Omnia   

benflA look back at Bendigo FNL Michelsen Medal winners from years ending with a 4.

years ago – 1954

Eddie Jackson (Echuca)

Centreman Eddie became the first of a trio of Murray Bombers who were to garner Michelsens before Echuca left the BFL in the mid-70s.
Jackson polled 25 votes to win the '54 medal.
Bob Vagg and Bill Serong were the other Echuca winners: in 1963 and 1965 respectively, although Serong was a joint winner in his year with Castlemaine's Kevin Delmenico.

50 years ago – 1964

Ian Burt (Kyneton)

The Tigers' ruckman received his medal on grand final day not long before the first bounce.
Advertiser editor, Mr. C.J. Michelsen --- the son of Cr. Jack Michelsen after whom the medal is named --- handed Burt his medal and the big man ran a lap of the QEO after the presentation.
BFL officials told Advertiser reporters Burt's win was one of the most popular since the medal had been struck back in 1952. Burt had tallied 22 votes to clinch the '64 Michelsen.

40 years ago – 1974

Allan Williams (Eaglehawk)

Two Blues' centreman and skipper 'Bruiser' polled votes in 14 of his 18 games to finish on 29: six clear of 1972 winner Tony Southcombe (GS).
Williams garnered six best afield threes, three twos and five single votes for his tally of 29. Quite a distance behind Williams and Southcombe in equal third place were Castlemaine teammates Peter Lovell and Bob Christie on 14 votes apiece.
At the completion of the vote count, Borough supporters belted out a rendition of the club song just seconds after Williams had acknowledged his win.

30 years ago – 1984

Joint winners: Garry Mountjoy (Northern United), Marty Graham (South Bendigo)

The '84 count was held on the Wednesday evening of grand final week with the one-votes, twos and threes all called in blocks --- not game-by-game '3-2-1' as today.
Two-thirds of the way through the call of the threes, Kyneton's Rick Donnelly led on 19, from Mountjoy and Graham who were tied up on 18.
With just four three-vote cards remaining, Graham's name was called. He moved to 21. On the second last card, Mountjoy polled three to move to 21, also. The very last three for the night was also awarded to a South player --- but it was M. Mackinder, not M. Graham.
Sandhurst ruckman Martin Sloan was just behind the joint winners with 20 votes.

20 years ago – 1994

Derek Percival (Golden Square)

The Golden Square on-baller polled 22 votes to win by two from Kyneton's Shane Muir. Wayne Blake of Northern United finished third with 18 votes.
Percival polled in 10 games: four threes, four twos and two ones.
He arrived from work at the vote count to collect his medal. He'd been working at Fortuna in the Army Survey Regiment where he was a cartographer.
Percival had been sidelined for the BFNL qualifying final against the Tigers with a thigh muscle tear.

10 years ago – 2004

Simon Elsum (Gisborne)

Big 'Harry' finished strongly in the count a decade ago when he stormed home after 11 rounds had been called.
He was never headed as the votes for the last third of the season were read out and polled in eight of the 14 games he played.
Elsum racked up seven best afield votes in his final tally of 23 and his concluding three-vote came during the call of the final home-and-way round.
Elsum finished four clear of Rick Andrews (Sandhurst) on 19.
Maryborough's Ashley Evans, the early pacesetter in the count, was third with 18 votes.

By Richard Jones