Golden Square, Northern United, Boort and Elmore: Who made Tony Southcombe’s dream team

Tony Southcombe, an icon of Bendigo football and a premiership coach of Golden Square, Northern United, Boort and Elmore has named his dream team.

As a multiple-premiership coach of two Bendigo clubs and enjoying flag success with two district league teams, Tony Southcombe had no shortage of options for his “dream team” of players from those line-ups.

Southcombe’s highly successful coaching journey began at Golden Square in the mid-1970s at a time when he also played briefly with Carlton after coming onto the Blues’ radar as a dual Michelsen Medal winner.

Elmore captain Andy Grant and coach Tony Southcombe with the 2007 Heathcote District premiership cup.

Following a brief stint with Boort in the North Central league that also included a flag in 1982, Southcombe returned to the Bendigo league to lead the fledgling Northern United to three of its four successive flags in the mid-1980s.

His final coaching stop was at Elmore with another premiership in the Heathcote District league in 2007.

Southcombe’s first two flags as coach in 1975 and 1976 included Golden Square Hall of Famers Shane Rodda, Peter Davey, Peter Moroni and Garry Mountjoy.

Triple Carlton premiership player Peter McConville also played for St Kilda after starting his career with a flag for Golden Square.

Peter McConville played in the 1976 Golden Square premiership team as a 17-year-old wingman before being recruited by Carlton where he played in three VFL flags.

Southcombe played in a flag under Bendigo league legendary goalkicker Ron Best at Golden Square in 1979.

But the roles were flipped when Southcombe coached Boort and Northern United to flags in 1982 and 1984.

Bendigo Football League legends the late Ron Best (left) and Tony Southcombe.

Best kicked 11 goals in the 1984 grand final win against Eaglehawk with Southcombe going on to coach two more flags with Northern United in 1985 and 1986 and playing in another in 1987.

The Northern United line-ups had a host of stars including Phil Nicholson, Darren Trickey and Mountjoy, who Southcombe also coached at Golden Square.

Flamboyant forward Gavin Exell was a multiple premiership player with Northern United before being recruited by Geelong.

Gavin Exell, centre, played in multiple flags with Northern United before joining Geelong.

TONY SOUTHCOMBE’S DREAM TEAM

Back: Leo Demeo, Shane Rodda, David Ludeman

Halfback: Peter Davey, Robert O’Connell, Peter Fyffe

Centre: Peter Moroni, Phil Nicholson, Gary Evans

Half-forward: Tony Barnes, Gavin Exell, Gerard Geary

Forward: Leon Holt, Ron Best, Peter McConville

Followers: Jim Canfield, Garry Mountjoy, Darren Trickey

Interchange: Brett Sheldon, Murray Osborne, Brian Livingstone, Peter Hinck

Emergencies: Frank McGrath, Andy Grant, David Wharton

Originally published as Golden Square, Northern United, Boort and Elmore: Who made Tony Southcombe’s dream team