By Richard Jones
AT THE end of August in 1979 Golden Square had bolted away to a three-game lead at the head of the BFL ladder.
The Wade Street Bulldogs had consolidated top spot with a 185-point thumping, involving no less than 60 scoring shots, of Kennington at the Neale Street oval.
Coach Ron Best had made wholesale changes to the Dogs’ line-up. Shane Rodda started on the ball, Tony Southcombe was stationed at full-forward and Eric Pascoe was at centre half-back.
The late Russell Kent, normally a free running half-back flanker, kicked the Square’s first major in their 30-goal avalanche. He finished with five.
Charlie Fox who lined up at centre half-forward and Ken Collins (four goals for the day) were instrumental in the Bulldogs’ nine–goal opening quarter salvo.
While the Square ended up with a score of 30.30 (210), captain Matt Kalz and John Bridgefoot scored two of the Saints’ paltry three goals for the day in the opening term.
Sandhurst had the match against South Bendigo won at three-quarter time. With a lead of 11 goals the Dragons had plenty in hand, despite the Bloods nailing eight goals in the final term.
THE Dragons played a scintillating opening three quarters at BFL headquarters in the clash of the co-tenants.
Apart from spearhead Steve McKerrow’s six goals and rover-forward Mick Lenaghan’s six, Peter Tyack was the leading goalscorer on the ground.
He booted seven of the Dragons’ 27. Interestingly, 30 of the match’s 47 goals were scored at the city end, favoured by a strong breeze throughout the day.
Sandhurst led 24.12 to 12.11 at the last change before the Bloods decided to make it a contest.
The Red and Whites added 8.10 in the final quarter, but the late scoring spree only served to narrow the final margin to 36 points.
In a real shoot-out Sandhurst won 27.15 (177) to South’s 20.21 (141).
Ken Smith booted four goals for the Bloods while John Vanston, Reg Gleeson and John Knight landed three apiece.
At the Kyneton Showgrounds, Eaglehawk had to turn in a blistering last quarter to seal a win over the Tigers.
Kyneton was last on the ladder with just one win by late August 28 years ago, but they trailed by 13 points only at three-quarter time – 13.5 to 15.6.
Eaglehawk’s ball-winners Brendan Keane, Alan Williams and Neil Monro stepped up their work in the last term as the inaccurate visitors added 5.11 to 1.3.
That gave Eaglehawk a 35-point victory over Kyneton and left the Two Blues equal on premiership points with second-placed Sandhurst, but with a poorer percentage.
Castlemaine which had the bye was fourth on 44 premiership points, two clear games adrift of the Dragons and the Hawks.
And in the lead-up to September’s action BFL secretary Ken Anderson announced extra time would be played in the finals if scores were level at the end of regulation time.
Mr Anderson said two halves of ten minutes would be played if there was a draw in any finals match, including the grand final.
“We cannot afford to have a draw and play another finals match at some other time,” he said. Discussions about night finals were tossed out by club delegates at the BFL meeting.
The 1979 BFL season had already been extended through the fixturing of Winfield Country Championships games. The BFL grand final was played on October 13 that year.
Conjecture about a possible Michelsen Medal winner was also high on the agenda. Garry Mountjoy (Golden Square) and Ian McClure (Castlemaine) figured high in the pundits’ predictions.
Advertiser writer Ron Elvey fancied McClure, Eaglehawk skipper and centreman Denis Higgins and Sandhurst defender Brendan Hartney.
Higgins himself told the Advertiser he thought Hartney and South Bendigo centreman Gary Cowling had the best chances.
Dragons’ rover Peter Tyack also rated highly. Outside chances were given to Castlemaine rover Stan Camov, Golden Square wingman Phil Nicholson, Kyneton’s half-forward or wingman Tony Kelly and South Bendigo winger Noel Watson.
In the end, Tyack and Square’s Eric Pascoe tied for the ’79 Michelsen Medal on 14 votes. The medal presentation was a low-key affair in the late 70s with the count held at the Bendigo Club.
There was no three-course meal accompanied by carefully chosen wines. A few beers and some sandwiches, saveloys and sauce was the way the night was handled back then.
Incidentally, Brendan Hartney went on to win two Michelsen medals --- in 1987 with 22 votes and in 1989 with 23 votes.
• I would like to pass on my condolences to the Milburn family on the passing of Eaglehawk club stalwart Herb Milburn.
I had known Herb for many years and his enthusiasm for his beloved Hawks and his practical jokes in the clubrooms and on inter-league trips were bywords around Canterbury Park.
The club, the league and the league’s players will sorely miss Herbie.
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