ROCHESTER faced a danger game in the BFL's Round 14 back in 1965 with a trip to the Kyneton Showgrounds looming.
The Demons were one game ahead of Golden Square and Sandhurst after 13 completed rounds 48 years back, with the Tigers perched in fourth spot and coming off
a 94-point belting of Castlemaine.
Advertiser chief footy writer Bob Williamson said in his Monday lead story on July 26th, 1965, that the occasion might prove too much for Rochy.
"Will next Saturday's occasion be too big for Rochester?" Williamson asked in his back page lead paragraph.
"This is the question which will be the main talking point this week wherever football fans meet. Hanging on the result of the Kyneton-Rochester match is the Demons' double chance in the finals."
Williamson pointed out that Sandhurst was breathing down Rochester's neck --- the Maroons were third --- with 10 wins and three losses. That was Square's breakdown as well.
Williamson said that defeat "even by a point" and wins to Square and Sandhurst in the coming round would "topple Rochester down to third place on the ladder."
Rochy was on 11 wins and just two losses by late July that season.
Kyneton was 8-5, a game ahead of fifth-placed Eaglehawk.
So how had that just-completed round of BFL fixtures played out all those years ago?
Well, as mentioned, Kyneton flogged the Maine booting 24.10 to 8.12 with Frank Johnson (in just his fifth game with the Tigers) adding seven majors.
Skipper Kevin Parks landed three and follower Ian Burt a couple in Kyneton's goal-kicking spree.
Williamson predicted in his Saturday preview that the Maine would have trouble countering Burt, Kevin Williams and Peter Gray, although Les "Killer" Kaine at centre half-forward for the Magpies would be a worry.
Kaine ended up booting three for the Magpies.
The Maine had Kevin Delmenico and Ian Barassi in defence, but clearly they wee swamped by the relentless Kyneton pressure.
The Tigers booted 9, 5, 6 and 4 goals in the four quarters with the opening salvo of 9.1 to Castlemaine's solitary major putting the game beyond reach of the travelling Magpies.
OUT at Canterbury Park Addy scribe and former Footscray VFL premiership player Alan Martin wrote that he'd seen a shocking match.
"It was most sub-standard BFL match I have seen in 12 years closely associated with this league," he penned, for Monday's issue.
"This is said with complete awareness of my growing old and quite conscious of the usual catch cry: 'It's not what it was in father's day'," Martin said.
The former star Bulldog mentioned that elementary mistakes, lack of skill and most damning of all --- the unwillingness to put the club first, before all else --- left the poor crowd disappointed about having paid to spend two hours watching 36 fully-trained athletes.
"Transistor radios took pride of place as most patrons listened with interest to Melbourne league games and results, or even the intense struggle at the QEO between Square and Sandhurst.
"Both these sides --- South in particular --- are so far behind the leading clubs that if the grading system of the Melbourne association was applicable South would be in 'Z' grade," wrote Martin.
But then perhaps it was just one of the Bloods' bad days, the scribe confessed.
"Then again haphazard approach to goals, lack of strength in the packs and timid defence were traits all too prevalent.
"Many South players appear to have lost the desire to win and were quite content to have 100 minutes exercise and take regular second place to the Borough boys."
Martin mentioned in his match report that occasionally Eaglehawk showed method in attack by looking for spearhead Trevor Madigan.
"His six goals for the day capitalized on good work by teammates further afield."
ROCHESTER blew Echuca out of the water --- much as Kyneton did to the Maine further south --- with a blistering first quarter.
The Demons booted 8.4 to six behinds to virtually wrap up the four, premiership points by the first break.
The Murray Bombers did fight back in the second term, holding the Demons to a solitary point while adding 6.3 themselves.
So at half-time Rochy's lead was just eight points –- 8.5 to 6.9.
Then with Taylor, Knight and Sutton firing up the Demons went on another eight-goal quarter to put the match beyond Echuca's reach by the last break.
Rochester led 16.9 to 8.11 and by adding another 3.2 to 4.3 in the final term romped home by 39 points.
Ron O'Neill was voted best afield while Echuca's Bill Serong was named top player for the Murray Bombers.
At the water-logged QEO Bob Williamson saw Sandhurst lead narrowly at half-time and three-quarter time and eventually sneak home by 13 points.
He'd mentioned in his weekend preview that the famous old ground, of four-and-a-half acres by Williamson's measurements, was water-logged. Only the grandstand wings and flanks were passable, he said.
But the Maroons coped with the conditions better. The Square took in a patched-up team with Reserves players Jim Packer, Ed Marriott and John Chellew in the side.
"They have only a smattering of senior experience between them, but they worked in well," Williamson said.
Hurst half-forwards Brian Sutton, Gerald Crough and Neville Johnston took the game right away from the Bulldogs in the opening moments. They locked the ball up forward for a long stretch of the fist quarter, but were inaccurate.
When John Ledwidge went down, the Dogs came alive. Wingman Vic Spiers goaled, followed by 'crocks' Bob Anderson and Kevin Shearn.
Shearn had one leg heavily strapped below the knee and was limping before the match started. Anderson received a leg injury not long after the start.
The hard-hitting Sandhurst half-back line of Eric Watson, Pat Burke and Peter Keogh were the heroes of the second quarter. Their fierce tackling ruffled Golden Square and Watson kept the Bulldogs' main hope, Pat McGrath, right out of the game.
McGrath booted just one of Square's eight majors for the day. Meanwhile, Peter Hayward at full-back for the Square was brilliant. He had only two goals kicked on him.
Back pocket Peter Sly worked in well with his full-back and between them they channelled a lot of play back through Cyril Freemantle's flank.
Square coach Bert Rowe told his players at half-time: "We are in a bit of trouble." The Hurst led by only four points but the Square had injuries everywhere, and Williamson wrote the veteran coach had never spoken truer words.
Sandhurst added four goals to three in the second half, even when Rowe put Bob Wenn on the ball as a rover. Nildo Munari sealed the Maroons' victory when he steered through a six-pointer close to final siren time.
FINAL scores: Sandhurst 9.12 (66) def. G. Square 8.5 (53)
Eaglehawk 17.22 (124) def. South Bendigo 10.11 (71)
Rochester 19.11 (125) def. Echuca 12.14 (86)
Kyneton 25.10 (154) def. Castlemaine 8.12 (60).
VOTES in the Advertiser-Ashmans award:
Sandhurst v Golden Square --- 3: Nildo Munari (Sh). 2: Peter Hayward (GS). 1: Eric Watson (Sh).
Eaglehawk v South Bendigo --- 3: Alan McIntosh (Eh). 2: Colin McAliece (SB). 1: Trevor Madigan (Eh).
Echuca v Rochester --- 3: Ron O'Neill (Roch). 2: Bill Serong (Ech). 1: Ken Stevenson (Roch).
Kyneton v Castlemaine --- 3: Norm McKenzie (Kyn). 2: Keith Williams (Kyn). 1: Frank Johnson (Kyn).
Leaderboard – 14: Don Palmer (Sh). 13: Bill Serong (Ech). 12: Don Mathews (GS). 11: Merv Bull (Eh).
Goalkicking table – 54: Kevin Shearn (GS), 2. 44: Terry Nolen (Sh), 1. 33: Les Kaine (Cm), 3, L. Plowman (Kyn) 0. 29: Don Matthews (GS) 1. 27: Trevor Madigan (Eh) 6.
Ladder: Rochester 11 wins, 2 losses, 44 prem. points; Golden Square 10--3, 40 (157.3%); Sandhurst 10—3, 40 (147.6%), Kyneton 8—5, 32 prem. points.
Outside the Top Four: Eaglehawk 7—6, 28; South Bendigo 2—11, 8 (64.2%); Echuca 2—11, 8 (63.7%) and Castlemaine 2—1, 8 prem. points (62.2%).
So with just three rounds left the race for the wooden spoon was absorbing, with just the tiniest of percentages separating sixth-placed South from cellar dweller Castlemaine.
From the Bendigo Advertisers of Saturday, July 24 and Monday July 26th, 1965.
Accessed at the Goldfields Research Centre, Bendigo Regional Archives Centre: Bendigo Library, 96-98 Pall Mall.
Tips for Round 14: Golden Square by 47, Sandhurst by 5, Eaglehawk by 23 and South Bendigo by 30 (on Sunday).
2013 season total: 38.
By Richard Jones
