JUST as in football's playing ranks there's never a shortage of memorable characters running affairs at club or league levels.
Here in the Bendigo league we've had controversial and colourful presidents and chairmen, feisty secretaries and treasurers but also a sound quota of extremely gentlemanly and thoughtful people, as well.
I suppose it doesn't matter whether these people are quiet or colourful. Being gregarious obviously helps especially when dealing with potential sponsors.
What counts with the club supporters, their electorate if you will, is how well players are performing on the netball courts and on the football fields.
Jack Jefferies, Doug Cracknell (Castlemaine): these men embodied the gentlemanly side of running a football club.
Neither of them ever seemed to become flustered - but then, again, I was never buried deep in the Magpies' inner coterie when delicate matters were under consideration.
Nevertheless, to outsiders such as myself Jack and Doug as club presidents conducted themselves with decorum.
Jack even served as the vice-president of the amalgamated Bendigo Golden City F.L. in the early 80s and his level head saved many a heated meeting from tipping over into turmoil.
Roy Bakes (South Bendigo): the Bloods' supremo for more than a decade when South dominated the BFL, he came from a senior administrative post in one of the city's major businesses.
Following a fiery semi-final between South and Castlemaine, a Magpie wingman was left nursing a broken jaw. Strangely, no official umpire reports had been lodged.
After I'd written an article or two calling for justice, the BFL Independent Tribunal launched an inquiry. The investigating officer and witnesses viewed that weekend's BCV-8 television footage, shown on the Monday night news programme, in a special sitting at the channel's Lily Street headquarters.
Subsequently two senior South players were suspended for lengthy periods.
Bloods' president Roy called it "trial by media" and barely spoke to me for years afterwards.
Sandra Turner (Sandhurst): just about the only female club president I can recall. It was a sight to see Sandra standing on a chair in the Dragons' rooms on a Saturday evening announcing the club's best (in all grades) and reminding the Hurst faithful about upcoming social functions.
Sandra recalls she was talked into the top job. "I took on the job because no one else wanted to do it. So really, I was talked into it.
"Money was very tight at the time and so in the interests of responsible administration we would not pay players except for travel expenses," she said.
"We were lucky to have an extraordinarily loyal player group," Sandra remembers.
I don't recall the exact details of the transition period or who followed whom but at some stage Sandra's husband Terry Turner, a well-known Bendigo anaesthetist, also served as Sandhurst president.
Bill Collard (Eaglehawk): many's the afternoon I've spent sitting with Bill in the drafty old pressbox at Canterbury Park.
We've gazed out through the grubby glass panes with Bill's beloved Two Bues going through their paces in front of us. Sums of money --- in general terms, not specifics --- were mentioned through clenched teeth as a fairly well paid winger or half-forward would spray a shot at goal.
Or alternatively, fail to lay a fingernail on an opposition player as he took a shot at the big sticks.
But then someone such as 100-goal full-forward Johnny Price would nail the sealer and Borough secretary Bill would explode: "See, Richard. I told you he was worth those #*^@*!# (match) payments we were talking about at quarter-time."
Aileen Riordan (Kyneton): a softly-spoken but dedicated treasurer who served the Tigers for 30 years. Not only has she looked after Kyneton's finances with due diligence for so long, Aileen can also be found working in the kiosk on match days.
The glory days of the mid-90s are long past when Kyneton played in three' consecutive grand finals, winning two flags, yet Aileen continues with her selfless work at the Kyneton Showgrounds.
She's off the committee this season but still looks after the catering for bus bookings and bookings for the hall. She's also strongly involved with local tennis, bowls and church committees.
David McCann (Castlemaine, Bendigo Golden City F.L.): served as the Magpies' secretary for ten years in two, separate stints. Also served as BGCFL secretary during the tumultuous period when the Bendigo and Golden City leagues were merged under a VCFL edict.
Was the person who rightly informed me that Castlemaine captain Filo's Christian name was spelled ‘Derrick'. I had used the incorrect form ‘Derek' over a period and it had grated with David for longer than he could bear.
In recognition of David's services the trophy for the BFL's leading club, presented annually on Michelsen medal day, is called the ‘David McCann Memorial Champion Club Award'. It's based on overall standings in the three football and four netball grades at season's end.
Keith Robertson (North Bendigo president, Heathcote League chairman): led the Atkins Street Bulldogs for many seasons in both the Bendigo and Heathcote District leagues.
My most enduring memory of Keith is his refusal to bow to the doomsayers who wanted North placed in recess. Inablity to raise finances to keep the Dogs viable during the summer recruiting frenzy and then during the season proper were the oft-quoted reasons.
Keith would not accept defeat. In the face of barbed and often vitriolic criticism at the club-defining, mid 90s meeting held in the new Anderson Street social rooms Keith and his supporters won the day. They might have changed leagues, but the Bulldogs stayed afloat.
North Bendigo are contesting yet another HDFL season in 2010 with gun forward Damien Houlihan (brother of Carlton's Ryan) the replacement for 2009's 100-goal sharpshooter Aaron James.
Richard's tips for Round 5: Sandhurst, Golden Square, Eaglehawk, South Bendigo, Kangaroo Flat. Progress tally: 17
By Richard Jones
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