BRENT GODDE: You are well-known for your nickname 'Bongo'?

ALAN BONGETTI: The kids at school came up with 'Bongo' being short for Bongetti and it stuck from then on. My two sons Ryan and Eliot also inherited the nickname.

BG: You were born and raised in Footscray?

AB: I played all my junior football for F&Y Socials.

BG: You made your senior debut for Yarraville in the VFA as an 18-year-old?

AB: I spent the first five years of my career there, mainly playing in the centre.

BG: One of your first coaches at Yarraville was Collingwood legend John Henderson?

AB: I played with John who like me lives on the Border now.

BG: Did any VFL/AFL clubs show any interest in you?

AB: I did two pre-seasons with Footscray and was involved in a bit of a clearance wrangle after Yarraville wanted a $3000 transfer fee if I switched clubs.

BG: $3000 would have been a fair bit of coin back in that era?

AB: It generated a bit of publicity at the time and I have still got some old paper clippings that appeared in The Sporting Globe.

BG: You did pre-season under some legendary coaches during your short stint at Footscray.

AB: The first year in 1971 was under Ted Whitten and the following year it was under Bob Rose.

BG: After doing the pre-season with Footscray in 1972 you end up playing for Ainslie?

AB: A bloke I knew told me Ainslie were chasing a full-forward and I received a fairly enticing offer.

BG: It would be fair to say most of the Canberra clubs had money to burn during that era?

AB: It was attractive for potential recruits because they would find you employment and accommodation and would help out any way possible. Ainslie in particular was one of the most financial clubs.

BG: With all the cash on offer, it was a high standard of football?

AB: It was a strong competition with plenty of high-profile recruits running around.

BG: You were talented enough to crack the 100 goal milestone in your two seasons at Ainslie?

AB: It was good to be able to kick a few but it was disappointing in that we got beat in successive grand finals, the second one by one point.

BG: You had an outstanding finals series in 1972 when Ainslie finished fourth?

AB: I kicked nine in the first-semi, 13 in the preliminary final and nine in the grand final but we got beat by about five goals in the decider.

BG: In 1973 Ainslie were raging favourites to win the grand final?

AB: I kicked five in the second semi final and we were short priced favourites in the grand final.

BG: You kicked nine in the grand final but still lost by a point. Did the side choke on the big stage?

AB: Our ruckman and ruck rover had a clash of heads shortly before half-time and were both knocked out cold and out for the rest of the game. Without them we struggled and got rolled by one point. I rate the loss as the low point of my footy career.

BG: After two years at Ainslie you join West Broken Hill as coach?

AB: I coached for three seasons. We struggled the first year but then lost successive grand finals.

BG: What was the standard of the football like?

AB: It was tough football but there were only four teams. You used to play each other six times during the home and away season.

BG: Being one of the star players of the competition you were heavily targeted by the opposition?

AB: About half-way through my first season there I was sick of being targeted. So I went down to the local PCYC and did some martial arts training to protect myself.

BG: Why martial arts?

AB: I did extensive training in judo and karate. Mainly so I could wrestle my opponents and get them on the ground easily rather than go toe-to-toe with them.

BG: You have got a fair sized beak on you. Did it ever get snapped?

AB: Yes, I'm the first to admit my beak is a big target and a lot of players tried but I've never had my nose broken.

BG: You went toe-to-toe with a spectator during your time at West Broken Hill?

AB: One of the opposition spectators was verbally harassing me and by three-quarter-time I had had enough.

BG: What happened next?

AB: My brother was playing and at the three-quarter-time huddle I told my brother to go and grab the footy and hide it because I wanted to sort the supporter out who was harassing me.

BG: Did you find him?

AB: I went over to him and he jumped the fence and we went toe-to-toe. The umpires were yelling 'where's the footy?' because they wanted to start the match. But my brother had the footy up his jumper.

BG: Did you sort him out?

AB: I landed a few good punches on him. But the best thing was he got banned from attending matches for a while for coming onto the ground.

BG: You then joined North Wyalla for two years in 1977-78?

AB: After playing in four losing grand finals, I played in back-to-back flags.

BG: You also won back-to-back league medals?

AB: I played mainly in the centre rather than at full-forward and as you know umpires take a lot more notice if you are a midfielder.

BG: You then joined Weeroona Bay in 1979 for two years?

AB: One of my mates was president and the club had won one match in four years and he asked me if I would be interested in coaching there.

BG: You took the job?

AB: I just looked at it as a challenge. The first year we won one match, the final match of the year and we celebrated like it was a grand final.

BG: You also polled the most votes in the league medal but were ineligible due to suspension?

AB: Being coach I had to fly the flag a bit and got rubbed out.

BG: You joined North Clare in 1981?

AB: North Clare hadn't won a premiership for more than 20 years but I was lucky enough to play in back to back flags in my three seasons at the club.

BG: You also went back to playing full forward and topped the 100 goal milestone three years in-a-row?

AB: One year I kicked 147 which was my biggest haul.

BG: North Clare and South Clare shared a bitter rivalry at the time with a few unsavoury incidents between the two clubs?

AB: I remember one match South Clare sent one of their players off the bench specifically to king hit me. Luckily for me I saw him charging at me out the corner of my eye and stepped out of the way and dropped him.

BG: Basically it was self defence?

AB: It was because he had been told to take me out.

BG: You inflicted some serious damage?

AB: Unfortunately, I broke his jaw and he got stretchered off. It's probably the incident I regret most during my career. I got verbally attacked by his mother and sister after the match as I was walking off the ground.

BG: You relocated to the Border during the early 1980s and decided to join Bethanga?

AB: Paul Scammell was president of the Saints and I signed as coach in 1983 and spent three years at the club.

BG: How were the Saints travelling at the time?

AB: We didn't have much success and never played finals in those three years.

BG: In 1985 you managed to kick 102 goals for Bethanga despite only winning four games?

AB: I think I needed four or five in the final round to get the ton. We were playing Kiewa at Sandy Creek and I was lucky enough to notch the milestone.

BG: In 1986 you joined rival club Mitta United?

AB: John Smith was appointed coach of Mitta and was instrumental in me switching clubs.

BG: It proved to be a smart move because the Mountain Men won the flag and you kick another ton?

AB: I ended up kicking nine in the grand final to finish on exactly 100 goals which was an added bonus on top of winning the flag. We had an unbelievable side that year and went through undefeated.

BG: Not a bad effort considering you were nearly 40?

AB: I was relatively lucky with injuries which enabled me to play a bit longer than most blokes.

BG: You stayed on John Smith's farm on weekends quite often when you were playing for Mitta?

AB: Our wives were close friends so it worked out well.

BG: A friendly game of cards over a few drinks backfired on you during one stay.

AB: We were playing cards and John suggested that we have a game of tennis the following day. John and I would take on the girls and the losers had to go for a swim in the Mitta Mitta River at the bottom of his property.

BG: Surely you were favourites to win the bet?

AB: I tried to talk John out of it because my ex-wife was a handy tennis player but he wouldn't take no for an answer and said 'no sheila has ever beaten me at tennis.'

BG: How did the match unfold?

AB: We started on fire and shot out to a 2-0 lead and John winked at me and said 'what did I tell you?'

BG: So you won convincingly?

AB: It got to 4-all and we ended up getting rolled 6-4.

BG: How was the swim?

AB: The Mitta Mitta River in the middle of July is not a pleasant experience. I couldn't feel parts of my body for a week, it was that freezing cold.

BG: You also made the decider the following year and kicked 88 goals for the season?

AB: I thought we had a huge chance to go back-to-back but we got beat in a close grand final by Wodonga Demons.

BG: Playing for Mitta United was one of the highlights of your career?

AB: I loved my time at Mitta. A powerhouse club with passionate supporters and I got protected while I was playing.

BG: Who used to look after you if there was any trouble on the field?

AB: All the Hodgkin boys didn't mind flying the flag. Hughie Giltrap was also playing who I rated as not only the best player in the competition but also the toughest and had an incredible will to win.

BG: You joined Brocklesby the following season in 1988?

AB: I was contemplating retiring but the late Ian Schilg got in contact with me and offered me the coaching position. I had never previously played in the Hume league, so I ended up coaching there for a season.

BG: Brocklesby made finals after finishing fourth?

AB: I thought we were a chance to do some damage during the finals but we lost Peter Gibbons and 'Mooka' Hall in the lead-up which robbed us of a lot of firepower. We got rolled in the elimination final.

BG: Gibbons was a prolific goalkicker for the Roos?

AB: From 1984-87 he kicked 172, 139, 82 and 108 goals which is an outstanding effort.

BG: Who played out of the goal square when you arrived?

AB: Gibbons did, I played more at centre half-forward that year.

BG: Did you hang up your boots after?

AB: Once again, I had every intention of retiring and things were looking good until about March.

BG: What happened in March?

AB: Border-Walwa was still on the lookout for a coach and got in contact with me to see if I would be interested.

BG: Did you accept the invitation?

AB: I initially said no but reluctantly agreed after I found out that it was only a 12 round season plus finals. I thought my body could handle a shortened season.

BG: What was the deal?

AB: I only had to head up there for training on Thursday nights and then play Saturday's which was appealing.

BG: How did the Magpies go that season?

AB: They had some talented locals and with a few recruits we ended up getting beat in the grand final by five points against Federal.

BG: There was plenty of drama in the lead-up to the grand final?

AB: We were getting flogged in the first half of the second semi-final by Federal so i decided to go out and fly the flag in the second-half.

BG: What did you do?

AB: I didn't do anything dirty but was really aggressive at the contest and got sent off twice during the second half. I didn't know at the time but that constituted an automatic report.

BG: How did you go at the tribunal?

AB: I was handed a two week suspension which ruled me out of the grand final which I thought was a joke considering I didn't get reported for striking.

BG: You decided to appeal the decision?

AB: I missed the preliminary final which we won. Then in the lead-up to the grand final I challenged the validity of the send-off rule which was heard on the Thursday night.

BG: You had your ban overturned?

AB: When the rule was first introduced it wasn't recorded in the minutes of the meeting, so there was no record of it. So I got off on a technicality.

BG: No doubt a big talking point at the time?

AB: It generated a bit of publicity in the local media and I think the crowd for the grand final that year was a record.

BG: You had a bit to say to the media?

AB: The late Danny Fox covered the story. I labelled the tribunal a kangaroo court and had a bit to say after I got off.

BG: The following year Border-Walwa won the flag against Corryong which you coached?

AB: We had a fairly similar side to the previous year. The biggest difference was Federal had lost Jon Collins and Neville Nugent. Collins retired, while Nugent joined Wodonga and went on to have an outstanding career with the Bulldogs.

BG: So you decide to retire on the ultimate high?

AB: That was my last game and I finished up playing 420 matches.

BG: You weren't a big full-forward?

AB: I was 6ft (183cm) and my playing weight hovered between 80-85kg.

BG: You reached the ton on seven occasions but do you know how many goals you kicked during your career.

AB: It's more than 1600.

BG: What are some of your biggest bags?

AB: I kicked 15 on a couple of occasions.

BG: How many reports?

AB: I got reported six times and rubbed out twice.

BG: For those who didn't see you play, what would you regard as your biggest asset?

AB: Probably my strength overhead and in contested situations. I was also a deadly accurate set shot for goal.

BG: Have you got a theory why so many modern day players seem to struggle to convert in front of goals?

AB: I can't understand it. As a kid growing up I mimicked Peter McKenna. I lived across from an oval with a tree that had two branches that formed a v about 2m wide. I spent countless hours practising my goal kicking. So when I was actually shooting for goal the goals seemed easy because they are 6.4m apart.