper.
Souths decided edge in football skills and greater desire to grab contested possessions handed the club the victory.
Although there was a swirling wind for the first quarter and a bit, rain stayed away. It had pelted down at the Kyneton Showgrounds for the Tigers Sunday fixture on that same afternoon.
Dark and gloom shrouded the QEO for the last quarter. But the Advertiser writer at the South-Flat game said those atmospheric conditions did not excuse the fumbles, dropped passes, direct handballs to opposition players and generally inept football which marred the match.
The Bloods began well, kicking 5.8 in the opening quarter to the Roos 2.1. Centreman Gary Cowling was an inspiration for the Bloods with penetrating runs from midfield.
Cowling booted one early goal and was the prime mover in South majors posted by Des Charles and Kelvin Dows.
Wright booted the other two South goals with the Flats only responses coming from captain-coach Hinck and full-forward Steve McKerrow.
Attacking the city end in the second quarter Kangaroo Flat booted 2.5 to Souths 1.4, but was wasteful inside the forward 50m.
Too often the Roos sprayed the ball wide around the outer wing when direct play straight down the QEO was called for.
Ahead by three goals at the long break, the Bloods rallied in the third term. But atrocious kicking for goal marred Souths efforts.
A return of 3.8 for the quarter was a poor return for Souths efforts leaving David Pearson to show his teammates how to boot majors. Twice he ran into an unguarded goalmouth to post six-pointers with Kangaroo Flats sole reply coming from Griffiths.
The burly centre half-forward unloaded a 55m bomb at the Barnard Street end. McKerrow had a simple chance for Kangaroo Flat, but he missed as he ran into an open goal.
That left the Roos 33 points in arrears as the last quarter started. Ian Claridge and Ross Doc Ballinger were again forced to work hard in the Roo defence as Cowling, follower Wayne Bell, rover Bob McIntosh and Tony Gundry kept the ball moving into the Bloods forward line.
The Green and Whites caught the Bloods inaccuracy bug adding 1.8 in the concluding 30 minutes. The Bloods, meanwhile, capitalized on a lot of forward thrusts and wrapped up the four, premiership points with five majors.
Pearson and Cowling booted three goals each for South with Rex Peirce and Wright bobbing up with two apiece. Griffith got two for Flat with McKerrows solitary major keeping him just on top of the Thomas Jewellers goalkicking ladder.
McKerrow led Eaglehawks Daryl Gilmore by one --- 23 to 22 --- with a chasing pack close behind.
Kynetons Rick Donnelly had 21 goals with his Tiger teammate Jim Flynn one further back at 20.
Three players were close also, all with 19. Kangaroo Flats Ken Chirgwin, Sandhursts Mark McErvale and recently retired BFL inter-league coach Brett Fitzpatrick of Castlemaine were all just four goals off the pace.
*Tyack recovered from his groin strain to be ready to take on Eaglehawk in the next round in 1982.
Brett Bahen and Kevin Smith were dropped after the South game with the Roos naming Craig Jennings and Stephen May as the interchange players.
Richards tips for Round 4: Kangaroo Flat, Eaglehawk, South Bendigo, Golden Square and Gisborne. Progress total: 14.
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