WODONGA Bulldogs’ past and present players formed a guard of honour as part of a moving tribute to favourite son Ken Goyne at the end of his funeral on Thursday.
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Mr Goyne, who died last week aged 73, played in one of the club's most successful eras in the late 1960s when he was a dual premiership player, won a best and fairest and represented the Ovens and Murray league.
The past and present players, current senior coach Dean Harding and many of his Wodonga predecessors including Ben Hollands, Jarrod Twitt, Craig Cleary, Richard Bence, Ernest Whitehead, Frank Hanrahan and Mick Bone were part of the guard of honour, which applauded as the hearse carrying Mr Goyne's coffin left the Lester & Son funeral home.
An estimated 750 people attended the funeral conducted by chaplain Ross Barnes and was easily the biggest funeral held at the venue since its opening in early February.
Mr Goyne is survived by his wife of 50 years Glenda, children Kelton, Jill and Dean, daughter-in-law Mandi and grandchildren Sam and Grace.
Mr Goyne and his wife are both Bulldogs' life members.
The eulogy was delivered by Kelton with further family tributes from Jill, Dean and nephew Brendan.
Mr and Mrs Goyne met at the old Melba Theatre in Wodonga and within 12 months of being married he made the decision to start his own electrical business.
It had a rough start with Mr Goyne suffering a bout of appendicitis which prevented him doing any lifting for six weeks.
But his business boomed as Wodonga's population exploded in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mr Goyne also enjoyed time on four farms he owned.
His first property on the banks of the Murray River was flooded twice in 1974 and 1975 and convinced him to sell up.
Other farms were on the Kiewa River and Table Top backing onto Lake Hume.
Kelton said features of his father's farms were clean paddocks and tree plantations.
Other cherished memories were Easter camping trips at Bright with Wodonga team-mates, Mick Bone and the late Gary Williamson, and their families.
Mr Bone and his wife Rosie were among the big crowd at the funeral.
Kelton said football was one of his father's enduring passions.
"Dad often said there were not many sports available when he grew up," he said.
"But it just so happened he loved football.
"He also hated losing."
Kelton recalled a story of his father and grand-father, aged in his 70s, tangling with two North Albury supporters after Wodonga lost a close match.
"They decided they wanted to fight dad and made the biggest mistake of their lives," he said.
