News
BFNL REWIND | Kennington in the late 1970s
News
BFNL REWIND | Kennington in the late 1970s
Published on:
16 February 2026
WITH all the proposed club movements into the BFNL and Broadford already a member body for the 2026 season let's look back at one of our previous clubs which wound up in the 1990s.
I'm referring to the Kennington-Strathdale F.C. of course, which won the 1956 Olympic year Bendigo Footy Association flag, but found conditions ultra tough when they joined the BFL.
In 1978 the Saints started the season looking promising. VFL full-back and Richmond star the late Fred Swift had been appointed non-playing coach, eventual BFNL Hall of Famers Steve McKerrow and Phil Byrne were skipper and vice-captain respectively and Alan Rancie had been signed from the Collingwood under-19s.
Things looked great for Swift and Co. when the Saints won their opening two games. With McKerrow nailing six majors Kennington belted Kyneton at the Showgrounds: 22.12 (144) to the Tigers 15.10 (100).
They followed up with a hard-fought victory over South at Kennington's home ground, the Neale Street oval (now the Bloods' home), after trailing by 18 points at the main break.
Wingman John Parsons had kept Kennington within reach with three vital first half majors. Along with fellow mid Alan Rancie Parsons kept the Saints in touch and with McKerrow again shining with eight snag rolls Kennington won: 20.15 (135) to South's 15.19 (109).
Burt then the Saints nose-dived. Castlemaine won in Rd. 3 by 46 points, Golden Square destroyed Kennington at the Wade Street oval by a massive 146 points with Ron Best nailing 11 majors and Sandhurst added to the Neale Street misery with a huge victory: 23.27 (165) to 12.9 (81).
Things looked like they might step up when Carlton senior player John Tresize (13 senior games with the Blues in 1977, the season prior) was named in the side for the Kyneton re-match, but the Tigers triumphed by 41 points and then came an amazing result.
South and Kenninton drew in late July with the Saints ahead all day until the Bloods rallied with a 4.5 to 1.3 last quarter.
Ken Maher scored the Saints only last term major early on before the Bloods stormed home, but in the final few moments were off-line with two kicks which registered behinds only.
Final scores: Kennington 10.10 (70), South Bendigo 9.16 (70).
The return Kennington-Castlemaine match was played at Wade Street with the Saints' Neale Street oval unplayable and despite the Saints' 6.3 third stanza the Magopies had their turn with six goals in the final term
Castlemaine won 19.15 (129) to 14.14 (98) with Stepen Murrell, then only 18-years-old, Shane Hartney, Terry Lawrence and Alan Rancie in the best for Kennington.
It got worse for the Saints in late August as Eaglehawk slaughtered them by 167 points at Canterbury Park and Kennington spearhead McKerrow appeared only briefly after half-time, hampered by a knee injury.
It was to be his last game for the Saints as he transferred to Sandhurst for the '79 season, winning his clearance on appeal.
Final ladder, top four: G. Square 84 pts., Sandhurst 68, Eaglehawk 64, Castlemaine 40.
Next: South Bendigo 34, Kyneton 24, Kennington-Strathdale 22.
Before he headed off to Carlton, Eaglehawk's Des English won the Michelsen Medal, Don Moffat (Sh) took home the Twos Alan McDonald medal with Eaglehawk's Alan Jacobs winning the Thirds George Symonds medal.
Alan Jones had won Kennington's fairest and best award for 1978.
Ron Best won the BFL's senior goal-kicking trophy with 108 majors. McKerrow finished with 53. Southcombe won both the Winfield and Conroy Player of the Year media awards.
Grand final scores: Sandhurst won by 3 points ---- 19.10 (124) to Square's 18.13 (121).
In close to half-a-century of watching, reporting on and broadcasting Bendigo footy that 1978 grannie ranks as the best I've seen to date. A thriller right to the closing seconds!
