A story of a pass that went wrong
Jack Elder describes: How an error robbed St. Kilda of the league pennant. The story of a pass that went wrong.
By Jack Elder, chief League umpire from 1906 to 1922, and holder of the record for umpiring finals.
Eight minutes to go! One point behind, with Baird bolting with the ball from a flank to an open goal at easy distance! It was St. Kilda's greatest moment in League history, with Fitzroy “on the run” and the premiership of 1913 in the Saints' grasp. How an error of judgment in this crisis wrecked St. Kilda’s premiership hopes is related by Jack Elder, the famous League umpire in this, the seventh of the series of articles, which he has written specially for The Sporting Globe. "The greatest side that has ever worn the St. Kilda colors is how Elder describes the Saints team, which finished second in 1913 after having soundly beaten Fitzroy in the preliminary final.
To my mind a reshuffle of the teams composing the four from year to year is to the good of the game. Too often in recent years has the same set of teams fought out the finals. It is undeniable that before the war there was greater evenness among League teams. Once Carlton's dominance, that had lasted from 1906 to 1909, had been broken, the composition of the four was altered sharply in several seasons. This was so in 1913. Essendon, after having won successive premierships 1911 and 1912, were beaten out of the four in 1913. Carlton and Geelong, who had played in the 1912 finals, both failed to reach the four in 1913.
Romance of the year
Collingwood fought back to the four, but the romance of the season was the rise of St. Kilda. For long the Saints had wandered in the football wilderness just like North Melbourne have been wandering in the last three years. In 1913, however, St Kilda put into the field a team which in my opinion was the greatest that has ever worn the red, white and black. They were well balanced, powerful in defence, and dashing in attack. They had Cumberland, Harry Lever, Eicke, Woodcock, Cazaly, and Dangerfield at the top of their form, and in Sellars they had found a star forward. They began the season well by pushing a strong South Melbourne team "all out" to snatch a nine-points victory. Then they overthrew a really great Fitzroy team by 10.7 to 3.16.
Fitzroy, always a hard fighting side, before the war climbed to the top of the list after this defeat. They had a bunch of splendid players like Walker, Holden, Norris, Heron, Parratt, McLennan, Wal Johnson, "Yorky" Shaw, Tom Heaney and Jimmy Freake. A nice blending of weight and pace and a deadly attack made them a formidable combination.
A great winning run gave Fitzroy victories on successive Saturdays against Geelong, Melbourne, Essendon, Richmond, South Melbourne, Collingwood, Carlton and University, and in the return game against St Kilda the Maroons got home by 7.11 to 5.9. After that defeat St. Kilda played into excellent form that carried them into the finals.
The Saints reached the four earlier—in 1908—but met Carlton at the zenith of their greatness in a semi-final and were crushingly defeated. In 1913 they were a far stronger side. Billy Schmidt, with a magnificent 65 yards shot, gave them victory over Carlton at St Kilda by a point right on the bell, 10-10 to 11-3, and on the following Saturday they left Collingwood standing to win by 12-10 to 6-8.
That year the Saints met South in the first semi-final, which I umpired. Forty thousand people saw a remarkably even game between two well matched sides. Everywhere except in front of goal South paced it with the Saints. They had most of the stars who had played in the 1912 grand final against Essendon – Sloss, Mortimer, Bower, Charge, Hiskens, and Belcher. As South had twice beaten St. Kilda in the first round, they were hot favorites for the semi-final.
Foiled in front
But all day South could not kick goals. Shots missed by inches and others went across the posts. St. Kilda and Sellars in deadly form, and his six goals enabled them to beat South soundly on scores, but not play, by 12-12 to 6-15.
St. Kilda with this victory had made history. It the first time that they’d fought their way to the final. But they were to go even further. Fitzroy at their top met Collingwood in the second semi-final before 43,000 people. It was one of the most miserable days for football that I can recall. Rain swept the ground for most of the game, and a bitter wind chilled everyone to the bone.
The Maroons had beaten Collingwood in the first round by 6-11 to 5-7, and by 9-10 to 4-13. They were strong favorites for the semi-final, and fully justified the confidence of their supporters. Although Mutch, Laxton, Minogue, Wilson, Jackson, and McHale played well for the Magpies, Fitzroy won soundly with 11-14 to 6-7.
So it was, that, for the first time in League history, St. Kilda appeared in
the final match against Fitzroy. What a magnificent effort St Kilda put up that day! There were 54.000 people there, and the gate was £2100. They saw the Saints hold their own in the first half, meeting weight with weight and showing slightly greater pace. There was nothing in it at half-time with Fitzroy 5-6. St. Kilda 5-4. After the change Cazaly kicked a neat goal for the Saints, and in my view that was the turning point in the game. St. Kilda never looked back. Tireless and dashing football carried them to 7-8 to Fitzroy's 5-8 at three-quarter time. Their defence in the last quarter smashed attack after attack by the Maroons, who made a supreme effort.
Convincing win
Then when the Fitzroy onslaught faltered, the Saints raced away for three quick goals and a convincing win of 10.10 to 6.9. I am quiet confident that a team which fights its way to the top of the League ladder invariably plays flat out to win the final. In my long experience of umpiring finals, I never saw a leading team take things easy even for five minutes. Footballers are not so much in love with strenuosity that they would willingly face grueling games on successive Saturdays in that October sunshine that can become a good deal too ardent out here on the Melbourne ground.
In judging form in finals the factor of staleness must always be considered. A highly trained team can go stale in one hard, anxious match. The occasion also can overawe some players so much that they can do nothing right. I have seen some of the greatest players do the most stupid things in a tense, hard-fought final. They become anxious and begin to fumble the ball. Always in the midst of the players, I have been position to clearly see this nervousness among some of them in final games. lt is often most pronounced.
So we come to September 27, 1913, when St. Kilda had their first League premiership in their grasp and through an error of judgment allowed it to slip. Through the season Fitzroy supporters had nicknamed their team "The Unbeatables". The Saints in the final had falsified this arrogant title and the grand final became an even money bet.
Bamford could not play for Fitzroy, his knee was injured in the final and Willoughby had been suspended on my report for having elbowed Jory of St. Kilda. McLennan was back in the team, however, but the general view was that the Saints had a great chance of gaining their first pennent.
Record crowd
Players and the then record crowd of 58,500 had to face a blistering sun. It was more like a summer's day than Spring at the M.C.G. Many women in the crowd were overcome by the heat and nobody felt comfortable. That day and the Saturday in 1920 when Richmond won their first League premiership were about the warmest days upon which I have umpired.
Fitzroy brought into the side Wells and Harrison to take up the back pockets with Lenne in goal. Lethbridge, Wal Johnson and Cooper were at half-back with Walker. Norris and Heron on the ball, and McLennan. Buisst and Holden forming the centre line. Freake, Parratt and Toohey were at half-forward, with Tom Heaney full forward, supported on the flanks by Martin and "Yorky" Shaw.
Cumberland, Woodcock and Millhouse were St. Kilda's ruck, with Schmidt, Collins and Bowden on the centre line, Cazaly, Lynch and Jory half-forward, Sellars, Morrissey and Baird forward; Ellis, Dangerfield and Wels Eicke at half-back; with Harry Lever in goal and Harris and Hattam in the back pockets.
Well down at last change
The Saints started badly and could manage only five behinds in the first half, while Fitzroy totted up 4-8. A desperate effort in the third quarter failed to improve their position greatly, and they entered the last term with a dismal 1-10 to the Maroons 5-11. Fitzroy had played splendid, concerted football, although they were fairly firmly held by St Kilda's defence, led by Harry Lever. I cannot recall having umpired one really lop-sided grand final, but I thought the great run of even struggles back to 1906 was to be broken that day. I was wrong.
St. Kilda staged a last quarter rally that will be long remembered by those who saw It. They came at the Maroons in fine style, and their forwards at last began to find the target. Sellars, from a beautiful mark, put on their second goal. Baird whipped through the third, and Morrissey snapped the fourth. Fitzroy were in the toils. They saw a winning lead of 27 points whittled down to one point with about eight minutes to go. Playing sturdy and dashing football St Kilda had Fitzroy on the run, and had crept up to 5-13 against 5-14. It looked as if the game was in their pocket. They were showing brilliant pace and fine system. The Maroons, after their great earlier effort, appeared to be tiring.
It was then that St. Kilda fell into one of those errors of judgment that mean all the difference between success and failure in final games. Eight minutes to go; one point behind! Baird grabbed the ball and bolted for an open goal on a slight angle. Here was a golden chance of clinching the issue. The distance was easy. But in the general excitement Cumberland called to Baird to pass the ball to him more in front of goal. Baird did. Cooper, Fitzroy's half-back flanker, dashed in, marked the pass, and swept the ball away. This move halted St. Kilda's run and Fitzroy on the rebound rattled on two quick goals by Martin and Yorky Shaw, to win by 7-14 to 5-13. The premiership was theirs, while three minutes earlier it had been in St Kilda's grasp.
Footnotes
Title: Jack Elder describes
Author: Jack Elder
Publisher: Sporting Globe (Melbourne, Vic: 1922 - 1954)
Date: Saturday, 27 July 1935, p.7 (2nd Ed)
Comments
Russell Tangey 3 June 2019
So, STK screw it up in a Grand Final. What's new?
Carl Rayson 9 June 2019
Fitzroy were playing in a grand final? I don't know if that's new or old.
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