Former Gisborne star and coach Luke Saunders was left stunned to find out be among the latest inductees into the Bendigo Football Netball League hall of fame.
Saunders is one of 10 people who will be inducted later this month.
A champion of the BFNL, Saunders had a stellar 145 game career with Gisborne which included five premierships.
He represented the league on four occasions and represented Vic Country three times including captaining the team once.
Saunders won the 2005 Michelsen medal as the best player in the Bendigo league and finished runners-up the following two years.
He also spent time as the Bulldogs’ playing coach in 2011 and 2012.
“It’s a massive honour,” Saunders said. “It was a little bit unexpected and I never saw myself in that way.
“One of the people from the board called me to let me know and it was a really nice phone call to get.
“I was a bit in shock. I feel like other people deserve it more.”
Saunders said he was lucky to be at the Bulldogs in what is one of the club’s most successful periods.
He said there were so many good memories at the club in his hometown.
“I was lucky the era started when I was 22, it was the perfect age to experience it all,” he said.
“It was a special time for me and my family. I had dreams to play at the higher level but had too many injuries when I was young so it wasn’t ever going to happen.
“I wanted to play senior footy at Gisborne.
“My dad played for the club and my mum’s dad played for the club. It’s a big part of everything that has happened in my life the last 20 years.”
The club was also where he met his now-fiancé and mother of his two children, Tiana Newman.
Newman in her own right has been one of the stars of the competition, with two Betty Thompson medals and two premierships.
“I would not be surprised if Tiana ends up in there,” Saunders said. “I thought it would definitely be her going in, not me.
“I’d had a couple of years away from the club and when I came back we got talking and hit it off straight away.
“She’s a massive part of the club as well and it’s a special place for me.”
Saunders joins Steven Reaper as Gisborne players in the hall of fame. The pair played a lot of football together.
“He played at Kyneton and Gisborne and is a legend of the league,” he said. “We played a lot of footy next to each other in the forward line.
“I’ve always respected him.”
“He is definitely a deserving member and there will be a few more from the club come through in the next few years.”
