Eaglehawk

I’ve heard, and written, about all sorts of footy stories but none after a stolen football was returned to its owner, leading to the formation of an important club.

But that’s the folklore behind the founding of the mighty Eaglehawk Football and Netball Club.

It seems that in early 1880 Jim Steward had bought his son a brand new footy and it was put to solid use on what is now Canterbury Park oval.

But a slight hitch occurred. Young Steward and his mates were interrupted by another group of lads, headed by ‘King’ Williams and Charlie Carter, who headed off with the new pill.

Fences were mended and forces were eventually joined by the Steward, Carter and Williams families and a team was formed.

A match between the newly-born Eaglehawk outfit and established Coachbuilders footy club (1878-1886, disbanded 1887) which was a member club of the Bendigo Football Association --- now the BFNL --- was arranged.

Although the Eaglehawk-based side lost it was decided to call a meeting to officially form a footy club.

At that time Eaglehawk was a thriving goldfields town of around 15,000 and as fortunes were found and lost in the mines footy was starting to find a real role as a recreational pastime.

So the meeting went ahead in the rear of a store on High Street, in what was known as the ‘Cripps room’.

It was there that the distinctive two blues colours were decided upon for the new club, Eaglehawk.

This is how the formation of the Eaglehawk club was reported upon.

“In deciding on the Two Blues the new club set out on the right footing from its very inception.

“No other club can boast of the traditional colours of the two most famous universities in the world – Cambridge and Oxford.

“The dark blue of Oxford and light blue of Cambridge were selected because of the keen rivalry of the originators of the club, each university being equally represented on the goldfields by former students, men of great foresight who had the wisdom to come together and form one grand and happy club.”

Mayor of Eaglehawk Mr George Loudon presided at the foundation meeting, Tom Young was elected as secretary and Jack Shoosmith was appointed the new club’s first captain.

It was decided that the club would be based at Canterbury Park, a proposal which presented a huge problem.

The reserve was then basically a ‘slum’ bank with the overflow from the nearby, highly lucrative Virginia Mine, flowing into it.

But volunteer workers eventually cleared the sludge and made certain that Canterbury Park would be a first-class oval for the new footy club and its opponents.

So the Two Blues prospered and won their first premiership in 1882 with Charlie Leggo as coach, in the days when finishing top-of-the-ladder ensured winning the flag with no finals then in vogue.

Eaglehawk turned into the then Bendigo Footy Association’s ‘trump card’, notching back-to-back premierships in 1882 and 1883 and then again in 1886-1887.

The Hawks’ fifth pennant came in 1889 with Jim Steward, father of the boy who’d had his footy stolen, playing as a sterling full-back in those later 1880s sides.

He was also in the last line of defence when Eaglehawk won in 1894 and was dubbed the ‘Waterbury Invincibles’.

I’ve mentioned this in earlier articles but the Waterbury Watch Company in a 1894 Victorian statewide competition donated 20 gold watches to the club which kicked the greatest number of goals in 18 regular season matches.

A few words about Waterbury. It was a well known late 19th century watch and clock manufacturer, the first one to produce a watch that the average-man-in-the-street could afford.

Up until that time watches were the possessions of the wealthy.

Spokesmen for the watch company announced that every Victorian club was eligible to enter the competition.

But Eaglehawk faced a unique problem after winning the 1894 BFA premiership, undefeated, as they’d played just 16 matches.

The Two Blues needed two more matches to qualify for the watches contest, so officials hurriedly arranged for those games to be played against representative teams from the Maryborough and Echuca leagues.

They won both, added another 17 goals to their tally while conceding just two. They entered the Waterbury competition with the impressive total of 158 goals.

Having clinched the title of the ‘Waterbury Invincibles’ Eaglehawk played an Upper Reserve representative match against a cobbled together Bendigo team and won: 6.8 to 4.5.

Thousands of spectators crammed into the Upper Reserve for the big game.

Looking back to the Waterbury competition the Hawk’ total of 158 majors was eight better than Essendon’s 150 goals and Beechworth, in third place.

Remembering that this was 1894 and three years before the VFL was founded. So Essendon was a competition member club of the then Victorian Football Association.

They went on to take home their fourth consecutive VFA premiership in 1894, losing just three matches in those four seasons.

Essendon was then known as the “Same Olds”.

The club played at the East Melbourne oval, but sang the winner’s song ‘The Same Olds’ to remind supporters that they were still the same, old Essendon.

But there’s a sad and poignant ending to the 1894 Waterbury season.

The boat carrying the original gold watches sank on its journey from England to Australia, so the firm’s Victorian representatives instead presented 40 nickel watches --- one for each player and one each for his wife or ‘ladyfriend’.

From that spectacular season, with E. Hummel as the captain, Eaglehawk won the premiership in five, successive years (1894-1898), and by the time the 20th century rolled along had won an amazing 10 BFA flags in total.

Many player awards have come the way of Eaglehawk footballers and netballers.

Footy, Michelsen Medals: Greg Kennedy (1971), Alan ‘Bruiser’ Williams (1974), Des English (1978), Reece Langan (2000), Lucas Mathews (2001), Kain Robins (2006), Shannon Milward (2008), Josh Bowe (2010), Brodie Filo (2015).

Grand final Nalder Medallists – Rhys Healey (2007); Damien Lock (2008); Jonty Neaves (2018).

Goalkicking, later Ron Best Medal: Frank Crapper (1930, ‘32, ’34) Mancel Davies (1935, ’36, ’38), Harry Morgan (1948, ’51, ’52, ’53), Merv Hicks (1961), Greg Kennedy (1970, ’71), Keith Raynor (1972, tied with Peter Hutcheson, South Bendigo), Daryl Gilmore (1982, ’84, 1991), Damien Brown (2007), Matt Gretgrix (2013, ’15).

Gilmore finished on 214 games, 812 majors with 100-plus scored in 1982 (113) and 1984 (120).

Netball, A grade premiers: 1992, 1996, 1998-99, 2012. Betty Thompson A grade medallists: Genevieve Slater (1998), Ashley Ryan (2019).

Still to come: the Two Blues in the 1930s, winning the flag in 1935 to snap Sandhurst’s run of six, consecutive premierships.

In recognition of chairman Zach Harvey and my fellow selectors on the panel which had the responsibility of naming Eaglehawk’s Team of the 20th Century, announced August 2005.

Kangaroos bound into another showdown with Dragons

KANGAROO Flat bounced its way into another showdown with Sandhurst in the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL A-grade netball series.

The Kangaroos stayed in the premiership race as it dominated Sunday’s first semi-final with Eaglehawk at Queen Elizabeth Oval.

The Jayden Cowling-coached Roos bounced back from a four-goal loss to Sandhurst in the first semi-final to end the Hawks’ season.

In a strong four-quarter performance, Kangaroo Flat poured in 66 goals and kept the Two Blues to a tally of 33.

The Kylie Piercy-coached Eaglehawk had played well to win the elimination final against Strathfieldsaye by five goals, but had few answers to combat the skill and finals experience of the Kangaroo Flat line-up.

The Roos now take on Sandhurst in Saturday’s preliminary final.

At stake is the chance to meet Gisborne in the September 21 grand final.

The Tarryn Rymer-coached Gisborne is on track to claim consecutive premierships after a 51-38 win against Sandhurst in the second semi-final.

The Bulldogs have beaten the Tamara Gilchrist-coached Dragons in all three matches this season.

It’s three-nil in favour of the Dragons against Kangaroo Flat so far in ’24.

Sandhurst has won its matches with the Roos by margins of seven, five and four goals.

It was a memorable Sunday for Strathfieldsaye on first semi-final day.

The Storm kept premiership hopes alive in A-reserve, B-reserve, and 17-and-under.

Strathfieldsaye ended Maryborough’s run as it charged to a 51-41 victory in A-reserve.

It was a three-goal thriller in B-reserve as Storm held on for a 54-51 win against Kangaroo Flat.

The day’s play began with a two-goal win for Strathfieldsaye in the 17-and-under clash with Maryborough.

Storm led 61-59 at the final siren.

Four goals was the difference in B-grade as Kangaroo Flat bounced its way to a 52-48 win against Strathfieldsaye.

On Saturday it was Gisborne against Sandhurst in four of the five matches played on second semi-final day.

First on court were Sandhurst and Golden Square in the 17-and-under match.

Both had identical 15-1 records in the home-and-away series.

Game three between the Dragons and Bulldogs ended in a 60-39 win for Sandhurst.

It was three-one in favour of Gisborne against Sandhurst in other grades.

The teams in red, white and blue advanced to the September 21 grand finals in A-grade, A-reserve and B-reserve.

The B-grade and B-reserve second semi-finals were closely-fought.

The Dragons fired their way to a 50-46 win in B-grade.

In B-reserve it was Gisborne which led 50-45 after the final play.

Gisborne’s unbeaten run in A-reserve kept rolling as it scored a 43-36 win against the maroon and blue.

A 51-38 result for Gisborne in A-grade was the Bulldogs’ 14^th victory of the season.

Bendigo FNL netball first semi-finals scoreboard:

A-grade: Kangaroo Flat 66 d Eaglehawk 33.

A-reserve: Strathfieldsaye 51 d Maryborough 41.

B-grade: Kangaroo Flat 52 d Strathfieldsaye 48.

B-reserve: Strathfieldsaye 54 d Kangaroo Flat 51.

17-and-under: Strathfieldsaye 61 d Maryborough 59.

Bendigo FNL netball second semi-finals scoreboard:

A-grade: Gisborne 51 d Sandhurst 38.

A-reserve: Gisborne 43 d Sandhurst 36.

B-grade: Sandhurst 50 d Gisborne 46.

B-reserve: Gisborne 50 d Sandhurst 45.

17-and-under: Sandhurst 60 d Golden Square 39.

There will be five clubs which feature in the Bendigo FNL’s netball preliminary finals on Saturday at the QEO in View Street.

Schedule for Saturday’s preliminary finals at Queen Elizabeth Oval:

17-and-under at 10am: Golden Square v Strathfieldsaye.

B-reserve at 11.20am: Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye.

B-grade at 12.40pm: Gisborne v Kangaroo Flat.

A-reserve at 2pm: Sandhurst v Strathfieldsaye.

A-grade at 3.20pm: Sandhurst v Kangaroo Flat

Six new coaches were appointed over summer in 2010 as BFNL clubs prepared for the 2011 season.

There were some top names among the appointments, headlined by Maryborough’s Michelsen Medallist Matt Aston and Gisborne’s ‘Rolls Royce’ Luke Saunders.

The other quartet of new faces included Luke Monaghan (Eaglehawk), Derrick ‘Dekka’ Filo (Kyneton), Darryl Wilson (Strathfieldsaye) and Tony Graham (Sandhurst).

Graham wasn’t a brand-new mentor, though. He’d led the Dragons from 1997 to 2000 including a 1998 grand final loss to Maryborough by 47 points.

He took over from Sandhurst stalwart Kieran Nihill who’d served a three-year stint.

Going through the others alphabetically club-wise, Monaghan was at the Canterbury Park helm following Filo’s eight-season era which had resulted in two senior premierships.

Monaghan had previously coached the Hawks under-18s from 2005 to 2007 and he’d then had three years as the Bendigo Pioneers assistant coach.

Four-time premiership player and Michelsen medallist Saunders took over the Graveyard duties from Ty Elliott.

Not only had he played in the Bulldogs’ string of flag wins he’d also captained the successful sides in 2005 and 2006.

Saunders’ Gisborne side went down to Golden Square in the classic 2012 grannie which wasn’t decided until the final kick of the day.

Final scores: Square 16.10 (106) def. Gisborne 14.19 (103).

A Michelsen Medallist just like Saunders, Aston headed into his first coaching role at Princes Park.

He took over from Shane Fisher who’d led the Maryborough Magpies for three, consecutive seasons.

Filo had previously coached the Kyneton Tigers from 1995 to 1997, leading them to their famous flags in 1995 and 1997.

He’d also coached Kangaroo Flat from 2000 to 2002 taking the Roos to the 2000 grand final against Castlemaine where poor kicking let the Roos down.

Final scores: Castlemaine 12.11 (83) def. Kangaroo Flat 9.17 (71).

Filo took over from Paul Houston who’d coached the Tigers for two seasons: 2009-2010.

Although we didn’t know it then, a dozen years back, Strath Storm’s Wilson would become the most successful and prominent coach of the modern era.

He’d been in charge at Dower Park in 2008 and 2009 and had suceeded in leading the Roos to the 2009 preliminary final.

Final scores: South Bendigo 16.11 (107) def. K. Flat 10.15 (75). The Roos had downed Eaglehawk and Gisborne in earlier finals in that 2009 season.

And then out at Tannery Lane Darryl has moulded the BFNL’s premier side of the modern era as the Storm won flags in 2014-15 and then again in 2017 and 2019.

So that was the list of 2011’s brand new incoming coaches.

But four senior coaches from 2010 had stayed on for the upcoming season.

Premiership mentor Nick Carter would lead Golden Square for another season although he took a couple of weeks after the Wade Street Dogs 2010 flag celebrations had eased off to re-sign with his club.

Paul Eyles was returning for a return stint with Castlemaine and like Carter was going to be back for a second year.

However, Eyles had also enjoyed an earlier crack at coaching in the early Noughties.

He led the Camp Reserve Pies in 2004-2005.

Third returning coach was Murray Collins at Kangaroo Flat who, like Carter and Eyles, was saddling up for a second year.

Longest serving coach to re-sign was South’s Rick Coburn who was going into his fifth season.

He’d taken the Bloods to two second finishes in 2009 and 2010 along with 3^rd and 4^th placings, but sources had told footy writers the Bloods would go into 2011 with a much younger list.

2009 grand final: G Square 16.12 def. S. Bendigo 10.11 and 2010 grand final, G. Square 11.21 def. S. Bendigo 8.10.

So how did this impressive array of coaches end up as September in 2011 wound to a close?

Well, Carter’s Square finished unbeaten on top  of the ladder with an 18 win-0 loss record and cantered home in the grand final over Eaglehawk by 135 points.

They restricted the Two Blues to just five majors for the day.

At the other end of the table Filo’s Tigers didn’t win a game so they finished up with the exact reverse to Square: 0 wins and 18 losses.

So the ladder read at the end of August: Golden Square 18 wins, 0 losses, 72 prem. points, 267.3%; Eaglehawk 13-5, 52, 133.5%; Gisborne 12-6, 48, 142.99%; Sandhurst 11-7, 44, 130.5%; South Bendigo 11-7, 44, 117.4%.

Outside the Five: S’saye Storm 9-9, 36, 124.1%; Maryborough 9-9, 36, 81.8%; Kang. Flat 5-13, 20, 84.8%; C’maine 2-16, 8 prem. points, 55.9% and Kyneton 0-18, 0 points, 27.45%.

So Carter ended 2011 with a brilliant season -- home and away and finals. An unbeaten season for the Square.

And apart from the disastrous grand final Monaghan’s Two Blues did OK. As did Saunders with the Graveyard Dogs reaching the preliminary final.

Graham and Coburn probably rated in the 60-65 per cent mark as both clubs were gone by the end of the second week of the finals.

Wilson’s Storm were pretty new to the BFNL in 2011 so he gets a pass mark and so does Aston with the Princes Park Pies.

Both clubs had a nine win-nine loss record

Eyles and ‘Muzza’ Collins fall short of a pass mark, but at least the Roos under Collins scraped together five wins.

But Filo’s at the bottom of the barrel with the winless Tigers not setting any benchmarks at the Kyneton Showgrounds.

And there were some familiar faces in district coaching ranks for the 2011 season.

In the Heathcote DFNL North Bendigo had appointed Damien Lock, who’d played 18 AFL games for Carlton in 1998 and 1999.

Locky was also an Eaglehawk premiership player and back a little further in his footy career had won the VFL’s Bendigo Diggers fairest and best award.

Ash Wilson was the new coach at HDFL club Huntly. He’d enjoyed a fine career with Kangaroo Flat and had later coached premiership sides at Wandella and in partnership with Barry Pitson took Mitiamo to their 1999 flag.

Matt Pinniger was back in familiar territory at Colbinabbin as he took over from Brent Millar who’d led the Grasshoppers to the 2008 HDFNL flag.

At Mount Pleasant well-travelled local footy personality Denis Grinton had been named as the Mounts coach.

He took over from former Gisborne star Shane Davis who’d handed in his resignation in November 2010.

But it was a late appointment for Mounts as Grinton’s coaching job wasn’t revealed until mid-December.

Jason ‘Jugga’ Stevens was the new man at White Hills having stepped up from assistant coach.

Stevens served under Brent Dyer and for the 2011 season would have ex-South Bendigo outside midfielder Gavin Bowles as his assistant.

Incoming coaches in the LVFL for 2011 included Phil Walsh (YCW) who’d previously coached the Eagles to their 1997 flag.

Jim Angove was taking up the reins at the Marong Panthers, Phil Birchmore was to helm Newbridge while up at Pyramid Hill Leigh Davies was taking over from Shawn Filo whose health issues meant he had to step down.