WHEN Alan Patterson ran out for his first senior game with Golden Square in 1980 few in the Bulldogs' camp could have foreseen what an impact the young ruckman would have. Not just on his club but within the Bendigo Football and Netball League as a whole, too. Having been a soccer aficianado and player until the age of 17, Patto joined the Bulldogs in 1978 and played in their under-18 team.

He served another year's apprecticeship in the Reserves the following year, but from 1980 Alan became a permanent fixture in the Golden Square senior strip.
He made his debut against Castlemaine in the opening round of 1980 at the Wade Street ground and celebrated in fine style with a Round 1 victory.
Patto was a quick learner and it wasn't long before he was universally recognised as one of the BFL's premier ruckmna.
His astute play culminated with the Bulldogs' club best and fairest in 1982.
His ability was noted by the VFL clubs in Melbourne and Patto received an invitation from Carlton in 1983 to go down to Princes Park and try his luck.
He accepted and went through a strong pre-season with the Blues. Alan played the first six matches of the season in the ruck but was then inexplicably given his marching orders.

RETURNING to his beloved Bendigo Patto carried the number one ruck duties for Golden Square for the rest of his career.
Along with that Alan had a permanent mortgage on the No. 1 spot in the BFL Teams of the Year, selected by the city's media outlets and published locally.
His mobility and strong marking re-defined ruck play throughout the 80s and he was one of the key Golden Square players opposing teams and coaches knew they had to shut down if they wanted to beat the Bulldogs.
One of Patto's amazing talents was his mobility. He was extremely quick and agile for a big man and very dangerous around the ground.
He'd regularly use his vice-like grip on the Sherrin, a feature of his strong marking, to great effect whether in the Square's attacking half or in defence.
Very rarely was he beaten in the air and Patto's great leap allowed him to give the Square's talented running players of the era first use of the ball --- either from the centre circle or around the ground at boundary throw-ins.

The club also recognized Alan's outstanding leadership qualities and he assumed the captaincy for the 1984 season.
During his time as the Dogs' skipper Pato was to hold aloft the Bendigo Advertiser premiership cup on two occasions when the Square won consecutive flags in 1988 and 1989.
The 1988 flag was especially significant. Patto and his Bulldogs' teammates stopped Northern United's winning sequence of four as the Swallows had saluted in each Big Dance from 1984-1987, inclusive.
Additionally Alan's teammate Dean Strauch took out the 1988 Nalder Medal, as best player afield in the grand final.
Strauch had been pipped by Kennington's Rod Southon in the Michelsen medal count a few days earlier in a result many observers of the time questioned.
The two 1988 counts stood, nevertheless ---- Southon, Michelsen Medal; Strauch, Nalder Medal.
Twelve months later Square saluted again. This time the grand final victory was achieved over South Bendigo, coached for the first season by former Collingwood and Essendon star, Peter Bradbury.
Final scores: Golden Square 14.13 (97) def. South 11.13 (79).

PATTO'S amazing durability is demonstrated by the fact that he only ever missed 10 games through injury in his first 11 seasons.
Maintaining a high level of fitness certainly assisted the big Bulldog ruckman as he carried all before him over 13 seasons, in all.
During that period he became one of the Square's most decorated players in its proud history.
Indeed, Patto ran out for his 200th senior game in the 1990 grand final clash with South Bendigo: a re-match of the epic season decider of 12 months earlier.
This time, however, Bradbury and the Bloods would have their revenge.
It wasn't a celebration for Patto at match end with South triumphant: 15.24 (114) to the Square's 14.8 (92).
It was Bradbury's day, though, as the Bloods took home their first Advertiser premiership cup since 1974.

INTER-LEAGUE footy was also a passion for Alan Patterson during his time at the top in the local major league.
He carried the ruck in the Blue and Gold representative sides of the time, culminating in the golden era for the BFL under coach Neville Strauch.
Patto was an integral member of the Bendigo side which played in three successive Div. 1 grand finals from 1988-1990, with the highlight the 1989 victory over the powerful Geelong league on the QEO.
In all Alan played for Bendigo 16 times, starting in the ruck in all but a handful of occasions.
Although footy fans of the 2000s might regard, with some justification, the Goulburn Valley inter-league teams as the pinnacle of country footy nowadays, when Patto was playing they were just another representative side to be beaten.
Bendigo took on the GVFL in a first round inter-league clash in May 1988 at the Deakin Reserve in Shepparton and came home victorious.
The Ovens and Murray League was another powerful country body back then, as it still is.
But the Blue and Golds accounted for the O an M in Division 1 back-to-back semi-finals in 1989 and 1990 with Patto a key member of the winning sides.

ALAN Patterson finally hung up the boots at the conclusion of the 1992 season, finishing with an impressive record of 234 senior BFNL games and 16 inter-league matches.
But that 1992 season was to have one more highlight.
The big man was called upon to stand Castlemaine's imposing full-forward, Steven Oliver.
In the '92 grand final, won by the Magpies by five points in a pulsating finish, Patto lined up at full-back on Olly.
Before the ball was bounced to start the first term there was an explosion of fisticuffs not that far from the centre square.
Magpie key forward Dean "Showie" Henderson and Square on-baller Paul McConville were involved and it took what seemed an age for the central umpires to restore order and bounce the ball to start the grand final.
Meanwhile, Patto and Oliver were at the far end of the QEO adjacent to the goal square.
In the end following one of the tightest and most exciting grand finals in BFL history Castlemaine prevailed: 14.13 (97) to Square's 14.8 (92).
Castlemaine's Simon Jorgensen was the recipient of the '92 Nalder Medal.

PATTO'S legacy is still revered out at the Wade Street ground, now known as MyJet Oval.
No one with any knowledge of the game would ever question that Alan remains one of the best ever ruckmen the powerful Bulldog club has produced.

Alan Patterson was inducted into the BFNL's Hall Of Fame in October 2010.
With thanks to the BFNL Hall Of Fame committee and its executive officer, Darren Lewis.

Richard's tips for Round 16: Sandhurst by 33 points, Gisborne by 72, Eaglehawk by 29, Golden Square by 40 and Strath Storm by 9.
2012 season total: 58.

By Richard Jones