THE Castlemaine clubrooms provided the setting for a double celebration after the BFL's Round 12 in 1992.

Outstanding full-forward Steven Oliver had just completed his 50th senior game for the Magpies and, more importantly, had passed the 100-goal mark in just 11 games.

His 14-goal blitz against the hapless Kennington-Strathdale at the Camp Reserve took the big spearhead to 105 majors with still a sizeable chunk of the '92 season left to play.

Oliver had turned his back on AFL club Carlton after a handful of senior games with the Blues. He was low key about his achievement after the June fixture.

"I didn't do anything special in training before the Kennington match," he told me in the rooms straight after the club song had been sung.
"We're just lucky to have class players on all lines at Castlemaine this season --- from the backline, right through midfield to the forward line. And on the bench as well," he said.
Oliver started his career with the Magpies under-16-and-a-half side and went straight from that junior grade to the seniors.
He'd hammered home 100 goals for the Pies in the 1991 season to kick-start his fantastic career.
Against the Saints Olly landed five goals in the first term, two in the second, another four in the third stanza and three in the last.
Kennington used Steve Pewtress, Peter McLean, Brad Langford and Chris Coulter on Oliver at different stages during the match. Coulter performed his task the most effectively.
But it wasn't just the "Olly Project" in the Rd. 12 match. Dean 'Showie' Henderson who alternated between the ruck and the forward line hauled in an astonishing 22 marks and drilled five goals in a fine performance.
Tommy Kavanagh, the spring-heeled key defender, also shone. Not only did he take sensational marks in the back half, but drifted forward in the third term and kicked a goal at the scoreboard end.

MEANWHILE, seven players were due to face the Independent Tribunal after a spiteful 12th round.
Frank Byrne from the Maine Twos was up on a pair of charges. He went into central umpire Hamilton's book for allegedly striking Kennington's Corrie Goldie in the fourth term.
Boundary umpire Gerard Horan had also charged Byrne with allegedly striking the Saints' Mark Gee with a hand, third quarter.
Goldie was also on report by umpire Hamilton for allegedly striking an unknown Castlemaine player during the final quarter.
Kennington senior player Brad Langford was up on an alleged abusive language charge from the opening term, filed by boundary umpire Charlie Kleehammer.
D. Keogh [but not Damian Keogh, the Advertiser's current circulation and promotions manager] from the Sandhurst under-18s was booked by central umpire Beres Fitch for allegedly striking Golden Square's B. Carr.
And Square reserves player Peter 'Snyder' Hunter had a charge of allegedly using abusive language levelled at him by central umpire A. Batten.
With eight charges to hear, it all added up to a very busy Tribunal week for the BFL judiciary members.

BACK to Rd. 12 and big wins were posted by a number of clubs --- not just the Maine.
Eaglehawk (second) and South Bendigo (third) recorded comfortable victories while Kangaroo Flat made a meal out of Kyneton.
The Roos, in fourth place overall, put four premiership points between themselves and chasing pair North Bendigo (fifth) and Golden Square (sixth).
The Square-Hurst game was the closest of the round.
Jock Clark reported from the QEO a 17-goal first half from the Dogs set the visitors on the road to victory.
Despite the withdrawal of experienced Alan 'Patto' Paterson from their side the Bulldogs were more committed on the day and unearthed two, promising young forwards in Christian Macri and Peter Garner.
"The Square has lacked consistent forwards in recent times but appear to have a couple of very good ones now.
"Key position player Macri (7 majors) and clever half-forward Garner (4) contributed 11 goals between them and they came under notice during the free-scoring opening term," Clark wrote.
The Dragons dominated early, with the Dogs unable to get the ball past half-forward in the opening 13 minutes.
Brendan Hartney was proving a handful for Matt Dobell as the Hurst champion drilled three early goals in a vintage display.
Then the Dogs got going. Chris Mulcair started to dominate the ruck contests as Paul McConville and Dean Strauch took control of the centre square and continually pumped the ball into attack.
Macri (4 goals) and Garner (2) tore apart the normally reliable Dragon defence. From the 13-minute mark until quarter-time Square slammed on nine goals to turn a sluggish start into their most productive first term of the '92 season.

EVEN so, the lead was only 15 points as the Dragons had booted six majors of their own.
The Square defence shut down Sandhurst's attack, allowing the home side just three second term goals. Meantime the Dogs had seven, separate players contribute eight majors as the Bulldogs romped to an eight-goal half-time advantage.
On-ball player Ian Garland was another Square player to shine while Sandhurst had suffered a real blow when Matt Sexton (ankle) had limped off the field.
It was a different Hurst in the third term. Julian 'Jack' Perez and Matt Dickson started to break even with Mulcair in the ruck, Simon McLean picked up possessions all over the park while McMahon, Roberts, Makeham, Greene and Smith all lifted their work rates.
Yet despite playing their best footy of the match, the Dragons only sliced nine points from the Square's lead.
Four Sandhurst goals to three in the final term served only to reduce the final margin to 29 points in the Bulldogs' favour.
'Eaglehawk outguns and outruns young United' was the heading for Leo Demeo's match report with young ruckman-forward Doug Sutherland and Daryl Gilmore booting seven goals each for the Two Blues against the Swallows.
Northern United crept within a goal of Eaglehawk at the 15-minute mark of the second stanza with majors to Denis Grinton, Simon Green and a pair from Square recruit, Andrew Day.
Eaglehawk steadied with a burst of five majors from Sutherland (3) and Gilmore (2) to creep away to a five-goal half-time buffer.
Tim Dingfelder at centre half-forward dominated in the second half and the 'Golden Greek' Fotius Delikatzis led upfield strongly from his forward pocket.
Dingfelder finished the match with four goals and Delikatzis three. Green with three majors was United's top goal-scorer.

NOEL Stedwell reported from Dower Park that the Flat bounded to a 14 goals to three half-time lead over Kyneton in a one-horse race.
Hall of Famer Tony Kelly was easily the Tigers' best while Shane Muir was clearly carrying an injury, Stedwell noted. Dean Miller, who had booted eight goals in Rd. 11, was flat-footed all day as Roo defender Craig McKay continually ran off him. Miller kicked just a single.
Noel Shelton played his first senior game for the Flat. Rob Lovell booted five goals with Marty Dillon, Hall of Famer Ron Wicks and Murray Varcoe adding three apiece for the Flat.
Roo centreman Chris 'Freddie' Treloar was Stedwell's best afield as he gathered possession after possession.
Peter Harrick reported from Atkins Street that South Bendigo powered home in the second half to overrun a game North Bendigo in a shootout.
"The home team led by 10 points at half-time, 9.7 (61) to 7.9 (51), before Peter Tyack (best on ground, with six goals for the match), David Ivey (three goals, third term) and the Keck brothers gave the Bloods the advantage.
"South added nine third quarter goals to four with Allender, Frank Burke and Tyack dominating. Only Bryan Dorrington, Todd Pickering (in bursts) and Rick Harrison had any impact for North," Harrick wrote.

Final scores, ladder positions
Castlemaine 28.18 (186) def. Kennington 6.6 (42); Golden Square 25.13 (163) def. Sandhurst 20.14 (134); Eaglehawk 27.22 (184) def. Nthn. United 11.11 (77); Kang. Flat 23.24 (162) def. Kyneton 4.14 (38) and South Bendigo 26.21 (177) def. North Bendigo 16.10 (106). Maryborough had the bye.
Ladder (all clubs had enjoyed at least one bye, so add 4 prem. pts. to their win tallies): Castlemaine 11 wins, 0 losses, 48 prem. pts; Eaglehawk 10-1, 44 pts; South Bendigo 8-3, 36; Kangaroo Flat 7-4, 32; North Bendigo 6-5, 28 (106.10%).
Outside the Five: Golden Square 6-5, 28 points (99.68%); Sandhurst 4-7, 20 (109.58 %); Kennington 4-7, 20 (76.32 %); Maryborough 2-8 (2 byes), 16; Kyneton 2-9, 12; Northern United 0-1, 4 premiership points.

Richard's selections for Rd. 12: Kyneton, Golden Square, Strath Storm, Castlemaine (Sunday) and Eaglehawk (Sunday).
2015 season total to date: 43.

By Richard Jones