SEVEN decades are represented among the second group of inductees to North Bendigo Football Netball Club’s Hall of Fame.
In a year where the Bulldogs mark their 75th anniversary the latest inductees have had a major impact on the field and off.
The second of the club’s Hall of Fame nights was run at the All Seasons Resort Hotel in Bendigo on Saturday night.
Elevated to Hall of Fame status were Stan Egglestone, Garry Ford, Peter Griffiths, Peter Monkhouse Jnr, Doug Roulston, Mick Simpson, and Fred Thompson.
First to be inducted at Saturday’s ceremony was Fred Thompson who first played for the Bulldogs in 1952.
From a family of six boys and six girls, Fred was one of five of the Thompsons to play for North Bendigo.
A highlight was playing in the club’s first premiership of any sort with the reserves in 1955.
It was to be the first of a grand final winning hat-trick for Thompson with the Bulldogs’ twos.
Winner of the seniors best and fairest in 1959, Thompson played more than 200 matches for the club and became club president in ’62.
Stan Egglestone’s first under-18s game for the Bulldogs was at the age of 13 in 1958.
Three years later he played his first senior game.
A senior premiership player with the Ralph Conboy-coached team in 1974, Egglestone played a key role in helping build the famous cream brick clubrooms at Atkins Street in 1970.
In a playing career of more than 20 years, Egglestone racked up more than 300 matches.
An avid supporter, Egglestone does not miss a game, home or away.
Peter ‘Suey’ Griffiths first played with the club in the early 60s and won an under-18s premiership in 1964.
The first of his senior games was in the ’65 season.
A reserves premiership player in ’66, Griffiths was captain-coach of the reserves premiership team in ’74 and also won the league’s best and fairest medal.
He continued playing reserves until 1979 and in that year marked his 300th club game.
Peter and wife, Lyn played key roles on the club’s committee.
In the early 80s, Griffiths coached the under-18s and later became club president.
Rated by many long-time North Bendigo supporters as the club’s best, Doug ‘Dollar’ Roulston was a star in the senior premiership wins of ’74, ’76 and ’77.
He first played for the Bulldogs’ in 1969 with the Syd Campbell-coached under-18s and a year later his first senior game for the Wally Mooney-coached team.
After a working holiday in ’71, Roulston returned to football the next season with Maldon.
He was lured back to the Bulldogs in ’73.
Bulldogs’ president Peter Monkhouse Snr clinched the deal by giving 10 footballs to the Dons.
Playing as a ruck-rover or half-forward, Roulston kicked two goals in the 1974 premiership win by the Ralph Conboy-coached Bulldogs.
He was moved to a permanent role as full-forward in ’75 and kicked 64 goals.
A year later and Roulston equalled the Golden City FL record of 149 set by Northern United star Doug Cail.
The Bulldogs’ run to the 1976 premiership included eight goals by Roulston in the second semi and 11 in the grand final.
It was to be the first of back-to-back premierships for the John Plim-coached North Bendigo.
After 78 goals in eight games for the Dogs, Roulston signed a six-match permit deal with Carlton, but injured his shoulder in his first game for Carlton’s reserves against Essendon.
In ’77, Roulston kicked 135 goals in 15 matches to earn the league’s goalkicking award and was joint winner of the Nalder Medal for GCFL fairest and best.
The Bulldogs also won the premiership in a season where ‘Dollar’ booted 17 goals in a clash with Maldon.
As captain-coach in ’81, Roulston led the Bulldogs to a preliminary final. It was to be his final game for the red, white and blue.
He had kicked 576 goals in 138 senior games for the club.
In the early 80s he played for Surfers Paradise and then Noosa Heads.
These days, Roulston plays a key role as a supporter of the club and mentor.
Garry Ford’s association with North Bendigo has lasted almost 50 years.
He started with the club’s under-12s coached by Des Nicholson in 1971.
The ’77 season was to be a memorable one.
Ford was vice-captain and best and fairest of the under-18 premiership team and as a 17-year-old was on the bench for the senior premiership team.
He played for the Ron Ford-coached Bears Lagoon-Serpentine in 1984 and ’85 and then returned to North Bendigo in ’86 where Dave Graham was coach and also played for the Ron Ford-caoched Bulldogs in ’87, ’88 and ’89.
A highlight for Garry Ford was the 1998 premiership with the Joel Kinder-coached reserves.
He holds the unique achievement of premierships in all three grades and was the Heathcote DFNL reserves best and fairest in 1999 and 2000.
Ford played more than 300 games and has proudly watched son, Jordan star in three senior premiership wins for the Bulldogs.
North Bendigo FNC has played a huge part in the life of Peter Monkhouse Jnr.
His parents, Peter Snr and Cath are inaugural Hall of Fame members at the club.
Peter Jnr had a major impact in juniors and then at under-18s where he was captain of the rising stars coached by club legend Ray Lowther.
The first of Monkhouse Jnr’s senior matches was in the ’87 season and he achieved a 10-year playing stint across seniors and reserves.
He joined the committee and 1996 and racked up a 10-year stint which included club presidency from 2000 to ’06.
A life member of the club, Monkhouse Jnr has strong family links to the club, which include his uncle, Francis Boyd being a timekeeper for more than 50 years.
Michael Simpson was a gun player in the Col Bennett-coached under-12s premiership team in ’82 and went on to win several Bendigo JFL best and fairest awards.
Simpson played his first senior game as a 14-year-old in ’85 on the same day a then 15-year-old Craig Evans marked his senior debut.
After dominating for the under-18s across the ’86 to ’88 seasons, Simpson was a regular senior player from ’89 for the Bulldogs in the powerful Bendigo Football League.
He had playing stints at Charlton and Campbells Creek.
Simpson holds the unique honour of coaching North Bendigo at senior, reserve or under-18s level through 2002 to ’10.
He is only of only three to coach all football grades at various stages in the club’s history.
A skilful and tough on-baller, Simpson was a dual winner of the Steven Bennett Memorial senior best and fairest award and a long-time parochial, and sometimes vocal supporter when watching the Bulldogs.
Michael Simpson joins his sister, Bobbie in North Bendigo FNC’s Hall of Fame.
Written by Nathan Dole.