Matthew Aston is one of the most respected footballers in Maryborough history, pulling on the famous Magpies jumper 208 times between 1992 and 2007. He also added the 2002 Michelsen Medal to his trophy cabinet after a stellar season. An MFNC life member, Aston is a three-time winner of the Maryborough senior best and fairest award and was named on the wing in the club\u2019s team of the century. An incredibly skilful and highly respected player, he was the club\u2019s captain and was a key cog in Maryborough\u2019s back-to-back premierships in 1998 and 1999. In desperate need of a leader, Aston stepped up to lead the club as head coach in 2011 and 2012.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n GARY COWLING \u2013 South Bendigo<\/strong><\/p>\n Gary Cowling started his football journey with the South Bendigo under-13s as a 10-year-old, leading to a highly credentialed junior career culminating in a senior best and fairest award as a 17-year-old in 1976. A sublime left foot kick, Gary combined his high-level skills with an uncompromising hard at the ball approach to play a total of 115 senior games despite being hampered by constant knee injuries. Cowling also claimed back to-back best and fairest awards with the Bloods in 1979 and 1980. Gary was the runner up in the 1979 Michelsen Medal and despite polling the same number of votes as Eric Pascoe and Peter Tyack, they were declared the eventual winners on a count back. Shortly after Cowling\u2019s passing, in 2020 he was posthumously awarded his 1979 Michelsen Medal.<\/p>\n DANNY ELLIS \u2013 Sandhurst<\/strong><\/p>\n Danny Ellis was the lifeblood of the Sandhurst Dragons for 40 years, beginning his playing career with the club in 1984. Danny led the club\u2019s goalkicking in 1986 before leading the BFNL goalkicking in 1988 with 78 goals. Passionate about the SFNC, Danny joined the club committee in 1996 as the players representative before holding roles as secretary, treasurer and presidents with Sandhurst. Danny is a Sandhurst FNC life member and Hall of Fame Member and was awarded the 2012 Sports Administrator of the Year before being introduced as a BFNL life member in 2019. Danny\u2019s induction into the BFNL Hall of Fame in the same year as his wife, Kylie is due recognition for his long lasting administrative impact with both the Sandhurst FNC and BFNL.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n KYLIE ELLIS<\/strong><\/p>\n Kylie Ellis became a BFNL Life Member in 2021 as recognition for her services as a member of the league\u2019s netball executive from 2004-2011 and her role as the league\u2019s publicity officer, hosting regular segments on radio, writing reviews of all BFNL netball matches for the Record and interviewing the league\u2019s weekly \u2018Rising Stars\u2019. Ellis is currently the league\u2019s vote reader for all grades of football and netball, including reading all Michelsen and Thompson Medal votes live. Like her husband, Danny, Kylie is synonymous with Sandhurst having first joined the Sandhurst FNC social committee in 1998 before moving to the club\u2019s executive committee in 2000 where she held roles including secretary, registrar and club netball representative over the next 22 years. She played an instrumental role in introducing junior netball to Sandhurst and held the position of junior netball coordinator for 4 years (2012 \u20132015). Ellis also prepared all club vote counts and presentations for almost 20 seasons.<\/p>\n ROSE GALLAGHER \u2013 Sandhurst FNC<\/strong><\/p>\n Rose Gallagher\u2019s (nee Walgers) BFNL netball journey began in 1993 when she played one season for Kennington before another single season at South Bendigo. In 1995, she moved to Sandhurst where she would play from 1995-2000, taking her total games played to 125. A speedy midcourter, Gallagher had an extremely fruitful six seasons at Sandhurst, claiming two club best and fairest medals (1995 and 1997) and two league best and fairest awards (1995 Fulton Medal and 1997 Betty Thompson Medal). Gallagher also represented the BFNL on five separate seasons from 1995-1999 and won two A-grade premierships in 1995 and 1996. Post playing career, Gallagher has been a pillar within the Sandhurst FNC community, regularly taking the reins of the clubs junior netball teams as head coach including helping lead the Sandhurst 17-and-under squad to six flags (2017, 18, 19, 23, 24 & 25). Still committed to her coaching roles, Gallagher still holds the position of netball operations manager and is key part of the Sandhurst netball machine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n CHRIS GREENE \u2013 Sandhurst<\/strong><\/p>\n Chris Greene is a legend of BFNL representative football having represented the league on three occasions in 1988 and 1990 while also being a key part of the 1989 interleague division one championship winning team. A Sandhurst FNC life member and Hall of Fame member, Greene played 203 senior matches for the Dragons and was a member of the 1991 Premiership winning team. A Dragon through and through, he provided the club with 29 years of service including 18 as a player and 11 as an administrator through his president and coaching roles.<\/p>\n RICHARD JONES \u2013 Journalist<\/strong><\/p>\n If you are a fan of the BFNL, chances are you have read an article with Richard Jones\u2019 by-line on it. Starting with the Bendigo Advertiser in 1977, Richard has covered Bendigo football every season since with his trademark writing style and in-depth knowledge of the BFNL, synonymous with the Bendigo Advertiser and more recently, the BFNL website. Jones\u2019 skills go past his writing ability, with his voice being attached to key BFNL moments of the past 50 years through his commentary on both radio and television through channels including 3CCC, Fresh FM, Phoenix FM and BCV8. After retiring from the Bendigo Advertiser, he continued to cover one game every week for the paper and writes weekly history columns for the BFNL Record. Remarkably, 2026 will be his 50th year being involved with Bendigo football.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n STEVE MCDOUGALL \u2013 Eaglehawk<\/strong><\/p>\n Starting his career at Macorna, Steve McDougall kicked 92 goals for the season as a 16-year-old before a move to Eaglehawk saw him have an acclaimed career playing 145 games and kicking 123 goals, while claiming two club best and fairest awards in 1989 and 1990. His representative career distinguishes him from others with no less than 18 BFNL interleague games under his belt including the 1989 division one championship game. McDougall is widely considered one of the greatest to ever pull on the famous BFNL blue and gold. A famous Burra premiership in 1982 to go with a Michelsen Medal runner-Up finish in 1991 behind Derrick Filo made him one of the most dynamic midfielders in the league.<\/p>\n LUKE SAUNDERS \u2013 Gisborne<\/strong><\/p>\n Luke Saunders holds one of the most extensive league representative resumes in the BFNL, wearing the blue and gold of the BFNL on four occasions (2003, 2004, 2006 (captain) and 2007 (captain), while also representing Vic Country three times (2004, 2006 (vice-captain) and 2007 (captain). A champion of the BFNL, Saunders had a stellar 145 game career with Gisborne, highlighted by five premierships – 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006. A talented midfielder who was more than capable up forward, he won the 2005 Michelsen Medal and finished runner-up on two other occasions (2006 and 2007). Saunders also spent time as the Bulldogs\u2019 playing coach in 2011 and 2012, taking his squad to six finals, including the 2012 grand final. He would go on to play at state league level, playing games for Coburg in the VFL in 1999 and 2000 and the Port Adelaide Magpies in 2008.<\/p>\n ROD THRELFALL \u2013 Bendigo Umpires Association<\/strong><\/p>\n Rod Threlfall joins other BUA representatives including his brother Ron in the BFNL Hall of Fame after a distinguished 35-year umpiring career. Threlfall started his umpiring journey in 1981 and quickly rose through the ranks to umpire 40 BFNL finals, including four grand finals (1983, 1981 1987 and 1988) while also being adjudged as the BUA\u2019s Umpire of the Year on four occasions. He also represented the BUA at interleague level on four occasions and was appointed to the VCFL v Australian Amateur match in 1983. Unfortunately, Threlfall was forced to retire early due to injuries, but he continued as a BUA board member before taking a role as the VCFL umpire development manager until 2018.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2025\/11\/580541870_1222734098_45602.jpg\")
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