Memorable BFNL personalities who have passed away
Looking back over your records, as I do semi-regularly, a writer comes across a number of central Victorian footy personalities who are no longer with us.
I’ve mentioned in these columns on other occasions three of my old footy broadcasting mates --- John Forbes, Geoff Morris and John Hall --- who have sadly passed on.
I’ll come to one of them shortly but first I want to record the details of some others.
Ray ‘Bluey’ Watts was one memorable legend associated with the Eaglehawk Football and Netball Club.
Bluey had a half-century of involvement with the Two Blues and although primarily known as the runner for the senior side had also served in many other roles.
He’d been the team manager, water carrier, jumper washer and general advice-giver among his many duties at home games in Canterbury Park and at away games, too.
Long-serving Hawks club secretary Gerard Ilsley said Bluey was “a vocal supporter of the Borough” and known to many opposition fans, as well as to his home crowd.
“His support and work for the club was incredible. And though we have had hundreds and hundreds of supporters over the years Bluey was unique in so many ways,” Mr Ilsley said.
We used to see him occasionally on our semi-regular walks around Lake Neangar and Lake Tom Thumb.
Watts died, aged only 62, at Lilley Lodge (now known as Estia Health) in Long Gully in late February, 2011.
Incoming Gisborne under-18 coach Steve Simpson collapsed and died at Gardiner Reserve, also in February 2011, while supervising training.
Mr Simpson, 53, could not be revived and passed away from heart disease.
Although he was known at the Graveyard as ‘Gisborne’s Mr. Football’ Simpson had been a North Melbourne under-19 player in his teenage years.
In 1978 he won the VFL’s Morrish Medal as the league fairest and best. Simpson tied with Fitzroy’s Andy McPhie.
At that time he was one of only nine Kangaroos to have claimed a Morrish Medal.
He was listed as Gizzy’s under-18 coach for the 2011 season and also served on the club’s management committee as the vice-president.
In a poignant touch Mr Simpson was wearing his Cameron Smith boots when he collapsed. He was a close friend of Melbourne Storm’s NRL premiership player and captain, Cameron Smith.
I’ve heard Cameron address spectators and guests in the club committee rooms during the half-time break at the Gardiner Reserve.
It was Steve Simpson who’d invited Smith to speak and officiate at the presentations on behalf of the Gisborne FNC.
BFNL Hall of Famer and Eaglehawk Team of the Century coach, John Ledwidge, was well known not only to me but many, many other central Victorian and Melbourne footy followers.
I’d see him not just at footy matches and BFNL dinners, but also at the accountancy firm where we were clients and he was a taxation and investment consultant.
He played and coached in more than 400 BFL matches with stints as senior coach at both Golden Square and Eaglehawk.
After his stint with the South Melbourne Swans in the then VFL John was actually playing coach at Wade Street.
And between 1959 and 1965 he led the Square Bulldogs to two BFL flags: in 1964 and 1965.
For the first five years John was playing coach, only stepping down as coach at the end of ’63, but continuing as a vital player for the remaining two seasons.
And in 1962 he captain-coached Bendigo to the state’s first-ever Caltex Country Championship with a grand final victory at Horsham.
The Blue and Golds downed Wimmera 16.19 (115) to 13.9 (87) with Terry Bowe and Ken Peucker booting four goals apiece.
Rochester’s ace ruckman Ray Willett was named not only as Bendigo’s top player but also best afield with an appropriate trophy at match end.
Transferring to Eaglehawk, John Ledwidge was the Two Blues’ player-coach for the 1968 premiership flag.
Employment in the North Central region meant John was away from Bendigo footy for a while before returning to coach Eaglehawk again, this time for the 1970-1971 seasons.
The 1971 BFL premiership, and the Bendigo Advertiser Cup, were his and Eaglehawk’s that season.
John Ledwidge had two further stints at Canterbury Park coaching the Hawks in 1978 and 1979 with the side making the preliminary finals in both seasons.
Perhaps his crowning achievement was his selection as coach of the Eaglehawk Football Club’s Team of the Century at a gala event held in 2005, marking the Two Blues’ 125th anniversary.
His BFNL service spanned 28 seasons, captaining a senior side for nine years and racking up 185 matches.
He had 270 matches as coach to his credit which amounted to an amazing total of 455 senior BFNL games, including four premierships.
John Ledwidge was 84 when he died in late November, 2018.
And the Sacred Heart Cathedral was packed with mourners and footy personalities at his funeral.
Bendigo Addy sports writer Adam Bourke and I estimated the total number of mourners was close to a four figure total.
We were in the standing room only section of the Cathedral, right up the back. There wasn’t a spare seat left so we stood for the entire service.
BFNL footy supporter John Hall was another person with whom I had a great relationship.
Even when he wasn’t 100 per cent healthy he’d always turn up in person for our weekly Wednesday sports talk and footy tips programme on Phoenix-FM radio.
He’d rely on a family member to drive him to the station’s studio when he wasn’t too fit, but was always adamant that he’d be there.
John Hall actually paid me a visit in the St John of God Hospital where I was recovering from a mild heart flutter.
It was mid-August 2017 and John, on his walking frame, came up in the lift to my private room on the second floor.
We discussed what had been happening in local and AFL footy and the following day I was able to attend the South Bendigo—Kangaroo Flat game at the Neale Street oval after being discharged on the Saturday morning.
And write the match report for the Monday Advertiser.
Even though he used his walking frame daily during his latter years John would stand below the commentary box at the QEO to watch South or Sandhurst matches.
But he parked his car early for Eaglehawk home matches as close as he could to the scoreboard.
Sometimes he’d be at Canterbury Park alongside the late Eaglehawk Mayor, Cr. Jack Taylor, or they’d occupy just the one car to cheer on their beloved Two Blues.
Like a lot of Phoenix-FM and Hawks footy people we all packed into the well-known Eaglehawk funeral parlour to farewell John at his family funeral service.
