John Bingley holds a record of being one of only two Tasmanian football players to represent the NWFU, NTFA, TFL and Tasmania and also play senior VFL football.
Born on the 10th November 1941, John Bingley was a hard hitting centre half back who gave no quarter and asked for none.
His contests with John Devine and New Norfolk's Graham Glover were legendary in the TFL of the sixties.
He started playing with East Devonport before transferring to Launceston City South. He was noticed by VFL scouts and signed by St.Kilda in 1964.
John Bingley played half back flank for St.Kilda in their 1966 premiership side with other Tasmanian football legends such as Darrel Baldock, Verdun Howell and Ian Stewart.
The 1966 St.Kilda premiership team. John Bingley is the first left in the front row, Verdun Howell
is third from left in the same row while Darrel Baldock
sits third from right in the front row. Ian Stewart
is first on the right in the second row.
He returned to Tasmania in 1967
and took over from Stuart Spencer
as senior coach for the 1967 season and remained until 1972. Under his guidance Clarence enjoyed their finest era to date, finally breaking through for a flag in 1970, after participating in the finals in each of the 3 preceding seasons for 3rd, 3rd and 2nd place finishes. The 1969 grand final pitted Clarence against a North Hobart side which had annihilated the Roos by 81 points a fortnight earlier in the 2nd semi final and which looked on course for a repeat when it led by 49 points midway through the 3rd quarter of the 'big one'. However, the Roos were quick learners and hit back strongly, dominating the remainder of the game to succumb in the end by just a couple of goals. Indeed, given that Clarence's last 5 kicks
for goal all produced minor scores the result could quite easily have been different.
The watershed year of 1970 began with some shrewd recruiting on the part of the Clarence committee. Four players in particular stood out: Adrian Bowden
(ex Sandy Bay and Melbourne), Mike Nash (ex Collingwood reserves), Bob Lynch (ex City-South, Fitzroy and New Norfolk) and Bob Cheek (a 1969 Tasmanian state rep. from Penguin). Collectively, if somewhat inanely, termed 'the foreign legion', this quartet would go on to play a significant role in Clarence's rise to pre-eminence, but the real key to the achievement was the coaching of Bingley, who simply refused to accept second best.
After qualifying for the finals in 2nd place, despite a somewhat worrying loss of form over the final few roster matches, Bingley had his charges all but breathing fire for the 2nd semi final encounter with Sandy Bay, which the Roos won comfortably by 22 points. For the grand final against New Norfolk a fortnight later there was an insatiable optimism about the Clarence camp with which the Eagles proved unable to cope. A grand final record crowd of 24,413 saw Clarence methodically rip their opposition apart from the time 19 year old Terry Mayne kicked the opening goal of the game 30 seconds in. Mayne went on to add 9 more goals as the Roos won convincingly, 19.16 (130) to 10.15 (75).
Coach Bingley remarked afterwards that the victory meant even more to him than his participation in St Kilda's historic drought-breaking 1966 premiership, sentiments which undoubtedly endeared him even further to the Clarence faithful.
The Roos next attempted to secure the state flag, but after a comfortable preliminary final victory over Scottsdale Darrel Baldock's Latrobe proved too strong.
Clarence went within 9 points of back to back flags in 1971 after conceding Sandy Bay a lead of 41 points at half time of an absorbing grand final. The cracks were beginning to emerge, however, and after the Roos finished a disappointing 4th in 1972, Bingley resigned as coach.
However the red and white faithful were so impressed with his efforts that the local council was approached to name a street in his honour which was approved; Bingley Street in Howrah.
In 1981 he returned to Tasmania after spending the latter half of the 70's in Melbourne and coached New Norfolk to a Grand Final appearance against his old team Clarence but they lost.
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John Bingley - a Tasmanian Football Legend
