At the very least, some of the names involved in the reunion, which attracted 12 of the 19 players, will bring back memories of the Tigers’ decade-long domination of the Bendigo Football League in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Both Echuca and Rochester were long-time members of the Bendigo league, before Echuca joined the Goulburn Valley League in 1974.
The 1962 premiership team conducted a reunion in tandem with the 1992 David Williams-coached team as the 2022 version of the Tigers dominated Tatura, who Rochester beat in the 1992 match.
Among the many stories was that of the Dobells — uncle Daryl and nephew Nigel — who both dominated their respective matches 30 years apart.
Both grand finals were contested in wet and windy conditions, with Nigel kicking four of the Tigers’ nine goals and Darryl playing a spectacular last quarter — including a skidding goal in the wet — to help his team to victory.
The Dobells, part of a long-running Elmore connection to Rochester football, only ever saw a third family member — Nigel’s father Alan — play for a short stint on match permits.
Brothers Alan and Daryl played in premierships at Elmore in 1960 and 1963, while Nigel’s first year at Rochester earned him a premiership. In all, he played six years with Rochester.
Darryl was also invited to South Melbourne by former Rochester premiership coach and three-time Melbourne premiership star Noel McMahen. He signed, but never went down to play with the team.
Nigel was an opportunist forward, while Daryl played on a wing and Alan was a forward/rover. Nigel played 90-odd games with the Tigers.
Nigel said coach David Williams targeted the best players in the minor leagues and picked several good players as a result.
