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2025 INTERLEAGUE REVIEW | All time classic goes down to the wire

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2025 INTERLEAGUE REVIEW | All time classic goes down to the wire
Published on:
14 July 2025

EXTRA time was played for a result in a brilliant showdown between the Bendigo Bank Bendigo FNL’s senior footy team’s clash with the Victorian Amateur Football Association on Sunday.

For the second year running Bendigo took on the VAFA’s best from Premier B to Division three.

This contest was on the turf of the blue and gold at Queen Elizabeth Oval in View Street.

Inter-league footy was back at the famous venue for the first time since 2019.

All eight of Bendigo’s clubs were represented in a team coached by Golden Square’s multiple premiership winner and gun on-baller Simon Rosa.

Co-captains were Gisborne’s gun defender Jack Reaper and Sandhurst on-baller and co-coach Lachlan Tardrew.

Vice-captain for Bendigo was Sandhurst key forward Fergus Greene.

The VAFA made a flying start to the match as it slammed on seven goals in the opening quarter to be up 45-19 at the first break.

The VAFA raced to a 12-nil lead as Michael Nicholls and Bailey Payze were on target.

Sandhurst’s Fergus Greene booted Bendigo’s first goal.

Matt Fewings goaled for the VAFA.

The first of three goals by Sandhurst’s Cobi Maxted cut the margin to seven points.

Hugo McGlashan replied for the VAFA and then Maxted goaled again for Bendigo.

It was a strong finish to the term by the Amateurs as Jordan Busuttil, Michael Nicholls and Matt Fewings capped the work of the midfield and on-ballers.

Goalkickers for the BFNL in the second were Castlemaine coach Michael Hartley, Cobi Maxted and and South Bendigo’s Brock Harvey.

The blue and gold hit the front in the seventh minute of the third quarter when Fergus Greene nailed his second.

The VAFA regained the lead through Boston Dowling.

South Bendigo’s Kaiden Antonowicz slotted his first major before Riley Virtue was on target for the Amateurs to lead 61-55 going into the final quarter.

In the fourth it was Hartley on target for Bendigo, but a Michael Nicholls goal put the VAFA in front again.

A run of four consecutive behinds meant Bendigo led 68-67 before a point by the VAFA forced the contest into five-minute halves of extra time.

Goal of the day honours went to Bailey Payze with a running shot from an acute angle in the pocket at the Barnard Street end.

Three shots by Bendigo ended in points before James Allen goaled for the VAFA to seal an 81-71 victory.

The BFNL will rue missed opportunities, finishing the second half kicking 1 goal and 10 behinds. While they had plenty of opportunities, the failure to capitalise and the arrival of some rain worked against the Blue & Gold in what will go down as one of the great Interleague battles of recent memory.

The Derrick Filo Medal for Bendigo’s best player was awarded to Sandhurst gun on-baller and Co-Captain of the Bendigo FNL, Lachlan Tardrew.

One of the greatest players in Bendigo’s inter-league history, Derrick Filo’s career of more than 400 matches included multiple premiership victories.

He also holds the league record of 23 inter-league matches and was Michelsen medallist as league fairest and best in 1991 at Castlemaine.

Filo’s first grand final victory was with Castlemaine in 1992.

He was playing coach in Kyneton’s premiership wins in 1995 and ’97.

A brilliant career rolled on at Eaglehawk where he led the Two Blues to premiership glory in 2007 and ’08.

Other best players for the Blue & Gold were Cobi Maxted (Sandhurst), Lachie Hood (Sandhurst), Callum Crisp (South Bendigo), Zac Vescovi (Gisborne) and Cooper Smith (Sandhurst).

Sunday’s footy action at the QEO kicked off with the under-19s match.

The VAFA charged to a 35-8 lead by quarter-time and then won the second term, 26-12.

The Amateur Association’s rising stars were too strong for the young stars from the Bendigo FNL and more than doubled their first half score on their way to a 125-36 victory.

Playing against the VAFA’s Premier side, the task was always going to be tough but to the teams credit they continued to fight and enjoy the honour of wearing the BFNL jumper.

Louis Hodder and Tyson Nagel kicked three goals as Jack Cheep, Johnathon Gambaro and Charlie Richardson added two each.

The Robert ‘Ninga’ O’Connell Medal was presented for the first time to Bendigo FNL captain and Gisborne on-baller James Gray.

Other best players for the BFNL were Jed Daniels (Strathfieldsaye), Jack McMahon (Golden Square), Ollie Morris (Sandhurst), Joe Hayes (Strathfieldsaye) & Oscar Cail (Sandhurst).

The Bendigo FNL’s under-19 team was coached by Jason Stevens from Kangaroo Flat.