The 1877 SAFA season in review
The football season of 1877 has now fairly some to a close, and a review of its doings affords ample grounds for rejoicing to all lovers of the game. The formation of an Association in the end of April gave football an impetus, and in spite of the lamented death of Mr. C. B. Poole and an unusually long list of accidents — none of them happily very severe — it has progressed rapidly and uninterruptedly.
At the beginning of the season it was confidently expected that an inter-colonial match would be played on the other side between twenty picked representatives of South Australia and the same number of Victorians. Though these expectations were disappointed, club enterprise succeeded where the Association had failed, and two sets of intercolonial matches were played in Adelaide, our visitors being the Melbourne and St. Kilda Clubs.
In all respects, except financially, both visits were in the highest degree successful and have conduced in no little degree to the advancement of the game here. It is only unfortunate that some misunderstanding which arose between the Adelaide Club — to whom the honour of having originated this undertaking belongs — and the Victorian Club led for no little time to a great deal of bad feeling between the two clubs concerned and their partisans. Happily, both parties have now agreed to let byegones be byegones and to work in harmony for the common good.
The results of the matches themselves were in both cases against the representatives of this colony; but this was no more than was to be expected, considering that Victoria has long been noted as a stronghold of football, whereas our representatives have only in the last few years risen to the dignity of knights of the leather, and till the present season have played under totally different rules.
Season results
Besides several country matches played by the Adelaide Club, over fifty matches have been played during the past four months between the eight clubs belonging to the Association. May 12 saw the opening of the season, the Adelaide and Bankers (both new clubs), and Kensington and Port Adelaide testing their strength. Both these matches were very one-sided, Adelaide and Port Adelaide being the respective winners.
On May 19 the Adelaide Club met Port Adelaide, and one of the closest struggles of the season ended in the defeat of Port Adelaide. On the same day the Bankers tried conclusions with South Park, also a new Club, but were again defeated, though not so easily as on the previous Saturday;
On May 26 Adelaide beat Woodville, though the game went decidedly in favour of the latter. Kensington and South Park resulted in the defeat of the new club, and the Victorian Club beat Port Adelaide after a closely-contested game.
On June 2 the two most interesting matches were Kensington v. South Adelaide — a very tough fight, which resulted in the victory of the blues — and Victorian v. Woodville, which contrary to all expectation proved an easy victory for the former.
On June 9 Kensington and Adelaide drew with each other, the game being throughout very even; and South Adelaide just managed to beat Woodville.
On June 16 Adelaide and Victorian played a tie, and on the following Saturday South Adelaide beat Adelaide by the skin of the teeth— perhaps the hardest fought game of the whole season — and Port Adelaide and Woodville were unable to score against each other.
On June 30 South Adelaide and Victorian, the two hitherto unconquered clubs, met; but though South Adelaide had by far the best of the game they were unable to secure any material advantage.
On July 7 Adelaide beat the Bankers by nine goals to nil— the most severe defeat ever inflicted in the colony. On the same day South Adelaide met Woodviile, and the latter with the assistance of two powerful substitutes were enabled to make a tie match.
On July 14 to the general amazement the Woodville flag was lowered by South Park, while Port Adelaide tied with Adelaide, though the game was somewhat in favour of the town club.
On July 21 Port Adelaide succumbed to South Adelaide, and Woodville obtained eight goals to Kensington's three.
On the following Saturday an even game between Adelaide and Woodville resulted in the defeat of the latter, while Victorian suffered disastrously at the hands of Port Adelaide. This they atoned for on August 4 by defeating Adelaide after a well fought game, while South Adelaide just managed to defeat Port Adelaide, the game being very exciting.
On August 11 the first inter-colonial match took place on the Exhibition Grounds, and on the same day South Park inflicted a severe defeat upon Woodville.
On the following Saturday all games were stopped for the intercolonial match on the Oval.
On August 25 the matches were uninteresting, and the same may be said of those on September 1, South Adelaide defeating Adelaide easily, some of the most prominent players of both sides, and more especially of Adelaide, being unable to play.
On September 8 South Park and Victorian played the roughest match of the season. One goal was claimed by Victorian, though South Park did not allow it.
On September 15 the rain and wind played an intensely depressing game, which resulted in the victory of the latter; and September 22, the last day of football, saw the victory of Victorian over South Adelaide after a splendid game.
Season analysis
From the analysis of the season, published below, it will be seen that the honour of being the Champion Club is divided between the South Adelaide and Victorian Clubs. The former, besides a match against the Bankers, claimed through the absence of the latter, has played thirteen matches — two against each club in the Association— during the season, and the hostile leather has only once been through her posts — a result very rare in the history of football. Whilst she has won 8 goals less than Victorian and Adelaide it must be remembered that each of these Clubs scored a dozen goals off the Bankers, who never dared face South Adelaide.
Both the drawn matches were in her [South Adelaide’s] favour, and she was only three times really hard pressed — by Kensington on June 2, by Adelaide on June 23, and by Port Adelaide on July 21; whilst her defeat on September 29 is utterly unaccountable for when measured by her usual play. It will be remarked from the analysis that the style of play adopted by her Captain, Mr. G. D. Kennedy, is defensive, and his reliance upon his back players has not been misplaced; while many of the club's victories are due to the fine kicking of Mr. Dedman.
At the beginning of the season many of the players showed a disposition to play too much "for the man," but this defect had up to September 29, when it was again noticeable, almost entirely disappeared, and the fine generalship of her leader is apparent in the skill which her players have attained in that department of the game known as "shepherding."
The Victorian Club also claims the first position by the analysis, and while it must be confessed that she has been peculiarly favoured by fortune, her play on the last day of the season quite warrants her position. She has to own a defeat by Port Adelaide, which only stands fourth on the list. In both her matches against Adelaide the latter was weakly represented, and her victory against Port Adelaide and more especially the draw against South Adelaide were marked instances of the fickleness of the game. On the other hand her style of play is acknowledged to be the prettiest in the colony; her little marking has throughout been brilliant and effective, and in her recent victory over South Adelaide she was playing without her two best men. Her play against the Melbourne Club redounds greatly to her credit; and especially in her matches against Adelaide and South Adelaide her performances were excellent.
Good management and unity of action have been amongst her most prominent characteristics. It is only fair to attribute a large portion of her success to the unflagging energy of her Hon. Secretary, Mr. W. R. Whitfield, and the liberality of her President, Mr. W. N Pratt, to which gentlemen, together with Mr. Felix Goodfellow, the honour and glory of her intercolonial match is also mainly due.
The third position belongs to Adelaide. This Club, the mother of South Australian football, dissolved on the adoption of the Kensington rules, but was reconstructed by Mr. H. Conigrave and other gentlemen in August, 1876. Her proceedings have throughout been marked by great energy and pluck. She took the lead in the formation of the Association, originated and successfully carried into effect the idea of an intercolonial match, and may thus reasonably claim to have exercised a marked influence upon the football of the colony.
As regards her actual play, she met with more than her due share of success at the beginning of the season, her defeat of Woodville on May 26 being almost entirely the product of good luck. Before the middle of June, however, she lost her best player, Mr. F. W. Stephen, and ever since, although her play has very materially improved, the fickle dame has been against her. Although possessed of excellent back players her style has been chiefly offensive, as will be seen from the number of goals won and lost. For 14 of her 32 goals is indebted to her goal sneak, Mr. Jno. Young, whilst the fact that so many opportunities were given him speaks well for the unselfishness of the rest of her team.
The fourth place belongs to Port Adelaide, and between her and Adelaide the difference is almost entirely one of fortune. She opened the season somewhat unluckily, and has hardly had her share of luck throughout. Her style of play though somewhat rough is bold, but lacks science, and she can claim the honour of being the only club which has lowered the Victorian flag. On her own ground she has only once been defeated, and then more by bad luck than anything else. Perhaps her chief merit — and it is a very great one — is that she always brings a good team into the field, and this must be very gratifying to her able and courteous Captain, Mr. Fletcher, and her Hon. Secretary, Mr. Charles Wells.
Fifth, but far behind the fourth, comes Woodville, the most uncertain club of all. Starting the season with every prospect of obtaining the championship, she has never been certain of bringing a good team into the field. Bad fortune may have something to do with it, but no bad fortune can excuse a double defeat by South Park, Adelaide, and Victorian, and it is to internal dissensions that her downfall is chiefly due.
Sixth comes South Park, who though she has not as good an analysis as Woodville defeated her twice. Of South Park it may truly be said that she is ‘young and lusty as an eagle,’ and her analysis must be very satisfactory to all her members, and more especially to her popular Captain, Mr. J. H. Sinclair. Towards the end of the season she improved wonderfully, and should be very formidable next year.
Kensington, the seventh according to the analysis, has been as great a disappointment to her supporters as has Woodville. Her defeat by Port Adelaide at the beginning of the season was due to a number of her players 'not turning up,' and this fault has been her ruin. Her struggles with South Adelaide and Adelaide in June were most honourable to her, but after that short Augustan era she rapidly sank into comparative insignificance.
Of the Bankers, who occupy the last place, there is little to be said beyond that someone must be last. At the same time the formation of a class club was a thing to be regretted, and it is to be hoped that no efforts will be made to re-establish it next season.
The greatest failure of the season have been the central umpires, who have very rarely given satisfaction, the best of these being perhaps Messrs. J. R. Osborn, H. Hughes, Tidswell, McAlister, and Reeves.
Amongst the individual feats of the season the most prominent are the kicking of a goal from a distance of 58 yards by Mr. S. Wallace in the match between South Adelaide and Kensington on June 21; the kicking of four goals by one of the Adelaide men in the Adelaide and Bankers match on July 7, which lasted only an hour and a half; and of the same number by Mr. Pearce of the St. Kilda Club, during their match with the South Australian born team.
Association analysis
First: South Adelaide — Matches won, 10 (one through absence of Bankers whom she was not appointed to meet a second time); matches, drawn, 2; match lost, 1; goals won, 23; goal lost, 1.
First: Victorian — Matches won, 11 (one in dispute); matches drawn, 2; match lost, 1; goals won, 31; goals lost, 5.
Third: Adelaide — Matches won, 10 (two through absence of Woodville and Bankers); matches drawn, 3; matches lost, 3; goals won, 31; goals lost, 13.
Fourth: Port Adelaide — Matches won, 9 (two through absence of Woodville and Bankers); matches drawn, 2; matches lost, 4; goals won, 23; goals lost, 13.
Fifth: Woodville — Matches won, 5 (two through double absence of Bankers); matches drawn, 2; matches lost, 9 (two through absence against Port Adelaide and Adelaide); goals won, 14; goals lost, 18.
Sixth: South Park — Matches won, 5; matches lost, 10 (one disputed); matches drawn, 21; goals won, 16; goals lost, 20.
Seventh: Kensington — Matches won, 3 (one through absence of Bankers); matches drawn, 2; matches lost, 10; goals won, 12; goals lost, 36.
Eighth: Bankers — Matches won or drawn, 0; matches lost 15 (six through absence); goals won, 4; goals lost, 31.
Extra matches
Adelaide, 4 goals, beat Kapunda, 2.
Woodville, 1 goal, beat Gawler, 0.
Adelaide, 1 goal, tied Gawler, 1.
Adelaide, 3 goals, beat Kapunda, 2.
Melbourne, 1 goal, beat Victorian, 0.
Melbourne, 5 goals, beat Combined Team, 0.
South Australians, 3 goals, beat Victorians, 1.
St. Kilda, 5 goals, beat Adelaide, 2.
St. Kilda. 7 goals, beat South Australians, 2.
Footnotes
Title: Football: The Season of 1877. Author: Marlborough Publisher: South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900) Date: Wednesday, 3 October, 1877, Supplement to the South Australian Register. p 2 (Article) Web: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/40474424
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