The Gold huddle before the match. Photo: Glenn Daniels, Bendigo Advertiser
The gold may have flowed through Bendigo in the 19th century but the football team named in its honour is now officially dead and buried.
Bendigo’s 17-year stint in the Victorian Football League (VFL) finished on Friday night after Bendigo Gold lost their final match against Collingwood at the Queen Elizabeth Oval (QEO).
The club announced in June that it would fold, citing a lack of facilities, income and community support as key reasons for closing.
Since parting ways with the Essendon Football Club in 2012, the Gold – formerly known as the Diggers and later the Bombers – have remained winless in the state’s top football competition.
Hopes for a dream win against Collingwood for their last game weren’t as far-fetched as expected.
The Magpies, currently in fifth on the ladder, struggled to fill a squad for the Friday-night match with a players list riddled with injury. Only eight AFL-listed players made the team, while three Collingwood development squad players made their VFL debuts.
With the home ground advantage and a weakened opposition, the Gold fought for the coveted victory.
Bendigo led the Magpies by nine points minutes into the third term but despite losing another three players to injury, the Pies grabbed momentum and kicked nine goals to one in a third quarter blitz.
Collingwood led by 47 points by the end of the term.
Bendigo and Collingwood fight for the ball in the third term. Photo: Glenn Daniels, Bendigo Advertiser
The Gold fought until the final siren, kicking three of the last four goals. The final margin was 46 points, the Magpies winning 20.11 (131) to 13.7 (85).
Captain Steven Stroobants, Jack Sketcher, Matt Farrelly, Sam Heavyside, Jeremy Lambden and Alik Magin were the Gold’s best players in the last of Bendigo’s 321 VFL matches.
Stroobants kicked Bendigo’s last VFL goal.
Bendigo players walk off ground after their loss. Photo: Glenn Daniels, Bendigo Advertiser
Gold coach Aussie Jones told the Bendigo Advertiser’s Luke West on Friday he was “flat as a tack” and “absolutely shattered that the culture and bond [they’ve] built ceases tonight”.
“The boys gave their all tonight and with three minutes to go they were still tackling like their life depended on it and that’s an amazing sign of character that sums this group up,” he said.
Gold coach Aussie Jones during warm up. Photo: Glenn Daniels, Bendigo Advertiser
The Gold’s chairman, Tim Dickson, said he thinks the community will miss his club.
“I just love the idea of coming down to the Queen Elizabeth Oval and watching the best standard of football outside of the AFL, running around the QEO with my boys,” he said.
“Now that’s gone, so it’s probably disappointment for mine that we, as a community in Bendigo and central Victoria, have let such an important asset go.”
In the Gold’s final Best and Fairest event on Saturday night (August 23rd), midfielder Daniel Toman won the Nick Carter Medal ahead of Tyrone Downie and captain Steven Stroobants, who tied for second.
——-
The Bendigo Advertiser compiled this video documenting the ‘end of an era’ for the Bendigo VFL side.
Click here to watch footage from Friday night’s game.
Make sure you pick up a copy of The City Journal newspaper next month to read about the ramifications for Central Victorian footballers after losing their only state league side.
