Australian Football

Match Report

FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. THE FINAL MATCH. FITZROY v. ESSENDON. A VIGOROUS GAME

After all the trouble over the choice of a ground for the final match for the League championship there was no want of interest on the part of the public or the players when the teams met on the St. Kilda ground on Saturday. There was bright sunshine, and a wind that had promised earlier in the day to be strong enough to spoil the match was gradually dying out. Indeed, it veered from north to south just as the teams were marching on to the field—with Fitzroy, judging by the cheers, as the favourites.

The attendance was larger than at Fitzroy a week ago, 13,000 paying for admission, so that there must have been 16,000 present. With the embankment everyone had a first-rate view of the game, and curiously enough those points of the St. Kilda ground which were thought to be most unsuitable—the top-dressed spaces—proved the best, the turf being in places so hard that the players skated on it a good deal. There was nothing in the ground to prevent a very fine game of football being played—one of the most vigorous, if not the most scientific, of the season. That it was not more skilful was due, not to the ground, but to the players, for men crowded over-anxiously on the ball, got in each other's way and spoiled the play as an exhibition—though the game was so earnest, and the crowd so excited, that one overlooked any defects in it because of its intensity. Many thought Essendon beaten ere they took the field, but before that impression changed to fact the red and black had made a gallant fight, and were over-borne rather by strength than skill.

First quarter

Fitzroy began with the wind in their favour, though it was not strong, and, in the opening rallies, M. Grace became at once the prominent man of the match with a couple of beautiful high marks. Fitzroy pressed the attack for a bit, but Officer and other Essendon men took it with a burst up their left wing and a fine mark by T. Collins put Essendon within range. One of Essendon's weaknesses all through the day was, however, that —with the exception of Collins—none of the forwards could stand against the determined charges of the Fitzroy backs.

Already the crowd were yelling with excitement, as at the finish of a match. Sharpe, with a free kick, had the Essendon backs working hard, but Vautin and Officer were both doing splendidly and, as J. Grace kept moving outfield to meet the ball, Officer, left alone in front, got it repeatedly, and with his fine strong rushes, carried it out of danger up the left wing. The most serious mistake Fitzroy made in this quarter was leaving Officer unguarded. The first goal was got by Fitzroy, for while they were scrambling almost between the Essendon goal-posts, McSpeerin tipped it through.

The excitement increased with this success, so did Fitzroy's determination, but Officer and Forbes got Essendon out of a fix twice in quick succession. The high-marking was very fine, O'Loghlen and Descrimes being in turn cheered — but it was the only really good point in the game, both sides rushing it excitedly. Some very good play preceded Fitzroy's second goal, Sharpe marking a long kick off by Officer and passing it on to M. Grace, whose kick was splendidly marked by his brother Jim in the middle of a crowd. The old Fitzroy goalkicker scored it in good style.

Fitzroy came determinedly to the attack again, and after Gray had made a really good effort to take it away along Essendon's left wing. J. Grace, now watching Officer more closely, made another grand high mark and nice kick, but missed. McSpeerin had a running shot. Then Essendon broke through the pressure temporarily, and Tenbrink had a hurried punt within range, which brought no very valuable result. Just before this J. Dalton, of Fitzroy, wrenched his knee, and was useless to the side afterwards. The first goal for Essendon was grandly got, for Collins made a fine mark after Hickey had charged him, and with an equally good kick got the goal. McDougall was shooting for Fitzroy as the first bell rang, the maroons having a comfortable lead of 11 points.

Second quarter

So far the game had been vigorous rather than scientific, but it steadied a bit at the beginning of the second quarter, though two free kicks to Hastings and some slashing work by Jackson and Forbes kept Fitzroy defenders on the alert. In the answer from Fitzroy Mick Grace and McSpeerin were prominent. It was a hard fight, with no quarter, and condition must be good to carry it through. Cleghorn forced it dangerously close once for Essendon, but the sturdy and ever-watchful Sloan saved his goal. After some desperate fighting in which it seemed that Essendon would for a time get the upper hand, Fitzroy broke through the cordon on the right wing. After J.Grace had missed a chance, one of Gavin's high marks, backed up by the fine work of Jackson further out, kept the claret jackets off for a while, but Drohan at last got it at long range, and just as he was expected to play for the front J. Grace edged quietly out of the crush to one side, and the ball was passed to him at a sharp angle. It looked a bad move, but the goal was beautifully got, and Fitzroy now counted victory as almost assured.

In one instance Sharpe charged Vautin after the ball had clearly gone, and there was cheering when the Fitzroy man got his desserts in a cropper. Sharpe is not, however, a frequent offender. One of the prettiest bits of the day was a run by M. Grace, who, while never absolutely in possession, worked the ball skilfully right across the ground till one of his own side spoiled him with a breach of the rules—a rather frequent incident of the game. This mistake cost Fitzroy a goal, for it came back to their posts, and T. Collins, with a beautiful mark and low, skimming kick scored for Essendon.

Some hard play, in which Hickey, Sharpe, and Reid were conspicuous on the one side and Vautin equally so on the other, closed with another success to Fitzroy. Kiernan played it across to M'Dougall who scored fourth goal for Fitzroy from an angle shot. Essendon's reply roused their followers to enthusiasm. Some persistent and clever work by Cleghorn got it down to Moore, who marked and scored third goal for Essendon. It gave them heart, and they were pressing the attack strongly when the ball rang, with Fitzroy leading by 10 points, and ample time yet to change the whole trend of the game.

Third quarter

At the beginning of the third quarter Fitzroy were fairly alarmed by the dash and skill with which their rivals came at them. Fitzroy kept to the close heavy game, but Essendon had probably been warned during the interval that such tactics were against them, for they spread out their formation, passed to each other with something of the cleverness that made them so formidable in the first half of the season, and for a long time kept the Fitzroy backs constantly on the strain. Vautin was playing very finely, and Forbes at his best, so that the cry "Watch Tracker, there" was often heard from the Fitzroy men.Officer, on the back line, too, continued those fine dashes which were so serviceable to Essendon all day. Dalton, who was limping about the Essendon goal on the off chance of snapping one, had two hurried chances in the quarter, but missed them. Then for a time the Essendon fellows fairly roused their followers to enthusiasm by their fine play, one cheer after another greeting the efforts of Vautin,

Campbell, Jackson, Hastings, and Collins. The latter, after bringing off one fine mark, was heavily thrown, but though the position looked very awkward for Fitzroy they got out of it without serious loss, thanks largely to Noonan, who, next to M. Grace, was playing the cleverest football on his side, the others relying too much on muscle and rush. Essendon came back to the attack splendidly, Barry, Forbes, and Gavin fairly electrifying the side with their fine football, and but for sheer strength the Fitzroy backs must have been overwhelmed. So great was their anxiety that they simply hurled themselves into every crush of players with a total disregard of the consequences,and in their wild alarm frequently spoiled their own men.

The turning point in this quarter came when M. Grace made the finest mark of the day. He soared high for it, and the ball passing overhead seemed to stick to the tips of his fingers.When he followed this effort with a beautiful goal, a half-dozen of his comrades rushed to shake hands with him, and Fitzroy cheered their champion follower to the echo. Had Essendon's forward men given Collins fair help, the grand work of the ruck might have saved the game then, but as soon as Grace had scored his goal the Red and Black seemed to lose heart a bit, and their attack weakened, though Hastings, after one beautiful run, got possession a second time, and his shot glanced off the side of the goal post.

Just as the three-quarter bell rang, Kearney had a chance at long range, but failed to cover the distance. Fitzroy had drawn out their lead again to 16 points, but what slight advantage lay in the wind was with Essendon for a finish.

Fourth quarter

Starting the last quarter Fitzroy very nearly made a serious mistake. They were content to keep Essendon from scoring, and so played out for the boundary rather boldly than up the ground.

Seeing that in all their recent games they had shown themselves a lasting lot, the wisdom of the step was extremely doubtful. The result was to keep the play at the Fitzroy end till the players gradually edged down that way and formed a pack, two-thirds of the men being on or close to the ball. In this way a couple of good marks or chance kicks might bring the Red and Blacks level, while Fitzroy, playing far out of bounds, remained stationary. Essendon's friends complained of the Fitzroy tactics, but quite failed to see that nothing could have served their side better, for, as in the early part of the third quarter, they were playing the neatest football. Anderson had not been of much use to Essendon back, so they ran him forward, where he and Tenbrink missed fair chances to score. Further out in the field Kinnear was playing as smart football for Essendon as Noonan for Fitzroy.

As in nearly every game where Fitzroy has been pressed this season, Sloan's strength and staying power were the salvation of his side. He broke away several times on the left wing, and in a couple of good runs got round men who, on appearances, looked much faster. Human nature could not strand the strain of two such heroic efforts as Essendon made in each of the last quarters, and, with about 12 minutes to play, their rally died away, though it had lasted long enough to show some slashing if, at times, reckless football. In the last 10 minutes the balance of power was with Fitzroy, who were attacking again. Twice Officer brought it out on the right flank, and Kearney, who, towards the end, was playing with something of his old effect, tried to break through the Fitzroy defence, but then, as all day, it was a rather hopeless task, and they had made it the more solid by bringing J. Grace back to goal.

The game lost interest in the last few minutes, for it was obvious that Fitzroy must win, and they did by 15 points, the joy of the team and their followers as the bell rang the last note of the season being pronounced.

Summary

Like the struggle between Fitzroy and Collingwood a week before, this might have been a better game, but it could not have been a harder one, and the fact that Fitzroy never got clear away, made it tremendously exciting. I have frequently expressed the opinion that, with the change of rules, big men, provided they are not slow, have better opportunities than when the little mark was in vogue, and Fitzroy have, by chance or design, fitted themselves for the change. Tall and powerful young fellows like Hickey, Sloan, Sharpe, J. Grace,

Potter, Descrimes, and Power, make a wonderful difference in a packed field, and the rushes of the Fitzroy backs were at times very demoralising to Essendon's light-weight forwards. They are in luck, too, in having a number of stalwart young players, who are coming on fast, and the team will be harder to beat next season than in the one just closed. A deciding game is rarely a model one, but both sides were in such downright earnest, the play was so fast, and the incidents so exciting that the lack of skill was not noticed, and in no game of the year has a crowd been kept so constantly on the strain.

It was an exceedingly fair crowd, too, the great majority apparently impartial, and applauding good play from whatever side it came. The Fitzroy win was undoubtedly popular, and they may thank the strength of their back men and ruck for their triumph, as in most of the places Essendon seemed to be a bit faster. The position of the winners is the more satisfactory to their supporters since, at the start of the season, there was just a chance of their being disorganised.

It must be said that Fitzroy have not helped to make football a more gentle game, and one or two of their men, notably Hickey, formerly a fine dashing back, are simply carrying the plan of demoralising and damaging the other side altogether too far. The development of this sort of thing will end in a loss of skill; and brute strength is not football.

A couple of the Essendon men did their share in the same style of play, but Fitzroy's was the rougher game of the two. Those who helped most to keep the winners on top were M. Grace, Noonan, Sloan, McSpeerin, Sharpe, J. Grace, Drohan, Potter, Robinson, and Descrimes; while for Essendon the more prominent men were Forbes, Vautin, Hastings, T. Collins, Jackson, Barry, O'Loghlen, Cleghorn, Officer, and Gavin.

Crapp, as field umpire, was fairly strict all through and wisely so, for, as the game was played, there was need to keep the curb on always, and the umpire did his share with sound judgement. Amongst those who saw the game was the Administrator of the Government, Sir John Madden, who, at the close, offered his congratulations to the winners, through their captain, Sloan.

The following is the score:—

| First | Half- | Third | Final |

Match. | Qtr. | time. | Qtr. | Score. | Points.

Fitzroy .. .. .. | 2-5 | 4-5 | 5-6 | 5-8 | 38 Essendon .. .. | 1-0 | 3-1 | 3-2 | 3-5 | 23