By Richard Jones

 

SANDHURST stormed into 1977’s Bendigo Football League grand final following a convincing 34-point win over Eaglehawk in the preliminary final.

The Maroons as they were known three decades ago had worked their way into the season’s showpiece game from the do-or-die first semi-final.

At the conclusion of the 1977 home-and-away rounds Sandhurst had won the same number of games as top team Golden Square and second-placed Eaglehawk.

But the Maroons had an inferior percentage. The ladder read: Golden Square 14 wins, 4 losses, 177.31 per cent; Eaglehawk 14-4, 159.11 % and Sandhurst 14-4, 145.12 %.

Kyneton filled fourth spot and had played the knockout semi-final with a 10 win-8 loss record for the season.

The Kennington Cockerels won their only game for ‘77 with victory in the 18th and concluding home-and-game over Castlemaine: 17.17 (119) to the Magpies’ 13.12 (90).

Steve McKerrow booted four goals for Kennington while the Maine’s Peter Woodford nailed down 1977’s BFL senior goalkicking award with seven, to take his season tally to 75.

 

BUT as it’s preliminary final weekend in the BFL today let’s concentrate on the season’s penultimate game 30 years ago.

Eaglehawk coach John Ledwidge took a risk by bringing back on-ball player Des English for the big game.

English had played just a few minutes of senior football in the past 11 weeks that season. He had been struck down by a serious back injury.

Nevertheless, Ledwidge and his match committee took the gamble and named English. Also into the Hawks’ line-up were half-back flanker Chris Geyer and 20th man Bernie White.

The players who could replace those on the field in the 1960s and 1970s were known, not as interchange players, but as the 19th and 20th men. Unlike today, once on the field these players could not return to the bench during the game.

Out of the Eaglehawk side went Russell King who was dropped. Sandhurst captain-coach Ron Best and his selectors dumped Geoff Mann, a winger in the first semi-final victory over Kyneton, and included Paul Kenna.

Both teams boasted top full-forwards. Eaglehawk’s trump was Gary Schiele who had booted six goals in the second semi-final loss to the Square while Robert Earl, not Best, was the Maroons’ spearhead.

Earl had nailed five majors against Kyneton in the first semi-final victory.

Eaglehawk suffered a major blow early in the preliminary final’s second quarter – a blow from which it did not recover.

Tap ruckman and Two Blues’ prime mover Keith Rayner crashed to the ground and was assisted off the QEO. He was diagnosed with severe concussion.

With Rayner on the field Eaglehawk held control. The Two Blues led 4.5 to Sandhurst’s 4.2 at quarter-time and still held a narrow three-point lead at half-time: 8.8 to 8.5.

Advertiser footy writers Ron Elvey and Philip Brown wrote that Jeff “Popeye” Harris, Jack Kennedy at centre half-forward, full-forward Gary Schiele and centreman Alan “Bruiser” Williams were well on top of their individual opponents.

“But the loss of Rayner was detrimental to Eaglehawk’s aerial strength and put the side at a considerable disadvantage,” wrote Elvey.

The Maroons blew Eaglehawk away with a 10-goal third quarter to earn a grand final spot. Seven individual players contributed the third quarter goals for the Maroons.

The onslaught started with Best marking 65 metres out and slamming home a torpedo punt. The captain-coach then dished out handballs to running players Michael Lenaghan, wingman Alan Wills and then Lenaghan again as the goal fest mounted.

Any time Eaglehawk looked like venturing forward centre half-back Bill Burns was in the way.

The Two Blues did outscore Sandhurst four goals to two in the final quarter but the game was well beyond their reach by then.

For the Maroons Mick Lenaghan snared seven goals and was voted best afield by Elvey and 3BO commentators Dick Turner and Neil Kennedy.

Robert Earl, Paul Kenna and Alan Wills all booted three with Best and rover Vin Dullard contributing two each.

For Eaglehawk Schiele (named by the Advertiser’s Brown as best on ground) nailed five majors and spent a fair bit of the match after half-time on the ball, Rod Southon added three and big ruck-rover Hugo Waldmanies booted two majors.

Southon took 1977’s mark-of-the-year in the second quarter. He rose above the pack and grabbed the ball in his outstretched hands as he flew prone through the air over the grasping pack.

Final scores: Sandhurst 20.12 (132) d. Eaglehawk 14.14 (98).

 

In 1977 the two days of September 24-25th marked a big weekend of football. Not only did Collingwood and North Melbourne draw in the VFL grand final -– the Magpies booting 10.16 (76) to the Shinboners 9.22 (76) -- but North Bendigo accounted for Northern United in the Golden City Football League decider.

“Dollar” Doug Roulston kicked nine goals for the Atkins Street Bulldogs as the John Plim-coached North won: 15.11 (101) to the Swallows, coached by Terry Mangels, 9.16 (70).