News
BFNL REWIND | Square stays alive, mid-July 1995
News
BFNL REWIND | Square stays alive, mid-July 1995
Published on:
24 October 2025
BY RICHARD JONES
Golden Square kept its finals hopes alive and severely dented Maryborough's in early July 1995 with a massive 12-goal victory.
The Princes Park thrashing bolstered the Dogs' percentage and although they were seventh in the 10-club BFNL of the period, Square was just 2.34 per cent behind fifth-placed Castlemaine's percentage.
Early on it was a nervous lead-up to the Maryborough game for the Dogs. Sam Jacobs and Brett Hangan were late withdrawals that afternoon.
Tony Maguire played only the first half of the Twos game and then was called up for seniors duty. And brilliant key forward Dylan Simmons played two full matches --- under-18s and seniors.
More on his great performances under the scoreboard statistics columns here.
Match reporter Nathan Dole wrote the Bulldogs looked sharper as they constantly ran in numbers to contests around the ground.
Home team Magpies looked "a tad sluggish" and seemed to "rely much more on individual efforts", Dole reported.
The game was just about decided at quarter time, Dole wrote, with the Square ahead seven goals to two.
Darren Moorhead controlled play around the ground while Derek Percival, Paul McConville, Nick O'Brien and Peter Garner all won plenty of possessions.
Darren Kulbars, Steve Heincke and Simmons dominated inside forward 50 while Travis Brown and Simon Keating attacked from the back 50m.
Now I know Dole has listed just a tad more than half Square's line-up, but he hadn't completely overlooked the home Magpies' side.
"Anthony McCurry held his own in the ruck contests, Marty Mark, Gordon Sumner and (playing) coach Geoff MacIlwain won their usual share of the footy while Brendon Dix and Robert Redpath tried hard in defence.
"Matthew Aston and Travis Ross were also good for Maryborough, particularly in the third term when they added 5.2 to four goals, but for three terms they struggled upfield and had only two multiple goalkickers."
"The Bulldogs had six multiple goalscorers and many more consistent avenues to goal plus a dominant, running midfield and a terrific back half led by reliable duo Simon Keating and Bruce Hughes," wrote Dole.
The Addy footy writer also noted the consistency of big Darren Kulbars.
"There's no doubt he's playing some of the best footy of his career,," Dole noted.
And Dole had another comment to record, this time on the team perspective.
"Golden Square's climb up the ladder should continue as the team hosts Eaglehawk this Saturday with the Two Blues a shadow of their former greatness ---- second last on the ladder."
"But for Maryborough it will be a tough assignment against top-of-the-table South Bendigo who have lost just one game.
"The Magpies must re-discover some fierce commitment or their end-of-season finals opportunity might be just passing them by."
And there were some vital Tribunal hearings coming up 30 years ago. Champion Maine spearhead Steven Oliver had been booked for allegedly striking Sandhurst defender Peter O'Farrell in the third quarter of the 1st July match at the Camp Reserve.
Castlemaine trainer Mark Walters was scheduled to answer a misconduct charge in that he'd been booked by three umpires for misconduct at the three-quarter time break of the seniors clash between the Maine and the Hurst.
These two charges were laid after the first half of that early July split round 30 seasons back.
Plus, two Maryborough senior players were on report: ruckman Anthony McCurry and defender Robert Redpath.
McCurry had been booked in the Golden Square match for allegedly striking Square rover Travis Brown in the second quarter.
Boundary umpire Chris Tobias filed the report.
As well, Redpath had been reported by boundary umpire David Park for allegedly striking Brad Giri in the last quarter of the Princes Park game.
Maryborough defender Andrew Denahy had already accepted a two-match automatic penalty following the earlier July 1 match. He'd been reported for striking Sandhurst's Chris Greene, father of current day Dragons' co-coach and full-forward Fergus Greene.
Split round 11 Week 2 1995, final scores
Golden Square 7.4. 15.10. 19.10. 20.16 (136)
Maryborough. 2.4. 3.5. 8.7. 9.10 (64)
Major goalkickers, Square: D. Simmons 6, B. Heincke 4, C. McFadden 3, P. Garner 2, N. O'Brien 2, A.Hammond 2. Maryborough: S. Thompson 2, R. Redpath 2.
Best, Square: S. Keating (best on ground), P. Garner, D. Simmons, D. Percival,, B. Hamilton, D. Kulbars, S. Heincke, C. Kerr. Maryborough: M. Aston, G. Sumner, R. Barby, G. MacIlwain, T. Ross.
Kyneton. 4.2. 6.6. 9.8. 16.14 (110)
Northern United. 5.5. 7.5. 9.9. 10.12 (72)
Major goalkickers, Kyneton: P. Cochrane 6, J. Cox 2. United: G. Exell 5, T. Wayman 4.
Best, Kyneton: S. Muir (best on ground), C. Gill, A. McArdle, P. Cass, P. Cochrane, S. Elsum, D,. Filo. United: G. Exell, W. Blake, S. Blake, P. Cooper, M. O'Reilly.
Looking at those stats doesn't convey one amazing fact. Square's Dylan Simmons played around eight quarters that weekend.
Yep, eight quarters. He booted seven goals in his 50th under-18s match with the Bulldogs, then ran out again with the seniors to snag another six. Facts you don't realise (or had completely forgotten) until you start digging into old files.
Ladder: South Bendigo 10 wins, 1 loss, 40 prem. pts; Kyneton 9-2, 190.05%, 36; Sandhurst 9-2, 175.68%, 36; Kang. Flat 8-3, 32; Castlemaine 6-5, 24.
Outside Top Five: Maryborough 5-6, 20; G. Square 4-7, 16; Nthn. Utd 4-7 16; Eaglehawk 1-10, 4 and North Bendigo 0-11, 0 premiership points.
Netball, A grade results: G. Square 43 def. M'borough 37; Kyneton 55 def. N. United 39; South Bendigo 54 def. Nth. Bgo 35; S'hurst 45 def. C'maine 26 and Eaglehawk 47 def. Kang. Flat 30.
Vic Country Div. One footy grand final at Swan Hill: Gippsland/LaTrobe 27.9 (171) def. Mid Murray 9.8 (62).
Coming up: South Bendigo's fantastic 1995 season, but pipped at the post by the Kyneton Tigers in a huge Big Dance upset.
