Kennington plays off in 1950 BFA grand final

Although those of us old enough to remember the dim, dark days Kennington-Strathdale endured in their final seasons in the  BFL, the Saints had actually enjoyed some bright patches in the old Bendigo Football Association.

In 1950, for instance, the Parakeets made the grand final after finishing on top of the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season.

Along with White Hills, the two clubs finished with 52 premiership points well clear of YCW (40) and Northern United (38).

The Keets eliminated Kangaroo Flat from finals contention with a 38-point win in August’s concluding match before the finals began.

The Roos needed a win to displace United from the Final Four but trailed the Parakeets at every change.

Kennington was almost five goals clear at halftime (7.5 to 2.7) and added six goals to four in the last half.

Final scores: Kennington 13.8 (86) def. Kang. Flat 6.12 (48). Centre half-forward Ron Woolley nailed five of Kennington’s 13 goals. His brilliant marking skills were on full display.

But before we look back on the Keets’ 1950 finals campaign let’s see how they got to top spot on the BFA ladder.

Under newly appointed coach Stan Millar Kennington won its first three games in the 1950 season.

The Keets downed North Bendigo by 71 points in Round 1, played at the Hillies’ Scott Street oval. No home ground advantage for either club.

Kennington increased its lead at each quarter break after holding the Bulldogs to no score in the opening term.

Final scores: Kennington 16.12 def. North Bendigo 5.7.

A low scoring, scrambly match was the outcome in Rd. 2. The Parakeets downed Northern United at the Neale Street oval.

They only managed seven goals, with Alan Nalder contributing four of those, but they held the Swallows to just a meagre 2.5 (17) for the afternoon.

It was three wins on the trot for the Keets with a six-goal victory over Huntly in another low-scoring encounter in Round 3.

Huntly booted three of their four goals in the opening term while the inaccurate Keets managed only eight goals for the day from 22 scoring shots.

Scores: 8.14 (62) to 4.2 (26).

By the middle of July the Keets had suffered just two losses after inflicting Provincial’s first defeat of the season in Rd. 4.

YCW beat the Keets by a goal on June 19 before Northern United won the 10 July match by seven points. Still, the Keets were 7-2 around the halfway point of the 1950 season, restricting North Bendigo to just a solitary major in Rd. 8.

Perhaps the highlight of the Keets’ run home was their drawn match out at White Hills on 21 July.

Nalder was again the star of the day nailing five of the Keets seven goals.

But his teammates in defence couldn’t contain the Hillies’ forwards as the home team added 3.8 in the final term, locking the ball inside their half of the ground for the entire stanza.

Final scores: Kennington 7.13 (55) drew White Hills 7.13 (55).

Then it was on to the end of July and into August with the 31 July fixture against Provincial another nail-biter.

Another low scoring match saw the Keets emerge the winners by nine points after the sides were on level pegging terms at the main break.

The Keets managed to add two goals to the Pros. one in the second half to scrape home: 4.9 to 3.6.

Coach Millar had them firing a lot better in the game at Marong but their inaccuracy still plagued them with Nalder (3 goals) again voted best afield, while George Hardy was voted Kennington’s second-best player.

And so the concluding rounds of the season were all of a sudden looming over the BFA sides although the Keets were able to play just one of their final two games.

The scheduled match against YCW on 21 August wasn’t played. YCW was protesting to the BFA following a report of one of their officials and the club didn’t field any sides for the 21 August fixtures: seniors or reserves.

Kennington took home the four, premiership points on a forfeit.

However, the 28 August match was to prove pivotal for Kangaroo Flat.

As I’ve noted earlier, the Keets led comfortably at each break and left the final ladder standings as:

Kennington 52 premiership points, White Hills 52, YCW 40, United 38, Kangaroo Flat 36, Huntly 20, Marong 8, North Bendigo 4.

So into September and the Saints were trounced in the second semi-final leading to a crunch prelim. final against Northern United.

It was a re-match of the 1949 preliminary final, won by the Swallows by 11 points, but the 1950 must-win game was all over by half-time.

United couldn’t score a goal in the opening term and had just 1.6 to their name by the long break. The Keets were on 5.8 (38) with the last half to go.

Eight goals to five in the run home handed the Keets a 46-point preliminary final victory and a re-match with the Hillies loomed for the 30 September grand final.

The Parakeets actually led at half-time in the big game – 3.3 to 1.11 – before the Hillies unleashed a third term blitz in which they added 6.2 to two behinds.

Kennington was left lamenting with White Hills the 1950 BFA premiers, after winning the grannie by 45 points: 14.15 to 8.6.

Best and fairest for Kennington in the 1950 season was the legendary Alan Nalder with George Hardy the most improved.

Most improved player of the season was a tie between Cliff Barron and Ray Whiffen while Nalder made it a club double with the goalkicking award.

Footy fans across central Victoria will be familiar with the name ‘Nalder’ as the best senior player on BFNL grand final day is awarded the Alan Nalder medal.

And although they went down in the 1950 grannie, the rest of the 50s and into the 60s were to become the Keets’ ‘Golden Era’.

In a 14-year stint the Keets played off in five grand finals, winning one and going down in the other four by less than a goal or two each time.

However, the next season in 1951 wasn’t a great one for the Keets and captain-coach Stan Millar as Kennington finished outside the Top Four in fifth spot, a clear three games behind fourth-placed Kangaroo Flat.

Still, it was a long way better than what played out into the 1980s with Kennington-Strathdale --- by then, the Saints --- regularly ending up in the Bendigo Football League cellar

With thanks for his assistance to Peter Harrick, official historian of the Kennington-Strathdale footy club.

Peter also reminded me recently that 2023 will mark the 30th year since the Saints folded --- 1993 was their final season.