The 1890 VFA season in review
The football season closed on Saturday, when the South Melbourne Club was left with a much sounder lead for the premiership than was expected when it was beaten so decisively by Carlton a few weeks ago. Then it seemed likely that the slightest mistake might, on the eleventh hour, deprive the team of what had for long seemed a certain triumph. Luck has been against both teams since, but by far the larger balance of it against Carlton, and so South Melbourne finish up the season 10 points ahead—a substantial lead, since it means two wins and a draw.
Those who are rather more interested in the game than in the welfare of any particular club had hoped at the beginning of the season that some other club than South Melbourne, Carlton, and Geelong would have gone to the top of the list, and for a long time it looked as though Fitzroy would afford the necessary variation, but the latter broke down suddenly and unexpectedly, and by the time they had pulled themselves together again it was too late.
On the general play both Carlton and Essendon should have shown better as against South Melbourne at the finish. Carlton suffered for want of effective forwards in the early part of the season, and eventually discarded both the goal-kickers from whom at starting they had expected a good deal. Before they had got the team fairly organised again points had been lost that they never quite managed to make up.
Essendon, in addition to experiencing some ill luck in matches, suffered heavily by the casualties of the season. Their first and heaviest loss was that of a goal-kicker who in a few matches had shown something like the remarkable form of Grace, of Fitzroy. Afterwards some of their finest ruck players had to leave the field, and altogether Eessendon has nothing to thank fortune for this year.
While Carlton and Essendon were thus losing strength South Melbourne was gaining it at the expense of other clubs, and with good material to begin with it is hardly surprising that they should have kept their place of last year. But that they should have kept it so easily was not the natural consequence of their play. South Melbourne should have had at least one, if not two more losses, while Carlton should have had two less.
Essendon's bad luck was not in the matches lost as much as with matches drawn, of which, as will be seen, they had an unusual number. Their four defeats by Carlton (twice), South Melbourne, and Fitzroy were unquestionable. Carlton, on the other hand, was until Saturday only once decisively beaten, and should not, on the season's form, have lost against Geelong.
The other three clubs of what may be called the first division are Fitzroy, North Melbourne, and St. Kilda, the two latter replacing Port Melbourne and Geelong, who were in the first six last season. Fitzoy's erratic performance has already been mentioned. Their season had three stages, in two of which they could not possibly go wrong, but in the third—which lasted too long for the realisation of some fond anticipations the club had formed about the premiership—they could not by any chance go right, and lost to clubs whom, on their general play, they should simply have annihilated. Although further up the list, Fitzroy stand in about the same position as at the end of last season, their performances justifying them in looking forward with every hope to the future.
North Melbourne, on the other hand, were supposed to be weak at starting the season, but they have struggled through the season manfully, and, helped by one or two victories that might fairly have counted the other way, hold a creditable place on the list.
St. Kilda improved as the season went on, though some of their earlier matches gave only indifferent promise. They share with Essendon and North Melbourne whatever honour there may be in having each on one occasion caused South Melbourne much uneasiness.
Geelong head the second division, but suffer by the smallest fraction only in a comparison with St. Kilda. They, too, started the season badly, but pulled themselves together later on, and finished very creditably.
While Melbourne comes up Port Melbourne goes down, but the reds have been fighting so long to avoid falling absolutely last that no one will be sorry to find anxiety on that account at an end, and, it may be hoped, finally. The essential step towards reform was that the M.C.C. should again take the club under its sheltering wing, and that was realised during the season. But it will take more than a season to revive the team, and they should be fairly content with what has been done in that direction this season.
As compared with last year, Port Melbourne falls far down the list, and it would have been an extraordinary thing had it not done so, seeing now many of their good players strayed away and were lost during the season.
The position of the last three clubs on the list is a fair indication of their merit. Footscray for the first time made a serious effort to justify their title of seniors, and with a large measure of success. In addition to the matches which give them 18 points, they played several very good games in which they were beaten only by the merest trifle. Had their forwards been at all as effective as their back men their position would have been still better, and now that improvement has fairly set in they should have less difficulty in securing a couple of good goal-kickers for next season. How strong the defence of the team has been, not only as compared with their own play in other parts of the field, but with the back play of other clubs, is best realised by a glance at the "goals against" column, in which they stand ahead of Geelong, Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Richmond, and Williamstown. It may be agreed that Footscray like Melbourne, has managed to get rid of a great deal of the stagnation from which it once suffered.
The following three tables show: (1) the actual scores; (2) the positions of clubs according to the proportional system of placing them adopted by the association; and (3) the three placed teams for the premiership during the last 20 years:
PREMIERSHIP LIST FOR 1890
Clubs | P | W | L | D | For | Agn | Poss Pts | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Melbourne | 19 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 104 | 41 | 76 | 66 |
Carlton | 19 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 114 | 58 | 76 | 56 |
Essendon | 19 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 92 | 59 | 76 | 50 |
Fitzroy | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 112 | 61 | 72 | 46 |
North Melbourne | 19 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 75 | 60 | 76 | 44 |
St. Kilda | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 73 | 68 | 72 | 38 |
Geelong | 19 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 92 | 82 | 76 | 40 |
Melbourne | 19 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 69 | 89 | 76 | 32 |
Port Melbourne | 20 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 91 | 83 | 80 | 32 |
Footscray | 18 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 45 | 75 | 72 | 18 |
Richmond | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 42 | 114 | 72 | 14 |
Williamstown | 18 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 42 | 104 | 72 | 12 |
Club | Points |
---|---|
South Melbourne | 69. 47 |
Carlton | 58. 94 |
Essendon | 52. 63 |
Fitzroy | 51. 11 |
North Melbourne | 46. 31 |
St. Kilda | 42. 22 |
Geelong | 42. 10 |
Melbourne | 33. 68 |
Port Melbourne | 32 |
Footscray | 20 |
Richmond | 15. 55 |
Williamstown | 13. 33 |
Season | Premiers | Second | Third |
---|---|---|---|
1870 | Melbourne | Albert Park | Carlton |
1871 | Carlton | Melbourne | Albert Park |
1872 | Melbourne | Carlton | Albert Park |
1873 | Carlton | Melbourne | Geelong |
1874 | Carlton | Melbourne | St. Kilda |
1875 | Carlton | Melbourne | Carlton Imperial |
1876 | Melbourne | Carlton | Albert Park |
1877 | Carlton | Melbourne | Hotham |
1878 | Geelong | Melbourne | Carlton |
1879 | Geelong | Carlton | South Melbourne |
1880 | Geelong | South Melbourne | Carlton |
1881 | South Melbourne | Geelong | Carlton |
1882 | Geelong | Essendon | South Melbourne |
1883 | Geelong | South Melbourne | Carlton |
1884 | Geelong | Essendon | Hotham |
1885 | South Melbourne | Essendon | Geelong |
1886 | Geelong | South Melbourne | Carlton |
1887 | Carlton | Geelong | South Melbourne |
1888 | South Melbourne | Geelong | Williamstown |
1889 | South Melbourne | Carlton | Port Melbourne |
1890 | South Melbourne | Carlton | Essendon |
Season's best players
Passing from club to individual play, precedence becomes more a matter of opinion than figures. Running over those players who have claims to be considered all-round men the names of Jack Worrall of Fitzroy; Harry Purdy and Peter Burns of South Melbourne; Jack Morehouse and McKenzie of Carlton; A. Smith of St. Kilda; Joe McShane of Geelong; Dick Houston of North Melbourne; Billy Hannaysee of Port Melbourne; and Fox of Melbourne, naturally occur as those from which a choice has to be made.
Burns, while playing finely as ever in the early part of the season, suffered from illness towards the finish, and his play for a time fell away. McKenzie, of Carlton, who was, perhaps, the most effective player in the field last season, played sometimes brilliantly, at others indifferently; while Morehouse, of the same club, was distinctly at his best towards the end of the season. Purdy, of South Melbourne, sterling player as he has always been, reached a far higher standard than on any former occasion, and J. McShane played a brilliant game all through, a fact possibly that Melbourne people are apt to overlook through not seeing Geelong play so often as other teams.
Remembering Worrall's splendid ability in marking, his all-round play as a rover, and his remarkable skill in goal-kicking, there should be very little hesitation in naming the captain of the Fitzroy team as the champion footballer of 1890, and of placing the three best thus:
- Jack Worrall (Fitzroy)
- Harry Purdy (South Melbourne)
- Joe McShane (Geelong)
The goal-kickers who have gained most distinction are Grace and Worrall of Fitzroy—who stand first and second on the list of successful scorers, and both win prizes given for goal-kicking—Smith of Melbourne, Frazer of Port Melbourne, and McDonald of St. Kilda.
There have been disagreeable incidents in connection with the game during the season, but as these were generally censured at the time there is no need for further reference now. For the first time charges of dishonest play have been made against one club, but the more thoroughly the matter is investigated the more apparent it becomes that the talk of the streets—always least rational when it deals with football and horse-racing—has been taken for proof by people who stand open-mouthed when rumours of that kind are in circulation.
Umpiring review
Amongst general matters, the loss of Trait's services as an umpire was a serious loss to the game, though several clubs may congratulate themselves on having ultimately brought about that which most people were anxious to avoid. Considering the almost superhuman work required of a field umpire in football, as against any other official in any kindred branch of sport, the umpiring in senior matches has, it must be admitted, been of the highest order. Half a minutes' reflection would show the enormous disadvantages, under which the umpire labours. The umpire who can satisfy the losing side that their discomfiture is owing rather to bad play than bad decisions has yet to be discovered, and the American idea of appointing prize-fighters to act in that capacity may before long become a necessity in Melbourne. Meantime the field umpires must as philosophically as maybe accept the disheartening fact that they are the hardest worked, worst paid, and most abused officials in all the realms of sport.
The association, thanks in a large measure to the able presidency of Mr. R. W. Best, M.L.A., has done its work in a very efficient manner through the season, and if a majority of the members could forget that they are club delegates, and imagine themselves trustees for the credit of the game, they would do still better. No false sense of decency ever prevents a delegate taking action where the interests of his club are concerned, even when his case is of the poorest. It is this fighting tooth-and-nail for club which prevents the association reaching that standard of intelligence and dignity in its rulings which the qualifications of many of its members might otherwise enable it to achieve.
The association has lately been blamed for reversing the decisions of two umpires. As a matter of fact they did nothing of the kind, and those familiar with the circumstances know that in both cases the association was guided by the strictest sense of equity, without as the same time disregarding any written laws.
The season has shown the necessity for some reforms, not so much of defects that have become recently apparent as of old-standing blots. The chief of these reforms is a still more stringent regulation to prevent the transfer of players from one team to another; the second, a more rigid investigation into the financial affairs of some of the more prosperous clubs, whose balance sheets are almost as curious in their way as some which have lately come before the law courts.
The system of appointing umpires by a special committee discredits itself steadily year after year, and a return to some less secret method, and one giving particular clubs less power to punish particular umpires, a much needed. The statement that a certain amount of secrecy is required in these matters would, if it were genuine, be not merely an insult to umpires, but the worst possible reflection the association could cast upon its own delegates, but the excuse is only a blind to cover the real reason. The appointment by ballot in meetings of the whole association would be a better course, in as much as the majority of members may be trusted to do the right thing, and intrigues, if there be any, are more likely to be exposed. All these are matters for local legislation, for the game itself is so nearly perfect in detail that the fewer alterations the inter-colonial conference make the better.
Footnotes
Title: CLOSE OF THE FOOTBALL SEASON. Author: Argus Publisher: The Argus (Melbourne, Vic: 1848 - 1956) Date: Monday, 29 September 1890, p.10 (Article) Web: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8438148
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