News
BFNL REWIND - Clubs vote to extend finals bench number
News
BFNL REWIND - Clubs vote to extend finals bench number
Published on:
20 March 2025
BACK in 2011 a majority of the BFNL clubs voted to extend the number of interchange players from three to four for that season's finals series.
The club presidents' vote 14 seasons back was 7-3 in favour of the increase with only Sandhurst, Eaglehawk and Castlemaine opposed to the change.
"It was a majority of our clubs who voted in favour of the change. And that majority was what was needed to get the vote across the line," BFNL CEO Steven Oliver said.
"We will see how it goes through the finals and we will take recommendations at either our annual general meeting or our first presidents' meeting in 2012 as to whether to implement it for all of the season next year," he explained.
The topic of four on the bench had been raised quite frequently in the seasons leading up to 2011 with the August 2011 positive vote to trial four interchange for that year's finals a step towards its full-time introduction for the 2012 season.
And here's what the seven coaches, still with senior sides in finals contention, had to say about the new move.
Nick Carter (Golden Square): It's a common sense decision that will allow us to fully maximise our bench rotations. What better way to trial it than in the finals when the footy is played at top speed.
Luke Monaghan (Eaglehawk): I sat 50-50 on this proposal. I've coached with four on the bench before and really enjoyed the opportunity to rotate the players a bit more.
We've been caught out a couple of times this year with no players left on the bench, so it will definitely be good for that. I look forward to being able to take the extra player.
Luke Saunders (Gisborne): I don't have a problem with it at all. I don't think it's going to be too advantageous for any particular team.
It's just going to be helpful for everyone. We've got a number of players who are pushing for selection, so the extra number gives those players a chance, as well.
Rick Coburn (South Bendigo): We've been a fan of four for the bench in all matches for a few years now. At times when you lose a couple of players to injury early (in matches) it really restricts the way you can play. So we're in favour of four for the bench.
It's a good idea and it should be in for all games each year.
Darryl Wilson (Strathfieldsaye): We've had a couple of games this year where an extra player would have been really helpful. A lot of the leagues are doing it now so I think it's a good move.
Hopefully, it comes in from Rd. 1 next year.
Tony Graham (Sandhurst): I'm neither for it or against it. What surprises me is why would you have it just for the finals if you don't have it for the home-and-away season ?
Why change the rules in the competition during the season ? It doesn't make sense to me.
Matt Aston (Maryborough): We've had a couple of weeks now where we've struggled with blokes being sore and we've ended up being left short on the bench.
I was keen on maybe the fourth player being an under-18 kid who may have played that day already that I might want to have a look at for one or two quarters.
Four on the bench for the finals, that's when you probably need it the most. So I don't have a problem with four at all.
In other 2011 news Kangaroo Flat's team structure was undergoing a major upheaval with the news gun spearhead Justin 'Harry' Maddern was stepping up into the Bendigo Bombers VFL side.
He'd nailed 51 majors in seven games with the Roos up to mid-season 14 years back but had played three games with the Bombers, nailing 11 goals.
Harry's personal best was a six-goal tally against Geelong at Skilled Stadium in his first outing.
"I'm really enjoying it so, hopefully, I can keep my spot and string a few more games together," Harry told the Addy.
He was looking forward to stepping out on the newly re-developed QEO --- the old rectangular shape had been cut back to a real 'oval' 14 years ago -- for the June 25th clash against Williamstown.
Maddern was the sole Bendigo representative in the side which was dominated by Essendon-listed players and Melbourne-based VFL: footballers.
"The QEO looks sensational. It's just like carpet so it's going to be nice to run around on," he said.
Maddern was just one part of a star-studded Bendigo Bombers forward line which also had Matt Little, Tory Dickson, Scott Gumbleton, Mark Williams and Ariel Steinberg on the team list. [Good luck with remembering all those names --- as a Geelong fan they don't ring any bells with me.]
But Little had 32 goals to his name by mid-June 2011 while Dickson had nailed 30. They sat second and third on the VFL goal kicking table.
In the A grade netball Golden Square sat on top of the table with Eaglehawk, Sandhurst, Gisborne and Kangaroo Flat rounding out the Top Five.
The Addy rated Jess Geary, Jacqueline Dupuy and Kath Basilewsky as the Square's Top Three while Christie Rogers, Carmel Mulcahy and Lauren Ryan were the Two Blues top trio. The Dragons Top Three were Abby Gilmore, Brianna Dalrymple-Monro and Chloe Watson.
The Wade Street Dogs faced a season defining clash against the Dragons at the start of July --- the only club to down the Dogs in the 2011 season with that loss coming in Rd. 2.
As always Gisborne was right in the mix having beaten Eaglehawk and drawn with the Hurst in the first half of the season.
Back to the footy and two AFL stars were in the headlines that winter 14 seasons ago.
Ben Cousins, the 2005 Brownlow medallist, had signed with Riddell District League club Romsey for the remainder of the 2011 season.
Cousins had faced a few turbulent seasons on the personal front after his AFL career with West Coast and Richmond had wound down.
Maryborough player Stewart Crameri, who had started out in the Magpie junior ranks, had his AFL contract with Essendon extended until the end of the 2013 season.
The 22-year-old had started 2011 off brilliantly nailing 21 goals in 12 games and topped the Bombers goal kicking table.
He'd played senior footy with Maryborough as an 18-year-old spearhead having started out in the top Magpie side as a 16-year-old in 2005.
And then he'd been invited to train with the Bendigo Bombers by coach Matthew Knights who placed him on the half-back line when he made his VFL debut in 2007.
"I didn't really know how to play footy until I joined the Bendigo Bombers and (coach) Knights was clear that he considered I needed to learn the game by playing back.
"Later he moved me into the midfield for the Bombers and now I'm back to being a forward with Essendon under James Hird," he told the Addy.
