Square Downs South in 1972’s Big Dance
Golden Square won its sixth BFL flag five decades back with a 21-point victory over South Bendigo in the 1972 grand final.
Although some Bendigo Addy writers and other commentators described the grannie “as far from a fine match” that didn’t matter to Bulldog players and supporters.
Led by an outstanding effort from ace winger Peter Moroni Square maintained its pressure on a rock-hard QEO and on an unexpectedly hot September afternoon to run South down.
Final scores: Golden Square 14.12 (96) def. South Bendigo 11.9 (75). Crowd: 8,000.
Club skipper Moroni again led by example with totals of 29 kicks, 10 marks and three handballs and was voted best afield.
He emphasised his BOG status with 11 possessions in the tense last quarter with the result still in the balance.
Nineteen-year-old Ray Byrne, Square’s junior vice-captain, played just in front of Moroni on the same flanks, but on the half-forward line.
Byrne picked up eight kicks in the tight last quarter with Square able to control play along that flank.
Even though he was still in his teens Byrne stood out for courage.
Twice felled heavily in the opening quarter he regained his composure and played better and better as the grand final progressed.
Byrne ended up close behind Moroni as best afield.
One press report states that “South had the courage, physical strength and determination to match the Square, but couldn’t match its skill and fitness.”
One Blood to stand out, using all his experience and skill in the windy conditions, was Jeff McCubbery.
“He hovered around the half-back line and picked up kicks at will,” the Monday match report read.
Rovers John Hay and David Tuddenham were effective players, 33-year-old veteran Trevor Lee played well on his back flank and Doug Carter did a wonderful job in defence.
Carter made a surprise Big Dance appearance for the Bloods. He had spent most of grand final week in bed with influenza.
Looking back a tiny bit, readers will remember the name “Trevor Lee”.
Yep, he was the QEO ground manager for many seasons. He used to pop up into the pressbox for a Saturday or Sunday chat every now and then after checking with the ground entrance fee collectors.
And at match end Trev. was busy unwrapping the padding from around the goal and behind posts at both ends of the QEO.
He was very keen to discuss not only South’s form but how his Princes Park Blues were going in the AFL, as well.
Returning to the ’72 grannie and South captain-coach Bernie McCarthy was dogged by cramp at centre half-forward.
His pace was well down in the second half as Square key defender, the fleet footed Peter ‘Charger’ Davey, ran off him constantly.
It was a tight grannie all afternoon. Scores were level at half-time and the Addy sports writers noted that “the winner would be the side which didn’t crack. That side was Golden Square.”
A tight defence of Les Holt, Shane Rodda, John Rogers, Byrne, Davey and Peter Scarrot --- all of whom either beat or broke even with their Bloods’ opponents --- kept South to a low score.
At the attacking end rover Dick Scarff bagged four majors in his 50th senior game, Mal Lundberg and the elusive 18-year-old left-footer George Miller both kicked three and the reliable Pat McGrath chipped in with two.
In the handball department Mike Hammond and Barry Waycott both gave off six and Wayne Garner five in the Bulldogs’ total of 42.
South only managed a team total of 22 handpasses with McCubbery the stand-out with six.
The ’72 flag marked a double celebration for vice-captain and ruckman Tony ‘Bluey’ Southcombe.
Earlier in grand final week he had won the first of his two BFL Michelsen Medals.
And the grand final win was doubly sweet for the Square, its players, club officials and supporters.
Only a year earlier the Dogs had kicked the lowest score in grand final history: 3.10 (28) against premiers Eaglehawk who finished with 15.13 (103).
It was the Borough’s second flag in four years. They’d beaten South by a kick in 1968: 8.16 to 8.10.
The terrible 1971 score hadn’t fazed president George Symons. “These baby Bulldogs will soon grow up,” he said straight after the play-off, and of course, they did.
The ’72 premiership was a fitting reward for winning coach Bill Bonney. “He’d put in seasons of discipline and hard work,” the Addy report noted.
“No man in the BFL was more dedicated to winning the 1972 premiership and no man deserved it more.”
For South coach McCarthy it was a huge disappointment in his first year at the helm after an illustrious 165-game career at North Melbourne.
But he was back again for the Bloods as they took out the 1974 premiership:
Sadly for Square at their 2022 reunion to mark a half-century since their 1972 win five members of the premiership team had passed away.
They’re Peter Moroni, Mike Hammond, Keith Rayner, Barry Waycott and Les Holt.
The club release said: “Our five premiership players will always be respectfully remembered by their teammates.”
The Square wasn’t going to languish long waiting for more flags.
They won again in 1975-76 and then in 1979. Two more flags went to the Bulldogs in the late Eighties and then along came their sensational run of five straight: 2009-2010-2011-2012 and 2013.
Not to forget lightly their 2001 success when they came from the elimination final to win on four, straight weekends in a row.
Going back a little further and the Square had four players named in the BFL-Comet All Stars side for 1985.
They were Dean Strauch (centre-line), Robert Smith and Phillip ‘Toot’ Morgan (forward pockets), and Alan ‘Patto’ Patterson (interchange ruckman).
Brian Walsh was the All Star coach, but that was in his Sandhurst days before he switched to the Square as the senior mentor.
The goal-to-goal line was a powerful one: Tony McCarthy (NU) full-back; Mark Grave (Kyn) centre half-back; Frank Coghlan (Sh) centre; Gavin Exell (NU) centre half-forward and Steve McKerrow (K Flat) full-forward.
The followers were Martin Sloan (Sh), Phil Byrne (S. Bgo) and Shane Muir (Kyn).
Then an important cog in the BFL of the period North Bendigo had two players in the All Stars line-up: Peter Hamilton in the back pocket and Ross Alford on a half-forward flank.
Castlemaine had only one player in the selected team –- back-pocket specialist and former BFL board member, Ron Cawthan.
Apart from Grave, Michelsen Medallist on-baller Shane Muir was the only other Kyneton player in the 20.
Perhaps a surprise selection, the Kennington defender Ken Cousins was one of the two half-back flankers. The other was Sandhurst’s John Harrison.
