News
BFNL REWIND - Castlemaine's all-time Top-10
News
BFNL REWIND - Castlemaine's all-time Top-10
Published on:
07 March 2025
Castlemaine has provided a host of top-flight players during its long history in the Bendigo Football Netball League, formerly just the BFL.
In the Magpies inaugural year, 1925, they went down by four points to South Bendigo in the grand final: 7.2 (44) to 6.4 (40).
But the Magpies rebounded strongly the following season to snatch the 1926 flag comfortably: 13.18 (96) to Sandhurst's 8.16 (64).
So its important to look back at the Camp Reserve Pies star-studded history by recalling the Top Ten players from Castlemaine's long history.
The Legends list was outlined at the launch of the book A Day At The Camp, released in June 2009, as one of the big highlights of a gi-normous Maine weekend.
But before I list the Top Ten there's a story I must tell, and one that I'd not known about until I read the Maine history volume.
Apparently in the late 1920s and into the 1930s visiting BFL teams disliked playing at the Camp Reserve.
The reason? There was a cockatoo which used to sit atop one of the goal posts and players swore that he put them off with his cackling when they were lining up for a major.
The cocky belonged to a goal umpire and would fly down to the other end's big sticks when the goalie changed ends. The curse affected the opposition at both ends, reports have suggested.
So let's look at Ten of the Very Best from Castlemaine. In no particular order there's:
Steven Oliver: one of only two key forwards in BFNL history to nail 1,000 career goals. Along with the immortal Ron Best.
Oliver, an athletic two-time premiership player, had returned for the big season in 2009, older and heavier at the age of 38 in his comeback season, but still loving his old teammates and the entire black-and-white community.
Jack Jefferies: No. 1 ruckman in the club's 1952 premiership side and one of the first up on a circus elephant. He formed a mighty combination with Stan Brain in the thunderous grand final victory street parade.
Apart from his on-field prowess Jack was just as renowned for his off-field roles which included seasons as president, treasurer and chairman of selectors.
And as the clubman who mucked out the change rooms on Saturday evenings or Sunday mornings.
John Jefferies, son of Jack: member of the 1992 premiership team, he also served as captain and a key position player either forward or back.
Ended up with more than 200 games to his name.
Wally Culpitt: captain-coach in the 1952 flag-winning season he was a sticky-fingered key position player, master tactician and yet another BFL legend who was still competitive well into his 30s.
Had been a Hawthorn and VFL rep. player before signing on with Castlemaine via Minyip. One of the 20 inaugural BFL Hall of Fame inductees in 1986.
Ron Cawthan: the club's games record-holder at 401 matches who served as Magpies president for long periods from his first season at the helm in 2004.
Ron was named Maine's 'Superboot' for his long driving kicks out of defence and I vividly remember his long runs down the press box wing finishing with a big, penetrating kick into the full-forward line.
A three-time Castlemaine fairest and best award winner.
Derrick Filo: known as 'Dekka" he was often compared by Melbourne press scribes to St. Kilda champion Robert Harvey.
Dekka was a midfielder of great class and resilience who was a non-stop 'goer' with focus, skill and long range goal-kicking skills.
A four-time club fairest and best, he also captained Castlemaine's 1992 premiership team.
Kevin Delmenico: one of the youngest BFNL Michelsen Medallists for league fairest and best, Kevin won as a 20-year old in 1965
sharing the top gong with Echuca's William 'Bill' Serong.
He was a key position backman who was a strong mark and excellent kick. Went on to have a fine career with Footscray and later in the ACT.
John Williams: five-time club fairest and best winner and a Castlemaine life member. John was a brilliant left-footer centreman (a midfielder in today's talk) who was rarely caught.
John was fast, courageous and an excellent overhead mark. Sadly he passed away in early 2009.
Alan Perry: another front-liner in the 1952 flag-winning side. With Stan Brain formed a mighty combination known in the press of the time as 'The Impassables'.
He was also a prodigious long drop kick and after his playing days were over Alan carried on as club treasurer for close on 20 years.
Malcolm Stevens: a captain, senior coach and long-serving club committeeman. Mal mentored dozens of players and I vividly recall our post-match discussions summarising the game we'd both just seen -- he as the senior coach and me as the print media sports journalist.
Was also a Victoria Country team member and was renowned in his playing days for his courage, dedication and team ethic.
Wally Culpitt was inducted into the BFL's very first Hall of Fame in 1986 and later Maine inductees include Jack Jefferies (1996), Ron Cawthan and Peter Fyffe (2010), and Derrick Filo, John Jefferies and Steven Oliver (2019).
And Castlemaine players who have journeyed down to the Big Smoke to play VFL/AFL include: Ron Barassi snr. (Melbourne) 1936-40; Arthur Sanger (Carlton) 1938-1947; Ray Bower (Richmond/Essendon) 1944-47; Graham 'Snowy' Minihan (St Kilda) 1953-59; Bud Annand (St Kilda) 1956-62; Ian O'Halloran (Geelong) 1957; Brian McMillan (Richmond) 1962-64), Kevin Delmenico (Footscray) 1966-70) and Robert Thompson (Essendon) 1968-71.
Peter Hall (Carlton) 1971; Peter Fyffe (Carlton) 1970-73; Mark Cross (Footscray) 1974; Warren 'Wow' Jones (Carlton/St Kilda) 1978-85; Lazar Vidovic (St. Kilda) 1989-97; Steven Oliver (Carlton) 1992-94; Paul Starbuck (Sydney Swans/Carlton) 1990; Adrian Bassett (Carlton) 1990-92; Rod Keogh (Melbourne/St. Kilda) 1990-1998 and Tommy Kavanagh (Melbourne/Fitzroy) 1993-94.
BFNL Hall of Fame members: Wally Culpitt (1986, the HoF inaugural year), Jack Jefferies (1996), Ron Cawthan and Peter Fyffe (2010), Derrick Filo, John Jefferies and Steven Oliver (2019).
And of course one player always for everyone to remember: Dustin Martin (Richmond, 2009--2024) 302 games, 338 goals 3 premierships. Three Norm Smith grand final medals, a Brownlow Medal and four All-Australian teams.
And Dusty had won the BFL's inaugural Bart N Print Rising Star Award when he was a young teenager playing for Castlemaine. That was in 2008.
