BFNL greats earn Hall of Fame and Legend status

Nine-time premiership coach Bingham and two-time league best and fairest winner Sing were two of a group of 10 inductees into the Hall of Fame at a gala function at the All Seasons Resort.

Champion Castlemaine, Kyneton, Kangaroo Flat and Eaglehawk midfielder Derrick Filo, goalkicking greats Steven Oliver and Steven Reaper, Sandhurst's Matt Sexton, South Bendigo's Graeme Wright, Castlemaine's John Jefferies, three-club premiership hero Richie Lee and central umpire Geoff Millar were inducted alongside Bingham and Sing.

Their induction brought the total number of BFNL Hall of Fame inductees to 62.

For the first time five of those 62 inductees were given "Legend" status on Friday night.

The league's greatest goalkicker Ron Best, 13-time premiership player and coach Reg Ford, eight-time premiership player Tony Southcombe, Sandhurst's champion coach Bob McCaskill and South Bendigo great Alan "The Fox" McDonald were worthy recipients of "Legend" status.

The selection panel for the Hall of Fame was chairman Peter Davey, Andrew Jakubans, Peter Tyack, Richard Jones, Carol Cathcart, Ron Cawthan and Paul Byrne.

Kangaroo Flat FNC

When it comes to netball in Bendigo, few people have had the impact of Carol Bingham.

Bingham coached 598 games in 11 years with her beloved Roos.

She had a 72 per cent winning rate across 11 seasons and coached nine premierships, including four in A-grade. Bingham also coached the BFNL inter-league netball team six times.

Castlemaine, Kyneton, Kangaroo Flat and Eaglehawk

400 senior games, premiership player, premiership coach, Michelsen Medal winner, multiple club best and fairest awards and 23 time inter-league representative - Derrick Filo's individual record is as good as it gets in the BFNL.

Filo had a major impact at all four clubs he represented and is arguably the best inter-league player in BFNL history.

Castlemaine

John Jefferies emulates his father, Jack, with Hall of Fame induction.

Jefferies played 231 games for the Magpies, including the 1992 premiership.

The loyal Magpie won the BFNL goalkicking award in 1987 with 83 goals and was named as one of Castlemaine's greatest 25 players.

Sandhurst, Golden Square and Kangaroo Flat

Lee enjoyed success at all three clubs he represented.

Originally from the Swan Hill and Tyntynder region, the rebounding defender played in three-straight flags for Sandhurst from 1932 to 1934.

He joined Square for its inaugural season in 1935 and played in the Dogs' premiership sides in 1938, 1939 and 1945. Lee later joined Kangaroo Flat where he coached the Roos to a Bendigo Football Association premiership in 1948.

Bendigo Umpires Association

Millar umpired football in central Victoria for more than 20 years.

Through the 1980s and 1990s, Millar officiated more than 300 senior BFNL games, including the 1986, 1990 and 1996 grand finals.

Millar was umpire of the year in 1990 and in retirement he had two stints as Bendigo Umpires Association coach and a four-year term as chairman.

Castlemaine

The champion full-forward turned his back on an AFL career with Carlton to play with his hometown club.

Carlton's loss was Castlemaine's and the BFNL's gain. Oliver kicked 1021 goals for the Magpies, including 24 hauls of 10 or more in a game.

He helped the Pies to premiership glory in 1992 and 2000, won the Ron Best Medal four times, 10 time inter-league representative, was named in the Castlemaine team of the century, had coaching stints with the Pies and South Bendigo and was the BFNL chief executive officer for five years.

Kyneton, Gisborne

The Kyneton and Gisborne full-forward's self-titled nickname was "Revenue" because he dragged people through the gates. In his prime he was right.

A brilliant career with two clubs that included four premierships, 732 goals, five Ron Best medals, three club best and fairest awards, Victoria Country selection and six BFNL inter-league jumpers.

Reaper was named full-forward in the Gisborne team of the century.

Sandhurst

The versatile key forward and defender was only the second player in Sandhurst FNC history to reach the 300-game mark.

After making his senior debut in 1987, Sexton played 305 senior games, with the highlight the Dragons' 2004 grand final win over Gisborne.

Sexton represented the BFNL seven times and was captain of the inter-league team which won the division two championship in 2000.

Maryborough, Castlemaine

Sing enjoyed a stellar career of more than 150 games for Maryborough and Castlemaine.

The midcourt star became the first player to win the Betty Thompson Medal twice in 1992 and 1996.

Sing won five best and fairest awards for Maryborough, represented the BFNL at inter-league level and now has the under-17 league best and fairest medal named in her honour.

South Bendigo

Wright gave 27 years of service to the Bloods as a player, coach, runner and administrator before he tragically passed away at the age of 38 in 1998.

Wright's playing career was cut short at 144 games because of knee injuries.

In 1982 he was appointed South Bendigo senior coach - the youngest in the club's history.

He coached the Bloods for two years, was captain in 1984 and reappointed coach in 1986.

Wright played inter-league football nine times and captained the BFNL in 1983.

Golden Square, Sandhurst and Northern United

The greatest goalkicker in BFNL history.

Best, who was originally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986, kicked 1624 goals including an astonishing 48 bags of 10 or more goals in a game.

Best's most prolific season was in 1980 when he kicked 161 goals for Golden Square and was playing-coach of the Dogs' premiership side.

It was one of five BFNL premierships for Best. In 1973 at the age of 23, he became the youngest premiership-winning coach in BFNL history when he led Sandhurst to the flag.

His other flags came with Sandhurst in 1977, Golden Square in 1979-80 and Northern United in 1984.

Best kicked 11 goals in the 1984 grand final which turned out to be his last game in the BFNL.

Read more: The Best of Ron's goalkicking exploits

Sandhurst, Golden Square

Ford holds the record as the greatest premiership-winning player and/or coach in BFNL history.

Ford played in or coached 13 premierships with the Dragons and Bulldogs between 1929 and 1949.

Ford played in six-straight Sandhurst flags from 1929-34. The utility player added the 1937 premiership with Sandhurst to his collection before joining Square where he was playing-coach of the Bulldogs' first BFNL flag in 1938.

The Bulldogs made it two straight in 1939 before the war forced Ford out of football for the best part of five years. Upon return, Ford helped the Square win the 1945 premiership and then returned to Sandhurst where he led the club to three-straight flags from 1947-49.

Read more: Square, Sandhurst to play for Red Ford Cup

Sandhurst

Known as the "Prince of Coaches", McCaskill set a BFNL record of six-straight premierships when he was playing-coach of Sandhurst's flags from 1929-34.

McCaskill had been with Richmond in the VFL for four seasons before moving to Bendigo and Sandhurst won his signature as a recruit.

McCaskill was widely-regarded as a master tactician and his success with Sandhurst was built around a high level of fitness and discipline.

The only club that came close to defeating Sandhurst in its six-straight flags was South Bendigo in the 1931 grand final when the margin was 12 points.

Read more: McCaskill a true legend of Sandhurst FNC

South Bendigo

Nicknamed "The Fox", McDonald is South Bendigo's greatest coach, having led the Bloods to five premierships in seven years between 1950 and 1956.

After playing 49 games with Richmond in the VFL and two seasons with Camberwell in the VFA, McDondald joined the lowly Bloods and he built them into a power.

The ruck-rover led South to flags in 1950, 51, 54, 55 and 56.

After reaching the 200-game milestone with South in 1956, McDonald returned to Richmond for four years.

South Bendigo lured him back as coach for a second term and he stayed with the Bloods until the end of 1964.

Golden Square, Northern United

One of the greatest ruckmen to play in the BFNL, Southcombe played in eight premierships and won the Michelsen Medal twice.

Southcombe won the Michelsen Medal in 1972 and 75 with Golden Square - the same years he won his first two flags with the Dogs.

Southcombe was playing-coach of Square's flags in 1975 and 76 before he spent half a season with Carlton in the VFL where he played 13 games.

On return to Bendigo, Southcombe added another premiership with Golden Square in 1979.

Northern United won four-straight flags from 1984-87, with Southcombe playing-coach in the first three premierships.

Read more: United reflects on a golden era

Graham Arthur

Ron Best

Wally Culpitt

Kevin Curran

Eddie Esposito

Reg Ford

George Ilsley

Bob McCaskill

Alan Martin

Peter Moroni

Alf Odgers

George Ogilvie

Clive Philp

Peter Pianto

Colin Rice

Tony Southcombe

Fred Swift

Alan Williams

Greg Williams

Herb Zegelin

Bill Bonney

Francis Burke

Frank Crapper

Brendan Hartney

Jack Jefferies

Trevor Keogh

Frank Lenaghan

Alan McDonald

Harry Morgan

Garry Mountjoy

Shane Muir

Peter Tyack

Ron Cawthan

Peter Davey

Peter Fyffe

Tony Kelly

Herb Milburn

Neil Monro

Robert O'Connell

Alan Patterson

Neville Strauch

Ron Threlfall

Phil Byrne

Gary Evans

Brendan Keane

John Ledwidge

Kevin Parks

Stan Plowman

Ron McHardy

Steve McKerrow

Harry Watts

Ron Wicks

Carol Bingham

Derrick Filo

John Jefferies

Richie Lee

Geoff Millar

Steven Oliver

Steven Reaper

Matt Sexton

Carol Sing

Graeme Wright

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