TEN years ago as the pre-season wound down Kyneton had collected a great forward line which looked like it would be extremely difficult for opposition clubs to match up on.

Consider these names. Club leading goalkicker in 2004 Matt Waters, ex-AFL key position player Keenan Reynolds, the possibility of the ‘Action Attraction’ himself Steven Reaper signing on, Wayne Eve, Tom Tobin, Mark Potter and crumber Brad Else all added up to a great front half.

On paper, anyway. Because by mid to late July in 2005 just Reaper and Else were still out on the park for the Tigers.
Reynolds pulled the pin after just one game in the yellow and black and returned to Ballarat Football League club, Darley.

Potter, Eve and Else had spent more time on the sidelines than in Kyneton colours for the preceding six weeks while Waters had been struck down with osteitis pubis and hadn’t played a single game at all in 2005.

With all those facts in mind it should have been no surprise when I looked back through the early and mid-2005 season results that Kyneton had kicked only one score above 100 points in 12 rounds.

Tiger coach Neville ‘Wrecker’ Massina had pulled off one major coup, however. He’d lured Reaper back to the Kyneton Showgrounds for the first time since “Revenue” had left the Tigers on the eve of the 2000 season.

“When you think about it I reckon Eve is our second best goalkicker, Potter is our third best, Else is our fourth best and Tobin (who injured himself in the Rd. 12 clash against Sandhurst) is our fifth best, so it’s hard to win games in those circumstances,” Massina said.

“Tobin has played under duress for a long time now, and the time is coming very close where he’ll be rested and we will have to assess his injuries for the long-term.

“We have struggled for firepower – there’s no doubt about that,” said the coach.
The Kyneton mentor said his team had the potential to field one of the BFL’s most potent forward lines.
“But unfortunately we just can’t get them all together.”

MASSINA outlined the litany of injuries which had ruined his club’s early prospects.
“We started with Reynolds and he broke down. We got Eve back for a couple and then lost him.
“We got Reaper back (on June 11th for the game against Maryborough) and he’s been fantastic, but there are no one-man bands in today’s footy. You need a few options.
“Out of all those blokes Eve is the club captain, Else has been through the Calder Cannons and (VFL club) Coburg, Potter through the Bendigo Pioneers and Williamstown and we don’t just have the players of that magnitude to replace them,” Massina said.
The Tigers had a 4-7 record going into the Rd. 13 home game against Golden Square, yet despite all their problems were perched only one win outside the Top Five.
“We probably can’t control our own destiny which makes it extremely hard but we have been in a position to win three or four more games than we have actually won.
“So we can’t blame anyone but ourselves. Now we just have to play each match as it comes and win each game as it comes.
“That’s about it in a nutshell,” said Massina.

ONTO the results for Round 13 and Gisborne hung on to win the top-of-the-table clash against Castlemaine at the sodden Gardiner Reserve.
Rain bucketed down just about all afternoon and the lurid lightning displays almost caused a shutdown of Fresh FM’s footy broadcast.
On the drive home from Gisborne, we commentators heard that the ABC-TV telecast of the VFL action from Williamstown that afternoon had been aborted.
With electrical equipment, antennas and cabling everywhere, technicians had alerted the show’s producers to the dangers the lightning strikes posed. The telecast was all over by half-time.
At Gisborne, we battled on from our clubhouse balcony viewpoint although acutely aware of lightning overhead and close by. Our half-time discussions followed by a vote opted for a continuation of the broadcast, but only just!
The Graveyard Dogs opened up a handy five-goal advantage by the long break with the Magpies able to sink just one major: 5.7 (37) to 1.1 (7).
In atrocious conditions and although able to muster just two more six-pointers --– both in the third term --- it was enough for Gisborne.
The Maine added 4.6 in the second half yet fell short by 15 points.
Gisborne moved eight premiership points clear in top place on the ladder with a 10-1 record. The Magpies held onto second with an 8-3 tally and a better percentage than Square (3rd) and Eaglehawk (4th).

A WELCOME sight for Magpie supporters was coach Paul Eyles kicking a long goal late in the final term.
It was just his second game back from his long-term quadricep and knee injuries.
“We set up the win in the first half, no doubt about it,” Bulldogs’ coach Marcus Barham said.
“We didn’t fumble under pressure, our players were first to the ball every time and we were in front at the contests which is the way we had to play the game, considering the conditions,” Barham said.
Eyles noted his pleasure at the way the Magpies fought out the game in the final term.
They added 3.3 to two points but just couldn’t reduce the leeway any further.
“That three or four-goal break they got before half-time really cost us and hurt us,” Eyles said.
”Gisborne just managed to get that ascendancy early and that’s what ultimately won them the game.”
Ty Elliott (foot) was a late withdrawal and his place in the Bulldog line-up was taken by Joel Goodyear.
Key Castlemaine ruckman Leigh Rees seemed likely to miss the remainder of the 2005 season. He was expected to require a knee reconstruction.
The only multiple goalkickers on a dismal afternoon were Gisborne’s Shaun Comerford and Darren Farrugia and the Maine’s Steven Oliver. They nailed two apiece.

DESPITE their forward line woes Kyneton almost got the chocolates against Golden Square.
The Tigers trailed by only four points at the last change --- 7.8 (50) to 8.6 (54) -– but managed a paltry 1.1 in the last term as the Bulldogs piled on 2.6.
Evergreen Clayton Anderson was named as Square’s best, along with Stacey Fiske, Nick Demeo and Jason Griffin (three goals) while for the home team Kyneton Darren Chambers, Brett Cook and Mick Martin-Alcade were in the best.
Reaper and Bryan Ruffell booted two majors apiece for the Tigers.
The Advertiser reported in Monday’s issue the top temperature in Kyneton that freezing day a decade ago was five degrees!
South Bendigo won a fluctuating game against Sandhurst by 23 points. The Margin should have been greater: the Bloods had 25 scoring shots to 12.
The Dragons led by a point at half-time – 4.4 (28) to 3.9 (27) --- but added only one more goal for the rest of the day.
At a rain-swept and bitterly cold Princes Park only seven goals were scored. Eaglehawk led by four points at the long break --- 1.5 to 1.1 --- then added four second half goals to Maryborough’s one to win by 19 points.

FINAL scores, Rd. 13, 2005:
Gisborne 7.10 (52) def. Castlemaine 5.7 (37); South Bendigo 7.18 (60) def. Sandhurst 5.7 (37); Eaglehawk 5.9 (39) def. Maryborough 2.8 (20) and Golden Square 10.12 (72) def. Kyneton 8.9 (57). Bye: Kangaroo Flat.
Around the traps, July 2005: Lexton Plains: Navarre 8.12 def. Ararat Eagles 8.10; Carngham-Linton 9.8 def. Rokewood-Corindhap 6.7.
North Central: Charlton 10.10 def. Boort 2.7; Birchip-Watchem 11.8 def. Donald 8.8; Wedderburn 3.13 def. Wycheproof-Narraport 4.5. Bye: St. Arnaud.
Heathcote DFL: Mt. Pleasant 8.8 def. Elmore 1.6; LBU 10.20 def. Huntly 3.5; White Hills 14.12 def. Broadford 0.11 and Heathcote 9.10 def. North Bendigo 3.13. Bye: Colbo.
LVFL: Mitiamo 11.6 def. Newbridge 9.5; Bridgewater 27.16 def. Inglewood 5.9; Calivil United 13.17 def. Bears Lagoon-Serp. 7.6 and Marong 9.7 def. YCW 5.6. Bye: Pyramid Hill.

Richard’s selections for BFNL Rd. 14: Eaglehawk by 29 (vs. C’maine), Gisborne by 50 (vs. South), Square by 22 (vs. Kyneton at the Showgrounds), Sandhurst by 47 (vs. Flat) and Strath. Storm by 76 (vs. M’borough, Sunday).
Season tally for 2015: 52.

By Richard Jones