Dave McNamara vs Dally Messenger
The fame of ‘Dally’ Messenger spread beyond his own state. Many of the most rabid Australian rules supporters in Melbourne reveal a knowledge of the doings of the crack New South Welshman. Some point with a degree of pride to the fact that he spent a little of his early youth in Victoria. This, they claim, accounts for his brilliancy as a kick. It seems unkind to dispel the illusion.
Similarly the name of Dave McNamara is known to followers of Rugby. Many more than Victorians are aware that he has the record long-distance kick to his credit—86 yards 1 foot—at the Launceston Show last year, and that in 1912 he broke his record (81 goals) achieved the previous winter, by landing 107 goals in one season [for Essendon A in the VFA].
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The noted St. Kilda captain would have been a physical parallel to Fred Henlen when the Randwick wing forward was in his prime. He [McNamara] was born at Yarrawonga (Victoria) 27 years ago,stands 6ft 2in in his socks, and weighs 14st 7lb. His early football was played in the country, and nine years ago he came to the metropolis and joined St. Kilda, with whom he played until 1909, when he went to the Essendon Association club. Here his fame was enhanced, and when at the beginning of 1913 he wished to return to St. Kilda, the waterside city rejoiced. But there came a hitch— the controlling body declined to sanction the transfer. And a stranger might have thought a big international question was being discussed,so keenly was it debated. The authorities remained unmoved, despite all rumblings outside, and the crack player was compelled to be an onlooker last year. But all difficulties were solved at the commencement of the current season, to the great delight of St. Kilda players and enthusiasts.
While chatting with McNamara prior to his undergoing a preparation for the Carlton contest, he outlined his career in response to a few queries. He then took on the role of an interviewer when questioned regarding a kicking competition between himself and Dally Messenger. He expressed his willingness to engage in the bout provided the controlling body made it worth the while of the two contestants.
“What do you think the conditions would be?” he asked.“Well, I suppose the most equitable ones would be a series of kicks at Rugby and Australian rules goals.” “How wide is the Rugby goal?” was the next query. “Eighteen feet six inches, with a crossbar 10ft from the ground.”
“Ours are two feet wider than that, he added; and then went on to say that short range kicks at goals for accuracy were not always a good test, for flukes frequently scored. I agreed with him, for one had often seen in kicking competitions at football reunions won by players who would rarely be given a chance in a serious contest. After a moment's hesitation McNamara suggested two attempts atgoals from 40 yards and 60 yards, and a distance shot measured from the spot where the ball was placed to the point of landing.
“There can be no fluke in a distance kick”,he said. “What size is the Rugby ball?”“Practically the same as that used in Victoria. Your average ball should be a shade narrower in girth according to the rules, and in most cases shorter, but one would need to use a tape measure to discriminate. To all intents and purposes they are similar.”
When asked if he believed he would be chosen as a Victorian representative at the Inter-State Carnival he modestly ‘thought he had a chance’.
It was then pointed out to him that a barrier in the way of his meeting Messenger was the fact that he was likely to be in Sydney on August 8 and 15, when the Eastern Suburbs player would probably be in Melbourne playing against the Englishmen. He appeared disappointed, for he is really anxious to try his strength against the most famous exponents of the other code. He thinks the contest, being of Inter-State significance, would make it a big attraction in Melbourne,and one knows that Sydney enthusiasts would like to see the pair meet.
The spoiler is not an attraction in any game, whether he be the Rugby Union wing forward or an Australian rules player, and Dave McNamara shares the general feeling. When questioned regarding his liking for the game he played he said the rules would bear improvement.
“It was permissible for a player to block an opponent who is waiting for the ball, but now the rule has been altered somewhat, and no interference is allowed, unless the ball is within 5 yards of the man awaiting it, but even this is not sufficient.” When he was informed that in the Rugby codes two waiting players must not interfere with each other, though each could go up for the ball, he said “I wish it were the same in our game.”
One looked at the 6ft 2in of athletic humanity and understood the reason of the wish.“High-marking is one of the prettiest phases of the Australian rules, and it should be encouraged instead of handicapped,” he said.
Just then a number, of clean-limbed, athletes, garbed in the red, black and white of St. Kilda emerged from the dressing-room to the enclosure to practice kicking, etc., and followers who had leisure were surrounding the area to watch them, so Dave McNamara, the best-known man in St. Kilda, hurried away to do his share.
The contest - The accurate kicking competition
The kicking competition for accuracy, between H. H. ‘Dally’ Messenger and Herbert Limb (West Australia) was eagerly awaited by football enthusiasts of all codes. The popular Dally received a cheer as his well-known form was seen coming through the gate from the smokers' pavilion. Applause bestowed upon Limb was also hearty. Both missed the left angle kick but Messenger goaled from the right, where Limb missed. Messenger kicked a fine straight goal from fifty yards, but Limb's kick went wide of the post. Messenger therefore, won, and was generously applauded.
The distance kicking competition
As Dave McNamara's tall form was recognised coming from the smokers' stand he was loudly cheered, and Messenger was again the recipient of much applause. Dave's first kick travelled 67 yards 8 inches. Robinson (WA) put the ball 65 yards, but Messenger and Albert Cotter (NSW) kicked poorly. Ashley (SA) had a drop, but did not get on to the ball in his best style. None of the men did well in their second effort. Therefore McNamara won. The record holder then had another kick and propelled the ball 76 yards, 8 inches—a New South Wales record. The giant Victorian was heartily cheered.
J.C.Davis recalls the above events eighteen years later
Would the great kicks of Rugby football score freely in the Australian Rules code. That is the question raised by J.C Davis, who has studied the champions of each code through the years.
When the Victorian footballers were in Sydney recently playing New South Wales I heard a discussion between a Rugby man and an old Victorian on goal-kicking. The Rugby man contended that the Victorian team threw away several goals and even minor points through dropping at goal when a place kick would probably have been successful.
The Rugby man expressed great admiration for the beautiful high marking, and then criticised the player for depreciating the value of his cleverness in this art by hurriedly dropping at goal and missing points altogether. He went on to say that he considered any of the noted Rugby goal-kickers, such as C Y. Adamson, the Englishman of 1899, W. J. Wallace, the New Zealanders of 1905, Dally Messenger, Arthur Oxford, Walter Messenger, S. A. Spragg, all Sydney specialists, H. Breckenrigg and T. Lawton, of Queensland, and J. Lomas and J. Sullivan, the English Rugby League men, would land many goals not now scored, and that these men would be match-winners in any crack Victorian club.
This was at once countered by the Old Victorian remarking that these men were exceptional specialists who took practically all the kicks in Rugby, whereas in the Australian Rules the kick is taken by the man who makes the mark.
The discussion drifted into the old one, as to which possesses the better goal-kickers, the Rugby or Australian games. I left the pair arguing amicably, and later found they had agreed to differ. In their talk an interstate kicking event in 1914 on the Sydney Cricket Ground was mentioned. In this we had an illustration of the accuracy of the Rugby place-kicking.
It was in conjunction with the Australian Rules carnival, held in Sydney that year. A competition between Dally Messenger and Herbert Limb, the West Australian, was held as a side diversion. Messenger won this competition. He missed the kick from the left wing, but landed goals from the straight kick and the right wing, the former being from a fifty yards place. The West Australian missed goal in all three kicks.
The same afternoon Daily Messenger (pictured left, during a League game in 1912), Albert Cotter, the Australian fast bowler, A. Robinson, of West Australia, J. Ashley, of South Australia, and Dave McNamara figured in a long distance drop-kick competition. The two Sydney men made rather weak kicks, but McNamara's first effort was 67 yards 8 inches, while Robinson's was 65 yards, Ashley was an admirable kick, but he did not time this one well. McNamara, who won, then tried another drop, and it measured 76 yards 8 inches, a record for New South Wales.
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It was of course acknowledged at the time that in drop-kicking McNamara was superior to Messenger for distance, but it was the opinion of the Rugby men that Messenger was better than any of those we saw at that time in place-kicking at goal. And I am sure he was.
In the crack Australian Rules teams, however, practically every man is an expert in punting and dropping at goal or for accuracy in passing the ball on. In Rugby many men now punt well, but very few place kick with any accuracy, and still fewer are masters of the drop kick.
As four points go to a dropped goal from the field in the Union game, and three for a dropped penalty goal, drop kicking at goal ought to be more prevalent, especially when the opposing side is very solid in defence. In the Rugby League, with all goals valued at two points, there is not the [same reward] and still fewer are masters of dropping goals.
In the 1914 carnival, Victoria took the honors, defeating South Australia in the final by 11 goals 11 behinds to 5 goals 10 behinds. The Victorians were men of splendid physique, and played a more robust game than most of the other State teams, while their cleverness was just as finished as that of the South Australians. The Victorians, who were captained by W. Dick, had some rare goal-kickers. McNamara stood close on 6ft 4 in high, and his high marking was very successful.
They had a wonderful forward in Dick Lee. He was the finished article in everything he did. There was style about his work, and yet no jarring of style, it was all so natural. He was a sort of Duncan Thompson in his game. But his goal-kicking looked the easiest thing imaginable. Some goals were punted, but his dropped goals were extraordinarily fine. Lee knew all about the art of going aloft and timing the ball on his finger tips.
At that carnival The Referee donated gold medals to be awarded to the best player in each State team. These were determined by a committee consisting of the managers of the teams, and a representative of The Referee. The awards went to George Heinz of Victoria, J. W. Robertson of South Australia, A. Tapping of West Australia, J. Pennicott of Tasmania, P. W. Jones of Queensland, and Ralph Robertson of New South Wales.
Can the games come together?
In 1914 the English Rugby League team touring New South Wales and Queensland attracted great attendances, and their matches aroused widespread enthusiasm. The Victorians were impressed by the fact, and while in Sydney some unofficial discussions with Rugby League people on the possibility of the two games coming together took place. It was not the first time, but nothing ever came out of the talks beyond a feeling of mutual respect.
If ever a new game is evolved from the two it will never attain any outstanding success, one feels certain. Australian Rules, as it is played in its home territories, is a magnificent game when the right spirit is abroad. And there is nothing wrong with either Rugby game in its own centres.
To preserve the international aspects of Rugby, and at the same time to develop a game universal to Australia, it would be necessary for Australian Rules states to adopt either one or the other Rugby games. This would preferably be the Rugby Union, with its wider international pull, embracing England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa, besides other countries in which the standard is not first-class. But one does not think for a moment that Australian Rules will ever recede and allow Rugby to come to the front in its States.
A series of five Tests between England and Australia in Rugby, two played in Sydney, and one each in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane, would be something to make people wonder. But one does not think it has a possible chance of ever being seen.
Footnotes
Author: Rambler
Publisher: Referee (Sydney, NSW: 1886-1939)
Date: Wednesday, 1 July 1914, p.13 (Article)
Link: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120284076
Publisher: Referee (Sydney, NSW: 1886-1939)
Date: Wednesday, 19 August 1914, p.12 (Article)
Link: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120282796
Title: Now I Remember: Feats in goal kicking
Author: J. C. DAVIS
Date: Wednesday, 27 July 1932, p.2 (Article)
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