A NEW-LOOK Maryborough attack starred under lights at Princes Park in the opening round of the season 14 years ago.

In a Saturday night fixture, with a great crowd in attendance, the Magpies nailed an amazing 27 goals against Kangaroo Flat. It was late April 2002.
Marc Cassidy nursed home six majors and with evergreen Cameron Skinner and Adam Shawcross adding four each, the Magpies romped home by an imposing 106 points.

The Roos, coached by Derrick Filo, were never really in the contest.
Maryborough had 24 scoring shots on the board by half-time, 12.12, to the Flat’s 5.8 even though the Green and Whites boasted gun spearhead ‘Hollywood’ David Lancaster in their front half.

Filo, Lancaster and Luke Freeman (now on the Roos’ match committee) eased home two goals apiece but it was never a contest.

And the Saturday night was made even more memorable for Maryborough. The Magpie under-18s, back after forfeiting all bar one round in 2001, beat the Roos: 7.9 (51) to 3.9 (27).

In the other Round 1 senior matches a decade-and-a-half ago South Bendigo cleaned up Kyneton at the QEO, Gisborne did just enough to down Castlemaine by two straight kicks at the Camp Reserve in Mick McGuane’s coaching debut for the Dogs while in the re-match of the 2001 grand final Golden Square recorded a nine-goal win over Sandhurst.

McGUANE had to reach deep into his coaching bag of tricks to ensure the Graveyard Dogs got the four premiership points at Castlemaine.
The Camp Reserve Pies led 7.6 to 7.4 at half-time and then at the last change by one straight kick: 10.11 to 10.5.

Michael Dillon’s goal halfway through the final stanza levelled the scores. But there was plenty of time left, with 15 minutes still on the clock.
The Maine defence, which had been so strong match-long, started to wilt. Big Bundy Steven Reaper nursed home two late majors as Gisborne added 3.7 in the last term to the Maine’s 1.1.

Magpie coach Shane Robertson was furious at the end of the game. He said he was “extremely disappointed” his side had given up a promising lead.
McGuane meantime was pleased with what he called “a hard-fought result.”
“It was battled right out and I was delighted we came away with the win. And I was especially pleased with the efforts of Michael Dillon who was good up forward for us.”
Ruckman Mark Oxley, midfielders Shaun Burchell (two early goals, three for the day) and Heath Culpitt were winners in the first half centre square battles for the Maine before Chris Curcio and youngster Matthew Fitzgerald stepped up for the Bulldogs.

Adam Cusworth and Craig Jones were also good forward targets for the Bulldogs along with Dillon and Reaper (three goals each), especially after Brendan Shepherd went forward for the Magpies in the second half.
Shepherd’s foray into attack stretched the Magpie defence, marshalled by Chris Jardine, too thin.

It was Gisborne’s more productive last term which sealed the result for the Dogs and an elated McGuane in his first BFNL outing.

AN EIGHT-GOAL to nil first quarter virtually wrapped up the QEO match for South Bendigo by the first break.

The match was significant for the coaching match-up with Peter Tyack taking on the Bloods’ role in his first match while Phil Carman was in charge of the young Tigers.

Shane Wilson was South’s early star nailing two fine running goals as the Bloods ran riot. With key forward David McCormick (4 goals on the day), Jason Griffin, Stephen McMurray and Luke Lowndes virtually unstoppable South was up by 50 points by the long break.

Kyneton did bounce back a little in the second half as Nick Heath and Andrew McNaughton drilled vital goals and Mick Martin-Alcade was solid in the back half, but the Bloods were still completely in charge.
Centreman Neville Clarke won best afield honours collecting important possessions in midfield and in the front half.

At Origin Oval Golden Square’s key recruit Brent Corcoran was brilliant in defence for his side and kept Sandhurst forward Ben Sexton to two goals for the day.

The Dogs were only eight points up at half-time --– 9.7 to 8.5 --- but a 12-goal-to-four second half put the Dragons away.

THE first half at Origin Oval was a tight and entertaining one.
Kieren Prowse and Sexton goaled early for the Hurst with Square answers coming from Jarrod Loring and Matt Sawyer.
After an early second term Loring goal, the Dragons replied twice through Steve Freemantle. His pace and elusiveness around the forward line kept the Square defenders guessing.
And when Dennis Grinton nailed the Hurst’s third, consecutive running goal the visitors had narrowed the gap to just two points. It was four points in the Square’s favour at the last change.
Then the Square raised their intensity and a nine-goal last quarter -– nine unanswered goals, too --- sent the home fans into ecstasy with the Square comfortably home by 56 points.
Heath Neville booted four majors for the Bulldogs with Loring and Darren Walsh adding three apiece.
Square coach Brian Walsh was pleased with the effort of all his players. He was particularly effusive about their courage.
“We seemed to be first in for the ball for most of the match so I was really pleased about that.”
Dragons’ coach Mark Ellis was bitterly disappointed with the efforts of his players.
“To show such little intensity (after all our summer training) was very disappointing and in addition our accountability was abysmal,” he said.

Final scores: South Bendigo 17.14 (116) def. Kyneton 6.10 (46), Gisborne 13.12 (90) def. Castlemaine 11.12 (78), Golden Square 21.12 (138) def. S’hurst 12.10 (82) and Maryborough 27.17 (179) def. Kang. Flat 10.13 (73).
Top five: South Bendigo, Maryborough, G. Square, Gisborne and Eaglehawk (which was rostered for the Round 1 bye).
In the Bendigo Advertiser-Strath Village Shopping Centre Player Of The Year voting South’s Clarke, Square’s Heath Neville, Maryborough’s Travis Ross and the Maine’s Brendan Shepherd polled the first batch of five votes for the year.
Eventual Michelsen Medallist for 2002, Maryborough’s Matt Aston, collected a two-vote in the Saturday night game.
The 1998 Michelsen winner Paul Frew of Golden Square had taken out the 2001 Advertiser Player Of The Year award.

SANDHURST opened the 2002 netball season in great style with a 13-goal win over Golden Square.
Back in the early Noughties the A grade netball consisted of just six clubs.
And only two games made up Round 1.
The Dragons led the Bulldogs 15-6 at quarter-time in the big game with distinct height advantages in defence and attack.
Brooke Bolden’s remarkable defensive skills forced many turnovers for the Hurst while young goalkeeper Kelly Wickham was also sound. The Square really fought back hard in the second stanza and by half-time Sandhurst’s lead was down to four: 21-17.
The Square defence combination of Christine Pell, Tamika Stewart and Kate Newman continued to do well in the second half although in the final minutes of the third quarter Dragon playing coach Meredith Strachan at goal attack and Shelley Cail as goal shooter got the Hurst to a 36-23 lead by the last break.
A late injury forced Strachan to the sidelines. She was replaced in the final quarter by one of the Hurst’s junior stars in Lauren Elvey and by the final whistle Sandhurst was home: 46-33.
In the only other match Maryborough defeated the Flat 49-33. Eaglehawk and South Bendigo had Round 1 byes.
The other divisions in BFNL netball in the early 2000s were B grade and 19-and-under, both with the full complement of nine competing clubs.

AROUND the footy traps and Newbridge squeaked home by three points over YCW in the Loddon Valley league: 18.13 to 18.10.
Even though the BFNL was playing Rd. 1 it was round 3 in the LVFL. Other winners were Mitiamo over Bears, Inglewood with an 86-point victory over Dunolly (before they shifted to the MCDFL), Marong by four goals over bottom-of-the table Bridgewater (how things have changed) while Pyramid Hill accounted for Calivil United by 14 points.
It was opening day in the MCDFL with four big winners: Rovers over Campbell’s Creek by 108 points, Newstead with a 191-point mauling of Maldon (Craig Pedretti, 11 goals for the Steaders), Harcourt with an 111-point trouncing of Trentham (Chris Stone, 11 goals for the Apple Eaters) while Carisbrook accounted for Royal Park by 65 points. 2001 premiers Talbot had the bye.
In the Heathcote DFL winners were Colbinabbin over the Heathcote Saints, LBU by a single point over Broadford, Huntly by seven points against Elmore and Mount Pleasant over White Hills by seven goals.
North Bendigo had the bye.

I’M delighted to have been asked to continue writing Reflections for season 2016, my 40th year of covering the BFNL either in print or on radio --- some years, on both.
Not forgetting those televised grand final breakfasts back in the day where I chaired the panel, along with the actual grand final telecasts sitting alongside Shane Healy, Rob Gaylard and Rick McIntosh during the calls.
All these were part of television station BCV-8’s schedule at the time.

Richard’s tips for Round 1: Kyneton, South Bendigo, Castlemaine (night) and Golden Square (night). Sunday: Strath Storm.

Season total for 2015: 80.
Correct picks in 2015 finals: 6 out of 6.

Final Five: Hurst, Square, Storm, Kyneton, South Bendigo.

Grand final: Sandhurst vs. Strath Storm.
Premiers: Sandhurst.

Michelsen Medal: Justin Dorward (Cm).
Ron Best Medal: Ben Weightman (Kyneton)
Biggest improver: South Bendigo.
Biggest slider: Gisborne.

By Richard Jones