SOUTH Bendigo warmed up for the 1982 finals series with a hard-fought three-goal victory over Sandhurst in Round 17.
With just the concluding home-and-away round to be played 30 years ago, the Bloods made fewer errors in the final term than the Dragons to sneak home.

Had the Hurst forwards been on target the result might have been vastly different.

But they posted a wasteful 12.21 as Sandhurst toppled from second to third with its double chance in the looming finals at risk.

By contrast South spearhead Des Charles, rejoining the side after injury, nailed seven goals in a sterling performance.
His teammate, key defender Wayne Bell, was best afield. Bell hauled in mark after mark all afternoon, setting the tone for the match with a saving grab right on the goal-line in the opening moments.

He took eight marks in the tight, final quarter.

IN OTHER round 17 Bendigo Golden City F. L. Div. One clashes three decades back, Eric Pascoe booted nine goals for Golden Square. The Bulldogs slaughtered Kyneton by 122 points at Wade Street.
And Kangaroo Flat then, as now, the only former Golden City League club still in the top bracket squeaked home over cellar dweller Castlemaine by 11 points.
Top team Eaglehawk on 16 wins and one loss had the bye.
The Phil Byrne-coached Two Blues had gone down to Square in round 16 in their only blemish for the season.
Highlights of the Division Two games were Kennington's massive win over Provincial --- 43.33 (291) to 7.10 (52) --- with L. O'Brien nailing 10 goals and YCW full-forward Colin Grenfell topping the ton for the '82 season.
Grenfell drove home eight majors (for a season tally of 105) as YCW sneaked home in a cliff-hanger over White Hills: 17.13 (115) to the Hillies 17.11 (113).
It was Grenfell who won the game for the Blues. He marked and goaled in the time-on period of the last quarter to snatch victory from the Demons.

BACK to the QEO for the clash of the ‘old firm', or the ‘traditional rivals' as these fixtures have been known down the decades.
After a fiercely contested and even first three quarters the last stanza was marked by errors from both clubs.
In the end it was the Bloods, with Gary Cowling leading the way, which clinched victory.
The loss relegated the Dragons to third spot but, as history shows, they bounced back a fortnight later in the first semi-final to beat South by 39 points: 14.9 (93) to 8.6 (54).
Sacked South coach, big Bill Nalder, racked up 16 kicks and seven marks to lead his new club to victory. Some of his thumps out of the centre circle bounce-downs travelled 30 metres into the Hurst's forward line.
Not the case in Round 17, though.
The Bloods unleashed a fine second half to convert a one-point half-time lead [9.4 (58) to 8.9 (57)] into their eventual three-goal win.

I NOTED in my match report on that Monday morning three decades back that central umpire Peter Phair was right on the money.
"He did not miss much in the way of high tackles all afternoon," I wrote.
Wayne Bell, Barry Tippett, centre half-forward (the late) Graeme Wright and half-back Brian "Puss" Kendall were dominant in the third term.
Kendall was assisted in the back half by Mark Mackinder and Denis Byrne.
Wayne Hoiles broke clear of Noel Belsar for a Bloods' major. Des Charles and Tony Gundry chipped in with two more.
"Sandhurst was atrocious up forward, kicking behinds when goals were needed. The Dragons found it hard to get past Mark Mackinder who moved alongside Exell when the big forward moved to the goal square," the report said.
In fact the Hurst added 2.7 to South's 5.2 to trail at the last break.
Enter Gary Cowling. He had been largely unsighted in the first half but when moved to a forward flank booted two valuable South majors in the last term.
Cowling had a hand in the third to seal victory for the Bloods.
South desperately needed Cowling's contribution.
The Dragons had levelled the scores at the 14-minute mark of the final stanza. Denis O'Connor and Mark McErvale kicked the goals which tied up the scores at 92-points apiece.

AT WADE Street, Pascoe nailed five of his nine goals in the opening term as the Dogs shot out to an unassailable 8.6 to 0.2 lead over the Tigers.
At the long break the lead was 69 points --- 13.11 to 3.2.
Kyneton did manage to add 8.5 in the last two stanzas but the Square added even more in the same period: 16.10.
Apart from Pascoe's game-high nine majors Wayne Walsh added four for the Square, while Greg Williams, Peter Moroni and Brian Coughlan all contributed three.
Jimmy Flynn was Kyneton's major goal-scorer with four.
The subject of last week's Reflections, Alan Patterson, was best on ground with John Williams, Paul Rodda, Pascoe and Ken Smith high among the list of better players for the Dogs.
Michelsen Medal winner John Watts, David Matassoni and Flynn were the Tigers' best.
Kangaroo Flat withstood a desperate last quarter surge from Castlemaine to win by two kicks.
Elusive full-forward Steve McKerrow hammered home eight goals and was the difference between the teams.
The Roos led by 28 points at the long break and then by seven goals [14.8 to 8.2] at the last change.
But the Magpies came steaming home as they added 4.7 to a single behind to almost steal the four, premiership points.
Best for the Flat were Richard Foster, Mark Eastman and Trevor Curran while, for the Maine, Brett Fitzpatrick booted five goals with the late Stan Camov their best player.
SCORES: Golden Square 29.21 (195) def. Kyneton 11.7 (73); South Bendigo 17.9 (111) def. Sandhurst 12.21 (93); and Kangaroo Flat 14.9 (93) def. Castlemaine 12.9 (81).

AROUND the traps in 1982 and Maryborough Rovers remained a strong club.
Rovers had downed Carisbrook 22.10 to 19.14 in the MCDFL elimination final. Chewton, long gone as a functioning club, had minor grade teams in the MCDFL finals series.
In the North Central first semi-final Donald def. Wedderburn, 16.15 to 16.12, while Balranald downed Woorinen 15.18 to 9.15 in the Mid Murray first semi-final.
IN THE 12-club VFL, before the addition of interstate teams from S.A., W.A. and Queensland, Richmond was on top on 68 premiership points: 17 wins, four losses.
Hawthorn, Carlton, Essendon and North Melbourne made up the Top Five as it was then, 30 years back.
Fitzroy belted cellar dwellers Footscray 19.17 (131) to 12.11 (83) and top team Richmond eased past the Swans: 19.13 (127) to 16.14 (110).
In the only clash between Top Five clubs the Blues recorded a 70-point win over North in a shootout: 26.24 (180) to the Shinboners' 17.8 (110).
Six premiership points behind fifth-placed North on the ladder were the Roy Boys. The Lions had drawn with Carlton earlier in the season.
The bottom two clubs were Collingwood and Footscray, both with just three wins and 18 losses.

From the Bendigo Advertisers of Monday, August 23rd and Monday, September 6th, 1982.

Richard's tips for Round 17: South by 49 points, Sandhurst by 65, Gisborne by 7, Eaglehawk by 13 and Strath Storm by 44.

2012 season total: 63.

By Richard Jones