East Gippsland: Orbost and Snowy Rovers dominated early years of league

Football runs deep in Carlton coach Michael Voss’ family. See where his dad Garry ranks in the 50-year history of East Gippsland league.

Orbost-Snowy Rovers’ premiership drought since merging has ticked over more than two decades with the East Gippsland league bringing up its 50-year milestone in 2024.

The contrast in fortunes to the first 20 years of the competition is staggering, with Orbost and Snowy Rovers claiming 13 flags between them as one of country footy’s greatest rivalries simmered away.

The first six flags were evenly split before Lindenow in 1980 ended the premiership stranglehold held by the timber town’s two clubs.

The league’s powerbase has drifted west with Wy Yung the reigning premier and Lindenow winning the most flags of the current clubs with eight.

Bairnsdale dropped back to the East Gippsland league between 1999 and 2010 and matched Lindenow’s record before returning to the region’s major competition.

But what can’t be overstated is how strong Orbost and Snowy Rovers were in the formative years of the league that came about with a merger of the Gippsland and Bairnsdale District leagues.

Garry Voss coached Orbost and Snowy Rovers to premierships in the East Gippsland league. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Garry Voss started playing when Orbost became the dominant force of the former Gippsland league from the early 1960s following Bairnsdale’s switch to the Latrobe Valley league and the demise of the Snowy Valley competition that once boasted teams in Newmerella, Cabbage Tree and Buchan.

Another big factor was the coaching of former Richmond player Brian Turner, who led Orbost’s first two flags in the East Gippsland league in 1974-75 after being in charge of six premierships in the Gippsland league.

Carlton coach Michael Voss. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Voss was Snowy Rovers’ inaugural coach in 1970, but after leading them to the 1973 premiership, he left the area with his work as a policeman before returning to coach Rovers again in 1976 and be a prominent figure in the intense rivalry with Orbost.

“Supporters walked on different sides of the street when the two teams played,” he said.

“They wouldn’t communicate at all and to get a parking spot at either the ground for a game you had to park your car on Friday night.

“Orbost supporters drank at the bottom pub and the Snowy Rovers supporters drank at the top pub and never crossed paths.

“Snowy Rovers were basically farmers and timber workers and Orbost was school teachers, bank staff and those in similar type jobs.”

Orbost and Snowy Rovers legend Garry Voss and his wife Sandra. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Russell Heathcote felt the full force of Orbost and Snowy Rovers as opposition coach in the first four East Gippsland league grand finals.

He coached Lucknow in 1974-75 and lost to Orbost both times before coaching Lakes Entrance in 1976-77 to defeats at the hands of Snowy Rovers.

“I could have been the Ron Barassi of the bush, but I ended up being Bobby Rose instead,” Heathcote said of the contrasting fortunes of the two VFL coaching greats in the same era.

The closest he came to glory was 1974 when Lucknow went down by eight points.

“Those two clubs’ strength was all to do with the timber industry,” Heathcote said.

“Snowy Rovers were brutal.

“It was good, hard footy in those days.

“You knew you were going to cop it, but you just had to grin and bear it and then have a beer afterwards.”

Heathcote was in his late 30s when he finally savoured East Gippsland premiership success with Lindenow in 1986 when he lined-up with his son Tim in the same team.

Garry Voss and his son Michael who was a champion player for Brisbane and is now coaching Carlton.

THE BEST OF THE BEST

(Fifty players who have made the biggest impact in the 50-year history of the East Gippsland league)

1. GARRY VOSS, Snowy Rovers, Orbost

Feared foe of every club in the early years. Coached Snowy Rovers to a hat-trick of EGFL premierships from 1976 before switching to Orbost where he coached the club to another flag in 1981.

Bruce Cowell, left, after winning the best-on-ground award in the 1981 LVFL grand final for Bairnsdale. He also was a champion player in the EGFL. Picture: Supplied

2. BRUCE COWELL, Lindenow, Lakes Entrance

Brilliant player who won the league’s best and fairest in 1975 and won three of his five Lindenow best and fairests before heading to Canberra. Returned to Lindenow and played in the 1980 flag before starring for Bairnsdale in the Latrobe Valley league. Later coached Lakes Entrance to flags in 1994-95.

3. CHRIS REDENBACH, Lindenow, Lucknow

1981 premiership teammate of Cowell at Bairnsdale, Redenbach joined Lindenow and won three league best and fairests, three club best and fairests and coached it to a flag in 1986. Star rover won a fourth league best and fairest in 1991 for Lucknow.

Lindenow’s Luke Dyer when he won the 2016 EGFL best and fairest with 26 votes.

4. LUKE DYER, Lindenow

The league’s modern day superstar. Holds the record of five league best and fairests either side of a stint with Bairnsdale. Powerhouse midfielder went back-to-back in 2009-10 and then won three in four years from 2016 when Lindenow also won three flags.

The 1998 Orbost premiership team coached by Peter Jenkins. Picture: Supplied

5. PETER JENKINS, Snowy Rovers, Orbost

Mr Consistency over two decades, firstly for Snowy Rovers before joining Orbost where he had his biggest impact. Multiple premiership player and best and fairest at both clubs, but the crowning glory was 1998 when he coached Orbost to a flag and won the league best and fairest.

Bairnsdale’s David Preston.

6. DAVID PRESTON, Bairnsdale

Brilliant player at both ends of the ground, but found his niche up forward for Redlegs, winning EGFL goal kicking award six times with a best of 119 in 2005. Also played in six flags with Bairnsdale.

7. TERRY MATTHEWS, Lucknow

One of Lucknow’s early stars in the EGFL, the key defender winning six club best and fairests from 1975 to 1984.

8. JACK LIGHT, Orbost, Snowy Rovers

Four-time premiership player with Orbost before coaching Snowy Rovers to four successive flags from 1982. Also won the league best and fairest in 1983.

9. RUSSELL WHITE, Wy Yung

Brilliant high mark who was a key player in Bairnsdale’s 1981 LVFL flag before returning to Wy Yung in 1988 as coach when the Tigers finished runner-up and he won the league best and fairest.

10. CRAIG SOMERVILLE, Lucknow, Wy Yung

Recruited from Lucknow by Footscray where he played eight matches before suffering serious knee injury. Returned to EGFL and won the league best and fairest in 1992 and 1994.

11. Ken Heyne, Orbost, Snowy Rovers

12. Leon Brunt, Snowy Rovers

13. Bruce McLaren, Lucknow, Lindenow South

14. Ernie Dingle, Wy Yung

15. Luke Moresi, Bairnsdale

16. Brett Walker, Lindenow

17. Peter Neville, Snowy Rovers

18. Michael Turner, Orbost, Snowy Rovers

19. Doug Patterson, Lindenow

20. Wayne Reggardo, Lakes Entrance

21. Tony Tancredi, Lindenow

22. Wilfred Carter, Wy Yung

23. Adrian Bromage, Bairnsdale

24. Darren Vickery, Orbost, Orbost-Snowy Rovers

25. Russell Heathcote, Lucknow, Lakes Entrance, Lindenow

26. Graham Dempster, Lindenow, Snowy Rovers

27. Steven Schaeche, Wy Yung

28. Gary Jones, Lucknow

29. Paul Harrison, Lakes Entrance

30. Paul Elliott, Lucknow

31. Ron Dooley, Orbost

32. Tim McAuliffe, Lindenow, Lucknow

33. Keith Hanna, Snowy Rovers

34. Glenn Bills, Lakes Entrance, Orbost

35. Graeme Joiner, Snowy Rovers

36. Colin McDonald, Snowy Rovers, Orbost

37. Graeme Armstrong, Lakes Entrance

38. Russell Christy, Orbost

39. Peter Baker, Orbost

40. Jeff Watts, Lindenow South

41. Jodie Bennett, Snowy Rovers

42. Wayne Trinder, Lindenow, Lucknow, Wy Yung

43. Brian McDonald, Snowy Rovers, Orbost

44. Steve Somerville, Wy Yung

45. Matthew Davidson, Bairnsdale, Paynesville

46. Stuart Baud, Lindenow

47. David Ashworth, Paynesville

48. Lachie Channing, Stratford

49. Rod Olds, Lakes Entrance

50. Michael Betts, Wy Yung

*Criteria for selection: Minimum three years in the East Gippsland league.