Anthony Pasquali and Richie 'Tank' Castles to be inducted into the Ovens and Murray Hall Of Fame

They join North Albury's Dan Leslie and Matt Fowler with the quartet to be officially inducted at a league function on July 29.

Pasquali rated the honour of being recognised as one of the league's finest players as 'surreal' and among his biggest achievements.

"It's a bit surreal at the moment and it hasn't really sunk in yet," Pasquali said.

"When I reflect on my career compared to now, it's like a different person was playing back then because you change a lot after your playing days are over.

"But if you look at the names that are already in the Hall Of Fame and the ones that are yet to come, obviously it's a great honour and very humbling."

Castles may hold a unique record of being the first Hall Of Fame inductee to retire before he reached the prime of his career.

He was only 25.

"I feel lucky to be recognised amongst the league greats because I gave footy away once I turned 25," Castles said.

"I've never been a big wheel really, I just played footy to have a good time with my mates and tried to win games and be a team player.

"I feel extremely lucky to get this accolade and it's a proud moment for me."

Pasquali played 332-matches and finished runner-up to Wangaratta Rovers champion Robbie Walker in the club's best and fairest on five occasions.

He coached the Hawks from 2001-03 which included the losing grand final against North Albury in 2002.

Pasquali is a triple premiership player with the Rovers in 1988, 1991 and 1994 and missed the club's 1993 flag triumph with injury.

The super-fit midfielder was an O&M representative on 12 occasions and VCFL representative seven times.

Pasquali joined Benalla in the twilight of his career and coached the Goulburn Valley club in 1999-2000.

He represented the league and won the Morrison medal in his first season in the competition.

Castles boasts a long list of achievements during his 105-match career with Benalla.

He was a dual premiership player with the Demons in 1962-63 and club best and fairest in 1960.

Castles was selected in a back packet in the O&M's Team of the Century.

Hall Of Fame sub-committee member Ron Montgomery said Castles was also controversially denied a Morris medal victory in 1960 after an error by the timekeeper in round 18.

"Details are sketchy about what happened in the timekeeper's box but there was a dispute over the result and the game had to be replayed the following week," Montgomery said.

"If the votes had counted without the replay, Richie was a Morris medallist.

"But Bob Rose got votes in the last game to win the medal."

Castles also revealed that he is the nephew of triple Brownlow medallist Dick Reynolds.

"After I got beat by Bob Rose in the Morris medal, I went over and played a year under Dick who was coaching West Torrens in the SANFL," Castles said.

"It was 1961 and we beat Port Adelaide in the final round who were on top of the ladder.

"But that was our grand final because we made the semi-final the following week but got stitched up by Norwood after none of us got a kick."

Castles trained with Essendon as a teenager before a broken pelvis derailed his VFL ambitions.

"I missed 12-months with the injury and I started training with Essendon again and got picked in the reserves in the first round," he said.

"The second round was called off so I drove to Benalla for a practice match and never returned to Essendon.

"I was pretty fit after training with Essendon.

"I also had a milk run and used to start at 1.30am every morning.

"So I would run 10 to 15 miles most mornings and then go and play footy.

"I always hated Sundays after footy when I would have to get up and do the milk run again.

"I ended up retiring at 25 because I couldn't afford to get injured and have time off work running the dairy."

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