The finest full forward
Who is the finest full forward in the history of football in Victoria?
I'd say Bob Pratt (South Melbourne), although I'd say also, that neither he nor any of the other stars of the prewar years could keep up the pace of the modern game.
In postwar football I would say the star full forward is still John Coleman, even though he has not this year matched his consummate play in 1949 and 1950.
When we talk of the stars of a decade or two ago there will always be arguments. Most of the fans of that time will agree that the four best, since the first World War at least, were Bob Pratt and Dick Lee, Gordon Coventry and Ron Todd, of Collingwood. Of them all, Pratt stands out as the most spectacular of all time. He created a record for V.F.L. games that still stands. That was in 1934, when he kicked 150 goals. Most of them came from brilliant snaps or after breath-taking high marks.
Hard Worked
Coventry (left), broad-backed and sticky-fingered, was one of the hardest and most consistent workers in the game. For five years he headed the goal-kicking list, and was the first to pass 100 in one season. His 124 goals in 1929 is still second only to Pratt's 150.
Todd, of a later vintage, kicked 120 goals in 1938 and again in 1939, and then dismayed Collingwood by going to the V.F.A.
Lee, of the same club, headed the list nine times, and was equal with Cliff Rankin (Geelong) in 1921, which was his last year. Lee was probably the most accurate goal-kicker in the history of the game.
Those full forwards of the years that are gone were real stars, but, with several exceptions, they would have all the trouble in the world in reproducing that form nowadays. The game has become so last that the blazing, blistering, Minding pace would sweep them off their legs.
There are only three players at the moment who qualify for the title of champion. They are John Coleman, of Essendon; Jock Spencer, of North Melbourne; and George Goninon, of Geelong. And I'll pick Coleman as No. 1.
Since he burst into the game in 1949 by kicking 12 goals against Hawthorn in the opening game of the season, Coleman (right) has been the idol - or the envy - of football supporters. He kicked 100 goals in that first season. Nobody else in our football history has started so brilliantly. He followed by kicking 120 in his second season, but he was not so good last year, when his total was only 75. This year he started badly, but is now away out on top again.
Pratt Hovered
But for as his promise, Coleman nevertheless lacks the genius for the game that distinguished Bob Pratt. It might have been an optical illusion, but Pratt seemed to hover in the air and then go a little higher in taking his marks. He was also a genius in worming his way through a crush of players rising for the ball and bringing it down amid the excited cheering of his supporters.
Coleman also has a remarkable leap for the ball, but, although spectacular, it is more orthodox. He too, has "gluey" fingers. He is an instinctively good kick, but is not so consistently good as Pratt. As I write John will have little chance of reaching three figures this season. One reason is that his team will be out of the four for the first time in several seasons. Another reason is that he is not receiving the same support as previously.
A full forward is, to some extent, only as good as the men playing to him. Up till this season Coleman had three players in particular who were masters at passing. They were Bill Hutchison (captain), Greg Tate, and Ron McEwin. These three, rovers all, had developed a fine technique for getting the ball to the full forward. Now, however, Tate is playing in the country, and McEwin is not in such good form. Hutchison, too, seems to have lost a little of his pace.
Lots of good judges, particularly those who can see only North's colors, will argue that Jock Spencer is present champion forward. Not only are the figures against him, but an analysis of his play shows that he is not completely efficient. Perhaps the men in front of him are to blame in that they lack the accuracy and judgment of those who were such a help to Coleman at Essendon.
In one special feature of football he lags behind the Essendon star. That is in the lead out. Usually Coleman loses his man beautifully, making it easy to mark a stab-kick pass. Spencer lacks the same super-fine judgment. As for his kicking, he is one of the test long punt kicks in the game. Some of his goals from 60 yards out are gems.
The rise of George Gonion (left) has been quite dramatic. He came to Essendon from Tasmania, but could not displace Coleman, and did not seem happy in any other position than full forward. For the seconds he put up some phenomenal performances, but there was almost a psychological change in his outlook to the game when he was promoted.
Then Essendon sporting allowed him to transfer to Geelong, where, in his first year, 1950, he kicked 45 goals. Once again he saw his nervous approach to every game. It's said that he rarely slept on the night before a match, and he played like it. Nevertheless, he had his own technique. He rarely strayed far away from the goal base. His marking was safe, rather than spectacular, and he was probably the straightest kick in the League.
Queer Kick
That he steered the ball straight through goal was one of the surprises of football. He seemed to stumble as he ran toward goal, and threw up the ball to kick it in a sort of punt-drop style, but the darned thing went through with a surprising absence of error. Last year he topped the League list with 86 goals, and was the king pin in that grand final against Essendon. He kicked 11 goals - a grand final feat performed formerly only by Ron Todd (Collingwood) and Harry Vallence (Carlton). Had it not been for the Essendon discard Geelong almost certainly would not have won than 1951 premiership.
Now Geelong are sitting pretty for another premiership. Unless full backs can handle Goninon better than they have done and unless other defenders can check the source of supply to Goninon, Geelong will win that premiership.
Footnotes
Title: Games were slow before the war. Author: Percy Taylor Publisher: The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria, 1848 1957) Date: Friday, 15 August 1952, p.7S Web: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/23181319#pstart1755478
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