IN EARLY August 1996 the BFL’s top two clubs Maryborough and Kangaroo Flat played out a belter at the Princes Park oval.Going into the Round 16 clash, the Magpies held a three-game break (12 premiership points) over the second-placed Roos.
Maryborough coach Brendan Tranter and assistant coach Ross Cuthbertson had assembled a crack team with big targets up forward in Jamie Bond and Richard Peart.
The Roos boasted elusive spearhead David “Hollywood” Lancaster. But the Dower Park club also had big men in Brett “Growler” Gloury and Jamie Barkmeyer in the side, too.
So it was with a great deal of anticipation that I packed notebook, binoculars and pencils into the bag ready for the 45-minute drive to Maryborough.
The other big game scheduled for that weekend 13 years ago was Sandhurst (4th) up against Castlemaine (5th) at the Camp Reserve.
A strange anomaly in the 1996 draw saw two byes listed for rounds 15 and 16 and only three matches contested. In an eight-club competition, Castlemaine and Kangaroo Flat had the weekend off on August 3rd, while on August 10th for round 16 Square and Kyneton (3rd) had a spell.
THE top of the table match-of-the-day got off to a great start.
The Roos led by nine points at the first break --- 6.1 to 4.4 – with Lancaster nailing two of his four majors for the day in the opening term.
But Cam Skinner (still playing with the Magpies this season) kept pace with Lancaster. Skinner also landed two of his four goals in the opening 25 minutes.
Ash Wilson, injured not long before half-time, Paul “Whizza” Gray and Shannon Milward provided the midfield drive for the Roos.
Matthew Aston, Gordon Sumner, Travis Ross and Geoff MacIlwain were the midfield dynamos for the home side.
By the long break the Flat had extended its lead to 19 points: 10.3 (63) to 6.8 (44).
Barkmeyer slotted one of his four goals in the third quarter as the Roos pushed on. Maryborough should have been right with the Green and Whites at lemon time but a wasteful third quarter which yielded 2.6 was the Magpies’ undoing.
In a pulsating last term Matt Aston inspired his team as the Magpies tried to close the gap.
The third quarter inaccuracy had gone but the Roos --- very purposeful in front of goal --- didn’t waste their chances either.
The final siren rang with the Roos winners by three goals. Final scores --- Kangaroo Flat 15.9 (99) to Maryborough 11.15 (81).
Lancaster and Barkmeyer booted four goals each for the Roos with Gray contributing three. For the Magpies Skinner nailed four majors and Bond two.
Gloury, Gray and Barkmeyer garnered the Flat votes in the BFL’s club award while Aston, Sumner and Brent Mortlock got the three, two and one votes respectively for Maryborough.
Also listed in the best for Kangaroo Flat were Milward, Grant Austin, Damian Oliver, playing coach Simon Jorgensen and Chris Harrington.
Going into Round 17 the Maine’s Steven Oliver led the Bart N Print goalkicking award with 76 majors. Lancaster was next on 63 from Maryborough duo Bond (59) and Peart (51).
BACK tracking one round to the 15th on August 3rd that season, Kyneton scored an important win over Sandhurst at the Kyneton Showgrounds.
In atrocious conditions just nine goals were scored for the day. If you can remember back that far, 1996 still ranks as our last really wet central Victorian winter before a decade and more of drought set in.
Anyway, the Tigers went into that round 15 game treating it as a final.
They registered 20 shots on goal to the Dragons’ six in the first three quarters to lead 5.15 (45) to 2.4 (16) at the last break.
Sandhurst stormed home in the final term but a score of 4.5 (29) was never going to win even on a rain and wind-affected day. The Tigers managed just one behind in the run home and posted 5.16 (46) to win by 27 points.
Kyneton’s Simon Elsum was the only multiple goalkicker on the ground with two. Nathan Thompson (on a rare weekend off from the Bendigo Pioneers), Terry Mangan and David Nolte kicked the other Tiger majors.
For Sandhurst Jason Hibberd, Dennis Grinton, Dwayne Finch and Andrew Gray snared six-pointers.
Nolte, Andrew McArdle and Elsum collected the Kyneton votes in the BFL player award. For the Dragons Mark O’Farrell, Hibberd and Matt Smith collected the 3-2-1.
AND so it was on to round 17 with the Dragons needing to down the cock-a-hoop Roos to shore up their position in the five.
It wasn’t to be. Sandhurst did, however, hold onto their position for an elimination final date as they had quite a break over sixth-placed South Bendigo.
The Roos booted five goals to two after half-time at the QEO to win by 32 points: 13.14 (92) to 9.6 (60). The Green and Whites boasted no fewer than nine goalkickers, but only Lancaster, Chris Giri, Barry Pitson and Scott Tully could land two with all the rest singles.
Regular full-back Troy Rodda had a run in the front half, nailing a major in the last term.
See if you can recall the styles, not to mention the names, of some of the Dragons’ goalkickers that day. David Liddell headed the list with four while David Gallagher snagged two.
On one goal apiece from that 1996 match were Wes Teague, Craig Hayes and Steve Sexton. Most will recall Sexton --- he’s one of the brothers of the famous, footballing Sexton dynasty.
Joe Stoltz was a late replacement in the Sandhurst 21 along with Damian Hecker.
Richard’s selections for round 16: Golden Square, Gisborne, Maryborough, Kangaroo Flat and South Bendigo. Progress tally for 2009: 61
By Richard Jones
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