IN the winter of 2003 the Mick McGuane-coached Gisborne scored a massive 99-point win over Golden Square at the Wade Street ground, then known as Xerox Oval.On the back of Steven Reaper’s 11 goals, the Graveyard Dogs led at every change to record their thumping victory.
Reaper wasn’t the only Gisborne forward on target. Returning from injury Damien Houlihan nailed five goals and Andrew Brown three.
McGuane had his charges really firing for the 2002 grand final rematch. Gisborne had gone down to Sandhurst by nine points a week earlier at the Gardiner Reserve.
The loss to the Dragons was Gisborne’s first defeat in 23 matches and the Dogs were keen to make amends. Leading by 46 points at three-quarter time Gisborne piled on 11 goals in a breath-taking last quarter with Reaper booting four majors during the onslaught.
It took the Gardiner Reserve Bulldogs a little while to get going. Reaper booted his first goal for the day at the 12-and-half-minute mark of the first term, but it wasn’t until Houlihan got his second six-pointer at the 26-minute mark that Gisborne snatched the lead.
Golden Square key forward Ben Doherty (now a senior journalist at the Melbourne Age) kicked two of his five goals in the opening term. No other forward could penetrate the Gisborne defence early on although Dean Geddes and Beau Shiels stepped up from quarter-time onwards. Paul Sharkey had the onerous task of matching up on Reaper.
Square booted 6.1 in the second quarter and got within eight points of the visitors. Gisborne’s Andrew Brown (2) and Reaper were on target close to time-on to hand the visitors a 26-point half-time lead.
From then on it was all Gisborne. Sixteen second half goals to four ensured the Graveyard Dogs their big victory.
Reaper finished with 11.3 and Houlihan 5.2. Simon Elsum, current coach Ty Ellott (like Houlihan, returning from injury) and Rod Sharp were in Gisborne’s best.
Luke Saunders was still to resume, but was expected back a fortnight after the Gisborne-Square match.
For the Brian Walsh-coached Dogs Doherty finished with five goals, Geddes and Shiels two each while Aaron Hawkins, Mark Billings, Mark Lloyd and Michael Normington battled hard.
Mid-winter 2003 proved a roller coaster ride for Sandhurst, After downing Gisborne by nine points (12.16 to 11.13 at the Graveyard) the Dragons lost just one week later to South by a point: 12.13 to 12.14.
Going into round 13 Gisborne had rocketed to a clear, three-game lead at the top of the ladder with a 10-1 win-loss record and 44 premiership points.
Maryborough (36 points) was outright second from Eaglehawk, Kyneton and South Bendigo who were all on 28.
A game out of the top five were Sandhurst and Square (both 24 premiership points), followed by Castlemaine (20) with the Flat in the cellar on 8 points.
Reaper’s 11 majors had handed him a seven-goal lead at the top of the sharpshooters’ table.
The big Gisborne spearhead was on 62 goals. Sandhurst’s Toby Cardew was next with 55 and South Bendigo’s David McCormick was close up on 53.
Then there was big gap to Adam Rout of Eaglehawk on 37, Houlihan of Gisborne (36) and Square’s Doherty (35).
THE next round saw Maryborough at home on their beloved Princes Park turf to Sandhurst with the Dragons desperate for a win to maintain their tilt at a Top Five spot.
And at half-time it looked as though the visitors might prevail. Sandhurst led 8.10 (58) to the Magpies’ paltry 2.7 (19).
Maryborough coach Neville Massina made some radical positional changes at the long break.
For the third quarter Glenn Chadwick lined up in the front half, with Adam Shawcross in defence.
The Magpies piled on seven goals to two and trailed by only nine points at three-quarter time.
Scott Sellers, Travis Ross and Stephen Anderson supplied the midfield drive with Jamie Bond and Brad Carmody getting on top in the ruck battles.
Gradually the Magpies reduced the margin with a final quarter which yielded 4.4 to 2.3 to run out winners by four points: 13.13 (91) to the Dragons 12.15 (87).
Ben Sexton booted four early goals for Sandhurst, with other good players Matt Smith, Kieren Prowse, 2009 coach Keiran Nihill and Rod Woodford.
With Square beating South Bendigo 20.11 to 15.14, the Bulldogs replaced the Bloods in the Top Five on percentage.
They had a superior percentage of a shade more than eight per cent, with both clubs on a 6-6 win-loss record.
AS 2003 was the first year of operation of the Bendigo Bombers’ franchise, BFL board chairman Mark Johnston and his members had met with Bomber representatives to discuss a range of issues.
The Bombers had taken over from the Diggers as Bendigo’s VFL club.
Mr Johnston was hopeful that Essendon assistant coach Mark Harvey (now the Fremantle Dockers AFL coach) would be the special guest on Michelsen medal night, 2003.
And some things never seem to change. High up on the BFL board’s agenda that winter six seasons ago was the state of the QEO.
In particular BFL board deputy chairman Peter McAllister said the area of greatest concern was the centre square.
“It wasn’t that long ago that concerns about the ground condition were of a different nature.
Some balance needs to be obtained to ensure that the very popular QEO is maintained at its best level to ensure maximum benefit for the football public,” he wrote in the BFL guide’s League News column.
Richard’s tips for round 10: Castlemaine, South Bendigo, Golden Square, Gisborne, Sandhurst. Progress tally: 39.
By Richard Jones
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