BENDIGO¹S Blue and Gold representative team belted Goulburn Valley on the QEO in a 1993 inter-league semi-final. With the 2012 representative fixture against Gippsland coming up next Saturday, let¹s have a look back 19 years.The home side¹s talented group of running players blitzed the GV to orchestrate a 45-point thumping, and set up a Vic Health Country Championships grand final against old rival, Geelong. Vice-captain Derrick Filo was dominant in the QEO¹s soggy centre while Mt Pleasant captain-coach Peter White tagged the Valley¹s danger man, Dean Strauch, out of the game.
The GVFL had no fewer than six former Bendigo district stars in their line-up. Apart from ex-Square ball magnet Strauch, the Purples boasted Colbinabbin
champion Phillip 'Toot' Morgan, South Bendigo wingman David Griffin, North Bendigo ruckman Brendan Lowther, and two former Square teammates of Strauch: Michael Gallagher and Paul McConville.
Apart from Filo, the Blue and Golds¹ middle-sized brigade of Tony Kelly, Simon Jorgensen and Simon Green helped tear the lumbering GV side to shreds
after quarter-time. Goulburn Valley selectors made a fundamental mistake. They took too many big men into a wet weather game and the side didn¹t have the pace to match it with Bendigo¹s expansive list of midfielders.
AFTER the match Bendigo coach Peter Hinck said all his "middle-sized players" had worked hard. "The plan after quarter-time was for the on-ball players to lift. In those wet conditions you have to be first to the ball.
"Players cannot afford to sit over the ball in the wet. You have to knock it on, tap it on, get it out. Our commitment was there and we had a good build-up to this semi-final. Of course, the players always wanted to do well against former Bendigo footballers." Hinck added Peter White was given the tagging role on Dean Strauch. "In the end because Peter was playing so well, it came down to Dean tagging him. "Big David Cox did a commendable job in the ruck against Mick Gallagher while Derrick Filo was just tremendous," Hinck said.
Goulburn Valley coach Graeme Weatherley was a shattered man. "We never really ignited the spark. We had no teamwork and definitely no
system," he said. "The Bendigo on-ballers ate up our men and their team simply adapted to the conditions better. "They continually outplayed us when the pill was up for grabs. Our plan was to use the ball long and direct, but it seemed like a hot potato to our blokes.
"Rather than do the percentage things, I'd say our players elected to do the fancy things." Referring to the White-Strauch match-up Weatherley explained he'd sent a message out in the third quarter telling Strauch to tag Simon Jorgensen, thus dragging White with him. "But it didn't seem to work," the GVFL coach admitted, glumly.
BENDIGO 0.3 4.12 7.15 10.18 (78)
GOULBURN VALLEY 1.4 1.5 2.8 4.9 (33)
GOALS Bendigo: P. White 2, S. Green 2, P. Curran 2, S. Jorgensen, D. Filo,
A. Kelly, T. St Clair. GVFL: C. Stuhldreier 3, B. Cooper.
BEST Bendigo: D. Filo (best on ground), S. Jorgensen, P. White, D.
McMurray, S. Green, A. Kelly, M. Heritage, T. Tuohey, P. Curran. GVFL: I.
Boyd, R. Miller, P. McConville and S. Ash, G. Butts.
Umpires: G. Marshall (Bendigo), P. Quick (Wangaratta).
Awards --- BFL: P. White, S. Green, D. Filo, D. McMurray. To GVFL player: I.
Boyd.
GVFL presentations: I. Boyd, P. McConville. To a BFL player: D. Filo.
3CCC-FM award: D. Filo (Bendigo).
THE inter-league players were a tough breed in the early nineties. Many of them doubled up on the June long weekend 19 years back to play for their club sides. A day after he¹d played full-back on GV star spearhead Chris Stuhldreier and restricted him to three majors, Maryborough captain Geoff MacIlwain booted six goals for Maryborough.
The Magpies scored a comfortable 46-point win over Golden Square to consolidate second position on the BFL ladder. Admittedly the Bulldogs played most of the game without two inter-league representatives. Mark Heritage was replaced by Robert Stagg early in the second term.
Justin Esposito was a late withdrawal from the Square club side and didn¹t play at all. Nonetheless, MacIlwain was supreme in his on-ball role ranging all over Princes Park in the Sunday fixture. He was backed up by Steve Thomson (four goals), Gordon Sumner, Brendan Tranter and big Brendan Dix.
For the Bulldogs Peter ŒSnyder¹ Hunter and Millar booted four goals each.
ON THE holiday Monday South Bendigo hosted Castlemaine. Both clubs had five inter-league representatives in the Saturday game. Two key players hadn¹t made it onto the QEO for the Goulburn Valley clash. Bloods ruckman John Hill had been sidelined with a hamstring injury while Maine key forward Stuart Annand had contracted influenza. Derrick Filo, although carrying a shoulder injury from the Saturday game, was scheduled to play his 150th BFL senior match.
He'd won the Magpies' best and fairest award three times, was the 1991 Michelsen medallist and runner-up in 1988 and again in 1990.
And Filo had captained the Bendigo side to their first round Vic Health Country Championships win over Mid Murray at Swan Hill in May, '93.
In other Round 11 games that long weekend Northern United hosted Sandhurst, Kyneton was at home to Kennington while North Bendigo was preparing for a
must-win game at Atkins Street against Kangaroo Flat. Eaglehawk had the bye.
In the Heathcote DFL Stanhope and Rushworth were still member clubs 19 years back. Rushmore had beaten Huntly 11.11 to 10.9, but Stanhope lost to White
Hills: 5.5 to 15.13.
Information accessed from History and Research section, Goldfields Library,
Hargreaves Street Bendigo.
From the Bendigo Advertiser of Monday, June 14th, 1993.
Richard¹s tips for BFNL Round 7: Strathfieldsaye, Sandhurst, Gisborne,
Eaglehawk and Golden Square.
Season total: 23.
By Richard Jones
