Australian Football

A Carnival Classic - Victoria v WA, 1924

[Principal Source: 'The Mercury', Monday 11 August 1924]

The match, played on Saturday 9 August, was the second part of a double header, being played immediately after the Tasmania-New South Wales game. The official crowd figure was 15,687, producing receipts of £1,511.

For both teams, this was the second match of the carnival. On the preceding Wednesday Western Australia had got the championships underway with a surprisingly comfortable 37 point win over South Australia. At half time, the sandgropers had led by just 7 points, but thereafter, thanks to winning rucks and greater pace all over the ground, they had added 10 goals to 5 to send out a clear message to the Vics - and everyone else - that they were not going to surrender their crown as Australian champions easily.

The following day had seen the VFL side take its bows in a clash with the host state that proved much more problematic than expected. Early on the Tasmanians, showing great alacrity, passion and purpose, were the better side, and the Victorians, for a time, seemed all at sea. That they eventually fought their way back into the game, and ultimately were able to eke out an unconvincing 39 point victory, was attributable less to any inherent superiority in football skill than a combination of strength, experience and greater fitness. With an aging side, including four players over thirty, some observers suggested that the Vics would have trouble coping with the blistering pace of the West Australians.

In the view of many, the battle between the two teams' principal ruck combinations - Outridge (best afield against the South Australians), McDiarmid and Duffy for Western Australia, Beasy (above right), Wigraft and Tandy for the Big V - would be the single most critical factor in determining the outcome of the match. 'Horrie' Gorringe for Tasmania had, as the cliché goes, 'roved the pants' off his Victorian counterparts, and the West Australian rovers were every bit as nimble and lively as the Apple Islander. If Mark Tandy and Arthur Pink managed to produce their best form, however, it might well be enough to see the Vics home.

The Teams

1st Quarter

Paddy O’Brien won toss for the Victorians and elected to kick to the pavilion end. The Vics moved straight into attack from the opening bounce, but Len Wigraft's long drop kick was cleverly marked by West Australian centreman Jim Gosnell who initiated a flowing sequence of passes involving Larry Duffy, Bert Harrold and 'Paddy' Hebbard with the last named booting the game's first score - a behind - with 52 seconds showing on the clock.

The VFL responded by moving the ball straight down the central corridor culminating in Wigraft booted the equalising behind.

For several minutes after that, the Victorians continued to press, but Western Australia defended stoutly, full back Harry Sherlock on one occasion marking deep in the teeth of the goal square under considerable duress.

A second VFL behind to Lloyd Hagger was swiftly followed by the game’s 1st goal, kicked by Alex Duncan after he had marked on his chest within easy range. The clock showed 5½ mins had elapsed since the start of play, most of which had been dominated by the Vics.

George Scaddan on a wing was WA’s most prominent player early, and after one particularly exciting run he propelled the ball very close to goal, but none of his team mates were able to capitalise. The VFL then ran the ball to the opposite end of the ground but Colin Watson’s long shot for goal was saved, almost on the line, by Jim Craig.

Clever combined play by Duncan, Bert Chadwick and Pink perhaps deserved to be capped by a goal, but Pink’s shot was wayward and only a minor score resulted.

A decisive counter-attack by the sandgropers culminated in their first goal of the game, kicked, almost inevitably, by 'Bonny' Campbell. A few minutes later he added a second and suddenly it seemed that Western Australia, with Duffy, 'Fat' McDiarmid and Campbell to the fore, were beginning to acquire a stranglehold on the game. Inevitably, however, the George 'Staunch' Owens Vics, with Tom Fitzmaurice, Duncan and Pink especially prominent, hit back, and the next goal, courtesy of Hagger, was theirs.

A feature of the game at this stage was the intense pressure under which both team’s forwards were being forced to operate, with a result that many seemingly good scoring chances either went begging completely or produced only minor scores.

As the quarter wore on, the pace of the game increased, and overall there was very little to choose between the teams. However, it was noticeable that the Victorians were proving generally stronger in the air, while the West Australians superiority in pace gave them the advantage when the ball was on the ground.

The next goal came via Campbell again, shortly after his team mate Harrold had been unfortunate enough to see a shot of his strike the post. The Vics’ response was swift, Duncan accepting Norm McIntosh’s pass before running in to kick a nice goal.

The opening term had seen the VFL side generally combining better and producing football that was more pleasing to the eye. However, the West Australians had contrived some telling play in bursts, and were matching the Vics in determination and commitment.

Moments before the bell, 'Staunch' Owens (left) had a golden opportunity to give his side the lead, only to emulate Harrold’s effort of a few minutes earlier by hitting the post.

Quarter Time: VFL 4.8 (32); Western Australia 4.6 (30)

2nd Quarter

Rain began falling during the interval, and on resumption both the ball and playing surface soon became slippery.

Western Australia moved straight into attack from the initial bounce and Campbell reduced his team's arrears to 1 point with his first miss of the afternoon. The Vics then raced to the opposite end of the ground and, despite the desperate efforts of Craig, managed to maneuver the ball to Pink, in the clear, and he coolly gaoled.

Western Australia hit back immediately, and a spell of concerted pressure ended with tenacious Subiaco small man Johnny Leonard goaling after receiving a free for a push in the back right in front of the uprights.

Players of both sides were making light of the greasy ball and increasingly muddy ground to produce some fine, fluent football.

Duncan embarked on an extended sprint through the middle of the ground but his kick for goal was off target. The ball remained in the VFL’s attacking zone, however, and not long afterwards Pink, after smoothly gathering up the ball as though it were dry, booted his second six pointer of the term. His purple patch continued a couple of minutes later when he goaled again after getting on the end of an excellent pass from McIntosh.

For the next few minutes play proceeded rapidly from end to end, with both teams’ defences standing firm. The deadlock was finally broken by Hagger (right), who kicked truly with a neat, angled snapshot. Owens soon replied for Western Australia with an easy goal from a free kick close in.

The state of both the ball and the ground surface were at last beginning to have an inimical effect on the standard of play, but the immense desperation of the players, coupled with the closeness of the scores, made it an absorbing tussle.

Roy Cazaly crowned a spell of Victorian dominance with a good goal, but Owens replied soon afterwards, collecting the ball from a boundary throw-in deep in a forward pocket, and running unchallenged into the goal square to blast the ball through. 'Digger' Thomas and Harrold then combined well with the latter player goaling cleverly before Owens, from a free close in, inexplicably gave the Vics a let off by missing badly. Western Australia continued to play the better football for the last few minutes of the term, and shortly before the bell Campbell kicked truly to reduce the half time margin to just 2 points.

Half Time: VFL 9.10 (64); Western Australia 9.8 (62) Back to Top

3rd Quarter

Torrential rain was falling as the third term commenced, and Western Australia, moving purposefully and sweetly, were first into attack, only to give away a needless free kick near goal to Watson, who relieved the pressure. Moments later the ball was in Roy Cazaly’s hands within easy kicking distance, but he somehow conspired to miss everything.

The first goal of the third term came six minutes in off the boot of Hagger, who added another a couple of minutes later as the Vics suddenly began to dominate. Good combined play by Craig, Scaddan and Owens enabled the sandgropers to work the ball the length of the ground and, as players from both sides hurled themselves at each other and into the fray close to goal, the umpire picked out a free kick to Campbell (left), who gratefully goaled. Despite being constantly manhandled and double-teamed, Campbell was proving a real thorn in the Victorians’ side, emphasising his status as one of the finest goalsneaks of his era.

Some of the individual clashes were quite riveting, notably that between Owens and O’Brien on the wing, with the former slightly ahead on points at this stage.

Perhaps partly because of the conditions, the umpire was allowing both teams plenty of latitude, and play became more wantonly aggressive, indeed almost brutal, as a consequence. In particular, there was the unseemly sight of frequent kicking in the ruck, by players of both teams, most of which went unpunished.

By inelegant but effective means the Vics hustled the ball forward, and Hagger, having a fine quarter, capped things off with an excellent goal, but Western Australia responded almost right away through Tom Outridge.

As in the second term, the West Australians seemed to be finishing more strongly than the Vics, but their kicking for goal was proving suspect until Campbell, “working like a Trojan”, showed them how it should be done with a beautifully judged snapshot under intense pressure.

Showing he was a quick learner, Leonard soon afterwards added another with a glorious long drop kick on the run, bringing the scores level for the first time since the early moments of the match. The large, mostly neutral crowd began really raising their voices for the first time, and the players responded with observable zeal.

Western Australia continued to attack relentlessly, but the Vics were stout in defence. O’Brien, who had made a temporary move into the back lines, was throwing his weight around in spectacular fashion, and to good effect.

The last scoring chance of the quarter came to Owens, but, just as Cazaly had earlier, he made a complete mess of a comparatively easy set shot, and no addition to the score resulted when even a behind would have given his side the lead.

Three Quarter Time Western Australia 13.10 (88); VFL 13.10 (88)

4th Quarter

The last quarter was as fierce and frenetic as a grand final. At first, the West Australians resumed where they had left off in the previous term, and Campbell’s point a couple of minutes in gave them the lead for the first time since early in the opening term. Not long afterwards the same player extended his team’s lead with an easy six pointer. Incredibly, however, this would prove to be Western Australia’s last score of the match.

The VFL’s response was to become more physical, hitting their opponents repeatedly with firm, bone-crunching bumps. Slowly but surely, the momentum began to switch, but, at least initially, the Vics found the Western Australian defence impossible to crack.

With twelve minutes remaining, the sandgropers still led by 7 points, and the VFL had not yet registered a score for the quarter. A long, hopeful kick by Jack O’Connell finally remedied this with a minor score, but the West Australians continued to defend magnificently, playing the boundary line repeatedly, and to excellent effect.

Play had become unkempt in the extreme, with players of both sides as often as not choosing to soccer the greasy, waterlogged ball rather than endeavour to pick it up. The Vics managed to scramble another behind, but clean possessions were at a premium, and it looked as though the reigning champions were going to hold out.

Lloyd Hagger, though, had other ideas, and after marking the ball close to the boundary in the forward pocket, he scrupulously steered through his side’s first goal since midway through the third term. (Some of the Western Australians claimed that Hagger was actually over the boundary line when he took the grab, but the ground was so muddy that the white boundary markings were scarcely visible.) Having found the secret of scoring, the same player proceeded to do it again almost immediately, and suddenly the Vics had some breathing space.

Western Australia responded with predictable energy and fire, but despite dominating the closing exchanges, the only further score of the game – a minor one – went the Vics’ way. Final scores in what was popularly regarded as one of the most exciting games of football ever seen in Hobart was VFL 15.13 (103); Western Australia 14.11 (95).

Match Summary

BEST
VFL: Collins, Tandy, Duncan, Pink, Hagger, McIntosh, Wigraft
Western Australia: Hamilton, Campbell, Owens, Duffy, Hebbard, Harrold, Mudie

GOALS
VFL: Hagger 7; Pink 4; Cazaly, Duncan 2
Western Australia: Campbell 7; Harrold, Owens 2; Hebbard, Leonard, Outridge

ATTENDANCE: 15,687 at North Hobart Oval

Postscript

As expected, it was the ruck clashes which proved decisive, and although Tom Outridge in particular tried hard for the West Australians, overall it was the Vics who had the edge for most of the game. Moreover, in Mark Tandy (right) and Arthur Pink the Big V had the two pre-eminent rovers on view.

The Victorians will doubtless also have been thankful for the incessant rain and heavy playing surface, conditions with which they, much more so than their opponents, would be familiar.

Much of the football produced was unspectacular in the extreme, "but as far as action and thrills went the match is one that never will be forgotten in the history of football in Tasmania".

Both sides won their remaining three carnival fixtures. The West Australians won resoundingly by 264 points against Queensland, with 'Bonny' Campbell kicking a carnival record 23 goals, unconvincingly by 39 points against the host state, and effortlessly by 117 points against New South Wales. The Victorians meanwhile had no trouble whatsoever in overcoming the challenges of New South Wales (by 80 points), Queensland (95 points) and South Australia (53 points) to run out convincing, unbeaten winners of the championships, with a percentage of 176.6. The sandgropers' annihilation of Queensland helped give them an astonishing percentage of 250.7 from their 4 wins; South Australia was next with 3 wins and a percentage of 174.1; then came Tasmania (2 wins, 140.7%); New South Wales (1 win, 58.9%); and finally the hapless Queenslanders with 0 wins and a meagre 19.8%.

Financially, the carnival was a triumph, attracting 60,705 spectators over the nine days of competition, and accruing gate receipts of £5,823.