
Golden Square Football Netball Club will honour one of its greatest football teams at Saturday's BFNL clash with South Bendigo at Wade Street.
The Bulldogs will host their 1972 premiership team to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its grand final win over the Bloods.
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The Bill Bonney-coached Bulldogs defeated the Bloods 14.12 (96) to 11.9 (75) in the 1972 grand final.
Bonney, now 86, remembers the successful season as if it was yesterday.
"What made it a great team was they got fitter than they had ever been and they were a team in every sense of the word,'' Bonney said.
"They teamed so well together and you could say we brought a new style of footy to the Bendigo league.
"We ran the ball and kept the ball moving because we were so fit. That's the reason we won the premiership.
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"The South Bendigo team we played in the grand final were bigger and stronger than us, but they ran out of puff.
"We ran them into the ground."
The 1972 premiership team was captained by the late great Peter Moroni, with champion big man Tony Southcombe vice-captain.
A young Ray Byrne, fresh from the under-18s, made his mark on senior football which helped pave the way to a successful VFL career with Carlton, Collingwood and Geelong.
The late Mike Hammond was the club's star recruit, having previously played with Richmond in the 1960s.
"Most of them were young players that we brought up,'' Bonney said.
"Ray Byrne was only 18 and he was outstanding and George Miller was a very good young player.
"Tony Southcombe was fantastic. We actually played him in the forward line most of the time rather than the ruck.
"We had Barry Waycott and Keith Rayner, who were both very talented players, to use in the ruck and that allowed us to play Tony in the forward line.
"Peter Moroni was a great inspiration. He was one of the best players to play at Square and he dominated his wing every week.
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"In the backline, Shane Rodda was one of the most under-rated defenders to ever play in the Bendigo league. If you scored a goal against Shane you really earned it. Peter Davey was similar.
"We kept sides to losing scores because of those blokes. They played for the team. They didn't care if they didn't get a kick, as long as their opponent didn't get one."
Golden Square 1972 premiership squad:
Bill Bonney (coach), Peter Moroni (captain), Tony Southcombe (vice-captain), Ray Byrne, Bruce Clardige, Jeff Ervin, Wayne Garner, Mike Hammond, Jeff Harris, Les Holt, Bruce Hutchinson, Malcolm Lundberg, Pat McGrath, George Miller, Keith Rayner, Shane Rodda, John Rogers, Ian Scarff, Peter Scarrot, Barry Waycott.
MATCH DETAILS
GOLDEN SQUARE 5.1 7.3 12.8 14.12 (96)
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SOUTH BENDIGO 1.5 6.9 8.9 11.9 (75)
GOALS - Golden Square: I. Scariff 4, M. Lundberg, G. Miller 3, P. McGrath 2, P. Moroni, M. Hammond 1. South Bendigo: P. Hutcheson, D. Tuddenham 3, T. Fletcher 2, J. Hay, B. McCarthy, J. McCubbery 1.
BEST - Golden Square: P. Moroni, R. Byrne, I. Scariff, M. Lundberg, S. Rodda, P. Scarrott. South Bendigo: J. McCubbery, D. Tuddenham, J. Hay, T. Lee, D. Carter, R. Evans.
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