LONG serving administrator Bernie Dowling never played in the Hampden Football Netball League but he was a certain inclusion in its inaugural Hall Of Fame in 2013.
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Mr Dowling, who passed away in Ballarat last Friday aged 94, was remembered by Hall of Fame selection committee chairman Peter Conheady as a worthy recipient of the league's highest honour.
Former champion HFNL footballers Hugh Worrall, Wayne Reicha, Ron Hoy, Kevin Leske and Jim Bell were inducted alongside Mr Dowling, who took the league from bush footy to semi-professional through his administration roles.
"Bernie was a true gentleman," Conheady told The Standard.
"Bernie took the HFNL from paper and pens to computers and with those changes it moved from carbon paper to hard drives. His legacy in the HFNL should never be forgotten.
"Bernie's name is up there with the great players in Hugh, Wayne, Ron, Kevin and Jimmy as the first inductees. It just shows how much the selection committee valued Bernie's contribution to the league.
"Personally, I joined the Camperdown committee as an 18-year-old and the next year I took over as club secretary and Bernie was there offering support and advice on a large range of issues. I found him to be helpful, approachable, a good listener and he offered wonderful advice."
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Mr Dowling was a local goal umpire from 1969 to 1976 before taking over the role as secretary of the Koroit Football Club from 1977 to 1979. He became the league secretary at the end of 1979 until 1985 when he became the administrator of the league until 1993.
His love of footy and administration never ended there as he became the secretary of the Hampden Region Football Coaches Association from 1993 until 2004. The father of four children went on to work for the HFNL on a voluntary basis from 2003 to 2009.
He was principal at St Patrick's School in Koroit for nine years from 1974 before filling various roles at Warrnambool's Our Lady Help of Christians during a 44-year career in education. Mr Dowling is survived by his four children. His funeral will be held at Our Lady Help of Christians on Thursday at 1pm.
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