GOLDEN Square and Castlemaine emerged from the second week of finals in 1988 with victories in the semis.The Wade Street Bulldogs won a thrilling second semi-final over pre-match favourite Northern United by two points.
Castlemaine won a bruising first semi-final shootout against Kyneton, but lost key backman Dale Williams and senior runner Daryl Gale to suspensions on the Tuesday night leading up to the preliminary final.
The intrigue and subterfuge leading up to the finals 21 years ago was incredible.
For the Friday Advertiser, United selectors not only named a team with players deliberately out of position then added further uncertainty to the whole thing by submitting an interchange bench of 12.
A comment piece in Friday’s paper read: “No rational comment can be made about the Northern United second semi-final side for Sunday.
“Naming (centre half-forward) Gerard Geary as ruck-rover is just one of many meaningless selections. And naming another half-a-side as interchange possibilities is plain ridiculous.
“An experienced BFL observer told the Advertiser last night the reigning premiers obviously regard the newspaper, the BFL and the rest of the local football world with contempt. It smacks of an utterly overbearing attitude.”
IN OTHER selection news that busy Friday night Kyneton reinstated ruckman Terry Mangan to the senior lineup. Castlemaine ruckman Lazar Vidovic, who had missed the qualifying final with an ankle injury, was back in the Magpie 21.
Mangan had played a solid game a week earlier in the elimination final for the Tiger reserves against Eaglehawk so was obviously picked as Vidovic’s direct opponent.
Kyneton couldn’t consider defender Darren Hutchinson (hamstring) while Adam Purtell was dropped. Winger Vlad Filipovski was named in the team. He eventually didn’t play on the Saturday, acting as runner for the Tigers’ senior team.
The other “in” for Kyneton was Chris Taylor. He joined Brendan Smith on the bench. Smith had taken Hutchinson’s place when the Tiger backman had limped off against South Bendigo the week before.
Castlemaine named a “from” interchange bench of five. This list included follower Mark Tatt, rovers Simon Jorgensen and Brendan Comte and forwards Jamie Allan and Peter Ryan.
Apart from Vidovic, coach Kerin Lourey had been bothered by an ankle injury. As it turned out he was a late withdrawal from the Saturday side.
Not fazed by the Swallows’ selection mind games Golden Square brought back 1986 Michelsen medallist Craig Dowsett with Craig Lefoe, normally a half-back, named on the forward line.
In the Saturday paper just BFL official Greg Hilson and Advertiser journalist Michael Amor picked the Square. The rest of us, myself included, went for Northern United.
The tipsters’ panel was made up of me, Mark Robinson (now at the Herald Sun), broadcasters Jock Clark and Shane Healy -- who is currently general manager at 3AW -- along with Hilson and Amor.
Only Hilson and Robinson selected Kyneton for Saturday’s first semi-final with the remaining four of us all plumping for Castlemaine.
THE second semi-final was a heart-stopper. The Bulldogs led by three goals at half-time (9.6 to 6.6) before the Swallows grabbed the lead deep into the third quarter and again at the 18-minute mark of the last.
A snap out of a boundary line pack from Tommy Cannon regained the lead for the Wade Street Dogs and they managed to hold on until the final siren.
But there was drama when United went forward after Cannon’s goal. Key position player Murray Osborne was caught high less than 40m out, yet despite the appeals from nearby Swallows, no free kick was awarded.
Peter McCormick had the chance to really seal the result for the Square. He marked a Dowsett pass 30 metres out at the Barnard Street end with the Bulldogs leading by one point.
He sprayed the shot wide to hand the Square its two-point winning margin.
McCormick, Ray Byrne, Cannon and centreman Christian Lister booted two goals each. On-baller Scott Patterson along with Alan Paterson, Lefoe, Malcolm Cowling, Byrne and Dean Strauch were Golden Square’s best.
Darren Kulbars played full-back on Tony Southcombe restricting the big United redhead to two majors.
For Northern United rover Eddie Shiels (five goals) was clearly their best. He gathered 11 kicks in the second quarter alone.
Towering ruckman Dave Wharton, Garry Mountjoy, Osborne, Ron Couchman and Ian Marlow were other prominent Swallows.
Final scores: Golden Square 12.13 (85) d. Northern United 12.11 (83). The Sunday gate takings were well down from the previous day. The VFL had allowed a live telecast of the Carlton-Collingwood qualifying final to be beamed into regional and rural Victoria.
IN Saturday’s first semi-final Castlemaine won a bruising semi-final, marred by an all-in brawl before the very first bounce.
The catalyst for the Maine’s win was the third quarter. The Magpies added 9.4 to 4.3 after leading by just five points at half-time: 10.10 to 10.5.
Final scores – Castlemaine 26.22 (178) d. Kyneton 15.9 (99). Four goals apiece for the Maine were booted by Michael Rolfe, John Jefferies, Steven Oliver and Lachlan Butler, who was named best afield, while Derrick Filo was also one of the Magpies best.
For the Tigers Andrew Manning nailed four majors with Shane Muir, Tony Kelly and Brendan Bowe in their leading players.
AND then the BFL Independent Tribunal hearing took centre stage. Castlemaine’s Williams was suspended for four matches – two weeks each on two separate, alleged striking charges.
The Maine enforcer was booked by central Ron Threlfall and boundary Leo Brophy for striking Kyneton ruckman and skipper Craig Nankervis. Central umpire Tony Menz also placed Williams’ name in the book for striking “an unknown Kyneton player.” Tribunal chairman Greg Enticott handed Williams a two-week holiday on this charge also.
Magpies’ runner Daryl Gale was rubbed out for the rest of 1988 and the whole of 1989 on a charge of allegedly using abusive and insulting language towards central umpire Tony Menz.
Richard’s tips for Week 2 of finals: Golden Square by 19 points over South, Kangaroo Flat by 36 over Gisborne. Progress total: 75.
By Richard Jones
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