CAPTAIN Brendan Hartney believes nothing encapsulates the camaraderie and spirit of Bendigo’s 1989 inter-league squad better than the iconic photo of the team after beating Ovens and Murray in the semi-final.
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Walking off arm in arm, led by Hartney and Peter Bradbury, the Blue and Gold had just defied their underdog status to defeat Ovens and Murray by 16 points in the rain and mud at Lavington to book a berth in their second-consecutive grand final of what was then known as the Vic Health Country Championships.
Bendigo would go on to defeat defending champions Geelong by 41 points a month later in the grand final to capture the title as country Victoria’s top league for the first time since 1972.
But not only was it Bendigo’s first division one championship in 17 years, it also served as redemption after the Blue and Gold had been smashed by Geelong by 11 goals in the grand final 12 months earlier.
Twenty-five years on from that 1989 inter-league triumph, the team will reunite at Friday night’s Bendigo Football-Netball League Hall of Fame function at the Bendigo Club.
The 1989 win was the middle of three grand final appearances in a row for Bendigo, having lost in both 1988 to Geelong and 1990 to Latrobe.
“We played off in the three grand finals in a row and there was about 12 blokes who played in each of them,” Hartney recalled on Thursday.
“There was a tight-knit bond and the players got along really well and it was just a really strong group.
“That photo of us walking off the ground after we had beaten Ovens and Murray in the semi-final in 1989 is one of my favourite footy photos.
“We were the rank underdogs that day.
“It poured rain all day, but once we had won that we were confident we’d be able to beat Geelong in Bendigo in the grand final.”
As well as beating Ovens and Murray 10.10 (70) to 7.12 (54) in the semi-final, Bendigo had also travelled to beat Goulburn Valley 17.14 (116) to 14.12 (96) at Shepparton’s Deakin Reserve as part of its 1989 campaign.
“We beat the three best sides that year and that’s what makes it all the more satisfying,” said Hartney, who also won the second of his two Michelsen medals with Sandhurst in 1989.
The grand final was played in front of a crowd of 5000 at the QEO on Sunday, July 16.
Bendigo led at every change on the way to a 15.10 (100) to 9.5 (59) victory.
Russell Parkes kicked four goals, and Leigh Williams - whose brother John was vice-captain of Geelong - and Steve McDougall chipped in with three each for Bendigo.
McDougall was among 10 players named in the best for Bendigo, such was the even spread of contributors.
A host of awards were presented to Bendigo players after the game, including three to rover Peter Tyack:
VFL: Peter Tyack.
XXXX: Steve McDougall.
Forty Winks: Rick Marklew.
Eddie Harris Menswear: Peter Tyack.
Barry Findlay Sportspower: Peter Bradbury, Paul Starbuck.
Vic Health: Peter Bradbury, Rick Marklew, Peter Tyack.
“We started really well and I thought most of the day it looked like we were going to win, but they came at us a bit in the third quarter,” said Hartney, who was one of Bendigo’s best in defence.
“But in the last quarter we got back on top and run over them to win by 40-odd points.
“It was great to play at the QEO and have some local support behind us because most of the games we played during that three-year period were away from Bendigo.
“We celebrated in the South Bendigo rooms after the game and had a pub crawl the following day, which was a lot of fun.
“It was a great time because the inter-league team was just like a club team with the way everyone got on with each other.”
Bendigo’s 1989 championship team was coached by the late Neville Strauch, who along with Hartney is a member of the BFNL Hall of Fame.
“Neville was the catalyst of it all,” Hartney said.
“He got on really well with people and made sure he had all the country teams involved.
“He had a really good knowledge of opposition leagues and was just so determined to make sure he gave every player an opportunity, so selection often went for a long time.”
1989 remains the last year Bendigo was the No.1 ranked league in country Victoria and one of only three years it has held the title, the others being 1962 and 1972.
Friday night will be the first reunion of the 1989 championship team.
BENDIGO:
B: B. Hartney C. Greene M. Allan
Hb: F. Burke K. Lourey A. McDougall
C: B. McIvor P. Bradbury R. Wicks
Hf: S. McDougall R. Parkes R. Marklew
F: P. Starbuck L. Williams D. Harris
Foll: A. Patterson L. Butler P. Tyack
Interchange: P. Crone, P. McConville, M. Higgins
GEELONG:
B: P. Hewitt M. Hall J. Hoiles
Hb: R. Watt K. Fedke P. Appleford
C: B. Nicholls J. Williams P. Brosnan
Hf: J. Maguire J. Evans B. Mithen
F: A. Reynolds W. Tyquin M. Eddy
Foll: B. Firman M. Lenaghan J. Fitzgerald
Interchange: D. McDonald, R. Gilbert, S. Berry
MATCH DETAILS:
Bendigo 4.2 10.4 11.7 15.10 (100)
Geelong 1.1 5.4 8.4 9.5 (59)
GOALS – Bendigo: Russell Parkes 4, Leigh Williams, Steve McDougall 3, Peter Tyack 2, Alan Patterson, Paul Starbuck, Lachlan Butler 1. Geelong: Wayne Tyquin 3, Robert Gilbert 2, Michael Lenaghan, Ron Watt, Bill Mithen, John Evans 1.
BEST – Bendigo: Rick Marklew, Peter Tyack, Steve McDougall, Bert McIvor, Brendan Hartney, Peter Bradbury, Lachlan Butler, Kerin Lourey, Darren Harris, Francis Burke. Geelong: Ron Watt, Pat Brosnan, John Hoiles, John Williams, Peter Appleford.