Andrew Wilson bids an emotional farewell to Jindera after home game against Henty

Wilson coached at the kennel for 12 years and spent the last five as senior coach of the Bulldogs.

Add in the six years he spent coaching at Henty before that and Wilson's 18-year unbroken coaching stint is hard to match in country football.

It was fitting that the curtain should fall on his time at Jindera with a home game against the Swampies in glorious sunshine on Saturday.

The Bulldogs won by 16.14 (110) to 6.6 (42) and Wilson was given a guard of honour by players and officials from both clubs before delivering one final post-match debrief in a packed change room.

Wilson choked back tears as he thanked his players, parents, children and wife Alana.

"This is what I cherish, this is what I'll miss," Wilson said.

"I thank you for allowing me to be part of it.

"Mum and Dad brought me to the club when I was eight or nine years old, so three decades later...

"They've been role models for me in how I want to be a parent to my three girls.

"They would have missed 10 games of my footy career.

"They say very little but their actions are absolutely huge.

"I just think how lucky I've been.

"I started footy with no kids and to have three girls now, the boys have really got to know them - especially the little assistant coaches in Bels and Evie over the last 12 months.

"They've been huge; Evie's been responsible for the boards and Bels has been responsible for a lot more harsh comments towards the boys!

"For them to see what I've been able to do and appreciate it, to be able to share this last 12 months with them has been huge.

"And most of all, Larn has enabled me to do it for this long.

"The rest of the group probably wouldn't know but if it wasn't for her, five years ago, I wouldn't be standing here.

"She's the one that gave me the belief to at least have a crack at it because it wasn't something that sat comfortably with me.

"She's been absolutely super along the way.

"Now we're looking forward to some more family time."

Jindera, who will be coached by Joel Mackie next year, missed finals by one win despite dishing out this 68-point drubbing to second-bottom Henty.

The round 13 clash against Brock-Burrum, which the sixth-placed Saints won by nine points, ending up deciding their season.

Trent Castles booted eight goals against the Swampies, finishing the year with 71 to claim the goal-kicking award on his return to the Hume League.

Jindera led by 16 points at quarter-time and then kicked nine goals to one either side of half-time to blow the margin out to 62 points by the final break.

"This group will never be the same again," was Wilson's message in the huddle before his players ran out and finished the job to send him out on a winning note.

Charlie White, Mitch Lawrence, Ryan Speed, Alexander Rowe and Nathan Chamings joined Castles in the Bulldogs' best players, while Thomas Newton kicked three of Henty's six goals.

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