Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
SOUTH Bendigo will miss out on one of its most cherished days of the season this Saturday with the Bendigo Football-Netball League again facing another weekend of missed competition.
The Bloods were due to play traditional rivals Sandhurst at the QEO in their annual Graeme Wright Memorial Cup match.
However, what was meant to be round 14 of the season will instead be another frustrating weekend of stalled competition as the Victorian lockdown that at this stage will run until 11.59pm on Tuesday continues to keep all indoor and outdoor community sport closed.
"This is always one of our biggest days of the season playing Sandhurst for the Graeme Wright Memorial Cup," South Bendigo president Alan Ellis said on Thursday.
"Sandhurst is holding the cup at the moment, but we were fairly optimistic we would have been able to win it back.
"It's always a clash we look forward to against our traditional QEO rival, so it's obviously disappointing it won't go ahead on Saturday.
"For as long as I can remember both clubs have always looked forward to getting a bit of one-upmanship on the other and the accolade that goes with winning the cup.
"I think it's important that all clubs should know what their history is and celebrate those great contributors who have helped shape the club and Graeme certainly fitted that mould with South Bendigo."
I think it's important that all clubs should know what their history is and celebrate those great contributors who have helped shape the club and Graeme certainly fitted that mould with South Bendigo
- Alan Ellis - South Bendigo president
Primarily a key defender, Wright played 138 senior games for South Bendigo and was just 23 when he took over as coach of the Bloods in the back half of the 1982 season.
He coached the Bloods again in 1983 before another stint in 1986 after his career had been cut short by a serious knee injury.
A life member at the Bloods and integral in the development of the club's QEO social rooms, Wright died in February, 1998, four years after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.
"It's great we can continue to honour Graeme, particularly as he still has a strong family connection at the club through his son, Brad, who is a past captain and nearly a 200-game player," Ellis said.
"And his daughter, Emma, still plays netball with us and runs our AusKick... families at South Bendigo have always been really important and we think we're a good family club."
If their earlier encounter was anything to go by, Saturday's match between the season's big improver Bloods (5th) and Dragons (2nd) would have been a ripper.
The Dragons won their round five battle by nine points after withstanding a withering last-quarter surge from the Bloods.
The Bloods under senior coach Nathan Horbury are well on the path to playing finals for the first time since 2012.
With an 8-3 record and having won their past four games in a row, the Bloods are eight points inside the top five.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark bendigoadvertiser.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter @BgoAddy
- Follow us on Instagram @bendigoadvertiser
- Join us on Facebook
- Follow us on Google News