Harley Reid has thrust Coates Talent League club Bendigo Pioneers into the footballing spotlight this year as speculation continues about the Tongala product being a walk-up number one AFL draft pick.
There is, however, a whole lot more on the radar for the Danny O’Bree-coached team than the honour of supplying a number one draft pick.
The Pioneers are yet to win an Under-18 state premiership in the competition that started out as the TAC Cup and had been through an NAB League incarnation before arriving in its current form, the Coates Talent League.
After seven rounds the Pioneers sit sixth on the ladder and this year celebrate the 30th anniversary of the club’s involvement in what started out as a Victorian underage competition.
In 1992 there were only six teams in the TAC Cup — five metropolitan and one country, the Geelong Falcons.
The Falcons were the inaugural premier and not long after being crowned premier the flood of draft selections from the league started, among the first being Essendon 400-gamer Dustin Fletcher.
Four new teams including the Pioneers, Murray Bushrangers, GIppsland Power and North Ballarat Rebels were added in 1993 and then in 1995 another two teams, the Oakleigh Chargers and Calder Cannons, came into existence.
Tassie Mariners became the competition’s first non-Victorian side in 1995 and NWS/ACT Rams were added in 1996. There are now 18 teams involved in the Coates Talent League, including four academy teams aligned to AFL clubs.
Tasmania, now the Tassie Devils, sits on top of the competition in 2023, with five wins from six matches — their only loss being to the Pioneers.
The Pioneers have only reached the one grand final (in 2001 to their credit) and on no less than 10 occasions, including their first two seasons, have finished on the bottom of the competition.
There is a litany of stars out of the club, however, including Nathan Brown (1996), Chris Tarran and Dean Solomon (1997), Nick Del Santo (2001), three Selwood brothers (twins Troy and Adam in 2002 and brother Joel in 2006), Dustin Martin (2009), Jake Stringer (2012) and Jack Ginnivan in 2020.
Rochester’s partnership with the Pioneers has produced some fantastic players, several starting with the Tigers before joining the Bendigo-based team and others coming out of the competition to play with Rochester in Goulburn Valley league premiership teams.
But if you were to pick a team of players with ties, in one direction or the other, to Rochester how would it look?
With the help of a few much wiser heads I did just that this week and here is the result, with a little commentary for good measure. Let’s us know your thoughts on our Facebook feedback (I am sure there will be someone we have missed).
While most of the team are from the 1990s and 2000s, there are a number with very recent connections to the Tigers (including this season) who rate a mention.
Current star Joe Atley leads the pack. In 2016 he played 11 games for the Pioneers and kicked eight goals, having played 17 games and kicked four goals as a bottomage player a year earlier. He also captained the Pioneers in a period when made his senior debut with Rochester (2015, playing five games).
He is a walk-up start in the starting 18. Some of the other players from recent seasons who deserve a mention are:
Nathan Kay, who was a champion junior with the Tigers, played five Pioneers games in 2021. He, like so many other teenagers, missed a full season in 2020 because of COVID-19 and debuted with senior games at Rochester the same year. Last year he played 18 games and kicked 14 goals with Rochester.
Andy Henderson played one game with the Pioneers in 2018, the same season as he was selected for his first two senior games with the Tigers. From 14 GVL Under-18 games in that same season he kicked 17 goals and was listed 13 times in best players. In 2017 he kicked 28 goals from 16 matches in the same competition, but hasn’t played since round nine last year against Seymour because of injury.
Jacob Atley registered games with the Pioneers in three seasons (2017-19) at the Pioneers and finished with 30 TAC Cup games to his credit. In 2019 he also had his first taste of senior GVL football, playing one game.
Adam McPhee played two games with the Pioneers in 2019, the same year as he played two senior games with Rochester and nine Under-18 games for the club. He played all 11 senior games of Rochester’s reduced 2021 season, 16 games in 2022 and has played every game this year.
Current co-captain Nathan McCarty played 17 games with the Pioneers in 2011 and six senior games with Rochester the same season. That was after a 22-game season with Rochester’s high-quality Under-18 team in 2010. He played 19 games with Rochester in 2012 and two VFL games with Bendigo Diggers, then 14 games with Bendigo’s VFL team in 2013 and 10 with Rochester. Since then he has chalked up 137 senior games in nine seasons.
Hugh Hamilton is the second player connected to the Tigers to have played with the Pioneers for three seasons. He played one game as a 16-year-old in 2019, when he played nine games for Colbinabbin in the Heathcote league at senior level. He played five games and kicked seven goals with the Pioneers in 2021 and six games last year as a 19-year-old. He also played three games with Carlton in the VFL and had a big impact with the Tigers when his eight games reaped 18 goals before he was forced to abandon the 2023 season because of a back injury.
Will Hamilton, who also attended Rochester Secondary College, is another modern-day player who went through the ranks of the Pioneers. The third Hamilton, Cooper, is currently playing with GWS in the AFL.
ROCHESTER’S BEST PIONEERS
Backs: Daniel Schmidt, Guy Campbell, Clint Whitshead.
Half-backs: Brad Collins, Khail Oliver, Sam O’Brien.
Centres: Chris McCarty, Heath Aitken, Nick Knight.
Half-forwards: Tim Rasmussen, Elliot Bowen, Joe Atley.
Forwards: Ben Dreuscher, Grant Weeks, Ben Anderson.
Rucks: Sam Brennan, Dean Moon, Ash Watson.
Interchange: Scott Hann, Steve Rasmussen, Hugh Hamilton, Nathan McCarthy, Jacob Atley, Will Hamilton, Tavis Perry, Nathan Kay, Andy Henderson, Adam McPhee.
Daniel Schmidt was oringally from Kyneton and played with Bendigo Bombers and Diggers in the VFL before coaching Rochester to the 2008 premiership.
Guy Campbell came to Rochester from Echuca, a key defender who played a bit in the ruck. His sister married Rochester 2008 premiership captain Dean Moon.
Clint Whitshead came with Daniel Schmidt and was assistant coach who could play at either end of he ground.
Brad Collins in 2008 premiership, key defender.
Khail Oliver, who is a current assistant coach at the club, was a member of the Pioneers 2001 grand final team (its only grand final team, yet to win a premiership) who performed in big games for the Tigers in the GVL.
Sam O’Brien was a key defender who played a match-winning role in the 2008 GVL premiership by blanketing Seymour goalkicking sensation Saad Saad.
Chris McCarty, younger brother of 1999 premiership captain Simon, played in three Rochester premierships before spending time in the Ovens and Murray league. He played in the 1999 and 2008 senior flags and Bruce Watson’s 1996 Under-18 winning team.
Heath Aitken, son of club legend Rob, missed the 2001 TAC Cup grand final because of injury, but his footballing pedigree is unquestioned and he was a star for many years with Rochester. One of several Pioneers captains in 2001, when the role was shared.
Nick Knight finished his career with Colbinabbin, but played more than 200 games with Rochester.
Tim Rasmussen was a great player with the Tigers at underage and senior level, playing in 1996 and 1999 premierships.
Elliot Bowen was a star centre-half forward who was a big-game performer.
Ben Deauscher, from Mildura, came to Rochester and later went on to play VFL with the Bulldogs.
Grant Weeks kicked a massive amount of goals in the Bendigo league, with Golden Square, including a pair of 140-plus seasons. He kicked 103 goals with Rochester in 2014 to win the GVL goalkicking title.
Ben Anderson, a cousin of current club coach Ash Watson, was another of the Rochester products to pull on the Pioneers jumper, while Sam Brennan was the obvious first-choice ruckman who played more than 200 Tigers games.
Sam Brennan first-choice ruckman who was another premiership star with the Tigers.
Dean Moon spent 16 seasons with the Tigers and was the captain of the 2008 premiership team.
Ash Watson is the current Tigers coach and was drafted directly from the Pioneers (with pick 14 to North Melbourne in 2001), spending three years at the Kangaroos and playing seven AFL games.
Scott Hann was a Lockington player who went to school in Rochester, while Tavis Perry was recruited to the Tigers from the Pioneers and was originally from Rushworth.
Steve Rasmussen was a member of underage and senior premierships with the Tigers.
Tavis Perry (from Rushworth originally) — was recruited from the Pioneers and married into Rochester footballing royalty — wedding a sister of the Rasmussen brothers.