STEVEN Hedley, rated by many long-time Wodonga Football Club supporters as one of the best players the club has produced, died in Queensland earlier this week aged 48.
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Hedley was a classy left-footer with sublime skills and won the Ovens and Murray thirds best and fairest award in the mid 1970s.
The following year he won Wodonga’s reserves best and fairest, played a few senior matches and the next year claimed the Ted West Memorial Trophy for the Bulldogs’ senior best and fairest.
He moved to Queensland and starred for Maine before coming back to Wodonga for the 1981 season.
Hedley was instrumental in Wodonga’s premiership victory that year, winning a feast of possessions as the Bulldogs turned around a 20-goal loss to Albury in the second semi-final.
Albury was a red-hot favourite and its grand final loss was one of coach Tom Doolan’s greatest disappointments.
Hedley represented the Ovens and Murray league in 1982 and played for South Melbourne reserves in 1983.
He managed one senior match for the Swans against North Melbourne at Arden St and got a goal with his first kick in senior VFL ranks.
The following year he was assistant coach to former Carlton star Wayne Harmes at Essendon and District Club Oak Park and won its best and fairest.
His career finished with Mangoplah-Cookardinia United and he coached the club to successive premierships after it had lost six successive grand finals.
Former Wodonga Football Club secretary and stalwart follower John “Shocker” Murray said yesterday Hedley rated “in the top 10 Bulldog players” in the past 40 years.
A cremation service will be held at the Conway Funeral Services chapel in Wodonga at 1.30pm on Monday.
It will be followed by a gathering at Wodonga’s Martin Park.
