The greatest player of them all
By George Cathie, former Melbourne player and League delegate
George Cathie plumps for Fred McGinis as the greatest player of all and entertainingly analyses the many champions he has played against and seen. "For sheer scintillating brilliance," he says, "McGinis was without a peer."
I have read and enjoyed the very interesting and entertaining articles on the above subject contributed by Jack Elder and Ted Drohan. While agreeing with most of their deductions in their choice of Percy Trotter and Dick Condon, respectively, as the champion footballer, I join issue with them a further selection of the greatest footballer of all time. Surely a very difficult problem.
The marked effect of more rigid and scientific training methods in vogue now as compared with other days tend to make the task of choosing champion footballers during the past 30 years an extremely wide and difficult matter, and one to be approached with great diffidence.
In recent years the game has speeded up tremendously. The abolition of the out-of-bounds rule and other alterations to the laws of the game have made more increased pace and ceaseless movement The game has so altered that it is well-nigh impossible to make a generally acceptable selection. Club loyalty and often prejudice count for much in football, and as a rule completely sway individual opinion.
Position a factor
Another important consideration to be weighed is the position occupied by each player. Is it quite fair, for example, to compare a rover, with his absolute freedom of action and every advantage tending to that spectacular effect so winning to the public eye, with champion forwards like Dick Lee, Albert Thurgood, Gordon Coventry and Bob Pratt whose every movement is shadowed and hampered by opposing backs in the close work round about the goal?
Among the defenders, too, we could name many champions of the present and past and surely some are worthy to be ranked with those who are being considered as outstanding footballers of their day. Personally, I find it difficult to overlook the claims of Hughie Gavin, one of the most accomplished half-backs the game has known, to say nothing of Jim Sharp (Fitzroy and Collingwood), Joe Hogan (St. Kilda), Pat Hickey (Fitzroy), Billy Payne (Carlton), "Son" Thomas) South Melbourne, Joe Pearce (full-back for Melbourne), and others. And what host of followers one could name as worthy to rank with the best!
One has to acknowledge the consistency and effectiveness of Rod McGregor’s performances at midfield but feel that there are others having at least equal rights to consideration. Further back there were brilliant stars midfield in Billy Windley (South Melbourne) and Jack Conway (Geelong). And what a champion in that position was Freddy Leach (Collingwood), a whirlwind player whose outstanding was unquestioned Billy Strickland, (Collingwood), was another who cannot be forgotten. Later on, Jock McHale (Collingwood), Bill Sewart (Essendon) and Lal McLennan (Fitzroy) were most in the public eye.
Geelong readers will ask why Henry Young and Dick Grigg have not been named. Each a first-class player and thoroughly meriting any position, however honorable, that may be given them on the scroll of football fame; but it is just as difficult to overlook the deeds of Bert Franks and Bruce SIoss, of South Melbourne; Tom Banks, Ted Welling and Billy Cleary, of Fitzroy; Victor Barwick, of St Kilda; Col Campbell, George Vautin and Tracker Forbes of Essendon; Joe McShane, Geelong and Carlton; "Dolly" Christy and George Moodie of Melbourne; and Ted Rankin, who I think, holds the record for the number of seasons he played for Geelong
Among others there are Bert Howson (South), Charlie Pannam (Collingwood), and George Bruce (Carlton), whose wing play was of the highest possible quality.
Both Ted Drohan and Jack Elder have overlooked the claims of one of the finest exponents of the Australian game we have ever seen—the peerless Fred McGinis, hose scintillating brilliancy on the football with Melbourne in the early nineties was, unfortunately, cut short at the height of his fame due to failing eyesight.
In all my experience I have never seen a more accomplished player—one qualified to rank on the highest rung of the ‘ladder of fame’ in the football annals of Australia.
Real match winner
What a match winner he really was only those who played with or against him can testify. I had the honor of gaining a place in the Melbourne side when McGinis was doing prodigious deeds for them, and about that period numbered among our opponents were Dick Condon, Percy Trotter and Albert Thurgood—each a champion and each having a host of admirers as the beau ideal of what a champion footballer should be. So I can speak with personal knowledge of each of those named. If the Brownlow medal had been awarded during those years, what a difficult matter it would have been to decide the player most worthy of the honor. Each certainly would have deserved it.
I well remember the cheering words of encouragement and advice that Fred gave me in my first League game, and all the time playing in his customary cool and clever fashion, never for an instant relaxing in his concentration on the game. He seemed to be everywhere, Words fail me in expressing my admiration for this truly great player.
Weighing about 13st., and hailing from Tasmania, McGinis could dazzle onlookers with his brilliance not only as a rover but at times as a defender, a centre-man, in attack or following—a versatile player who could just as easily have paced it with any of the wing men of his day. Indeed, to mv mind, the most accomplished Player to ever don a guernsey.
Old Essendonians particularly, and scores of others as well, will not hear of anyone being placed in front of their idol and champion. Albert Thurgood, who like McGinis, could also play in almost any part of the field, and was a match winner if ever there was one. Thurgood though, earned fame principally as a forward, but with others I am of the opinion that Dick Lee of Collingwood was the prince of forwards. One has to concede, however, that Thurgood was a really wonderful player.
Yes Mr Drohan, I have to take off my hat to Dick Condon, who was quite as good, clever, and brainy as you state. As a rover pure and simple I really believe he stood alone. Yet there were many things, in my opinion at any rate, that McGinis could do that Condon was not quite equal to.
There can be no gain saving that Dick Condon was a real master—a born football tactician, an artist at passing and position play. The Magpies had some great players then, as alwavs. Bob Rush, a fair and fearless defender, now one of the League's ablest administrators, was one of our opponents, and Ted Rowell, Jack Monahan, Charlie Pannam, "Charger" Hailwood are names that quickly come to mind.
Trotter Second
And what of Percy Trotter? In my opinion second only to Fred McGinis. I well remember the first time I saw him play. It was in a game between Melbourne and Fitzroy to determine which team would play in the finals. Incidentally Fitzroy won by four goals to two. In that game I had opportunity to gauge Trotter's worth to his side, and immediately sized up this dapper little player as a born champion. It was in this match too, that due to the indisposition of Vic Cumberland, Fred McGinis had to carry almost all the ruck work and roving for his side, and what a gallant battle he fought!
Untrammeled with any responsibility, and having a more evenly balanced side help him, Trotter played a wonderful game for the Maroons, among whom that sterling half-back, Jim Sharp (later of Collingwood), Chris Kiernan, Geoff Moriarty , Samuel Beauchamp and other fine players.
I consider Trotter the speediest player the first 20 yards' dash, which means much even today. His flashes across goal front when he outwitted opposing backs with his dazzling speed, were tremendous factors in his success and for his size he was a wonderful judge of a mark.
Freddie McGinis for me and Percy Trotter, Dick Condon and Albert Thurgood in that order I would pick as the champions of their time, and none since to excel them in all round football ability.
Some will ask: Are there not others entitled to equal fame. Certainly, there are a few. But over the years it is hard to remember them all. In my boyhood days names to conjure with were Peter Burns and Dinny McKay (South Melbourne). I remember Peter place-kicking a goal from near the centre on the Melbourne ground. George Coulthard and Jack Baker (Carlton), Eddie Fox (Melboume), Dave Hickenbotham, Jim Wilson, and Kerley (Geelong), Billy Hannaysee (Port Melbourne), Jack Worrall and Jim Grace (Fitzroy), and a bit later "Tracker Forbes" and "Joker" Hall (Essendon).
Another generation saw Billy Windley, Bert Franks and Bert Howson (South Melbourne), George Angus and Ted Rowell (Collingwood), Joe Hogan and Vic Barwick (St Kilda), Henry Young and Dick Grigg (Geelong). Ned Officer and Thurgood (Essendon), Frank Langley, George Moodie and Dick Wardill (Melbourne), Les Millis and Jack Cooper (Fitzroy), Mick Grace, the McShanes and Jim Flynn (Carlton).
Then on to the palmy days of the thrice premiers, the remarkable Carlton combination of 1906-7-8. Was there ever such a team of champions? No, sir: neither before nor since. Indeed, I go so far as to say that those famous Carlton teams would be the equal at least of a picked 18 of the present day. What a galaxy of stars! And what a manager in Jack Worrall, whose methods, so ably carried out by the team, completely revolutionised the game, just as the famous handball and short-passing of Collingwood had done before. From goal to goal they had Doug Gillespie or Beck, full back, Billy Payne, a dasher, at half-back: Rod McGregor, centre; Harvey Kelly, half-forward, and the elusive George Topping at full forward. Can any team playing now equal that line.
And when champions are being discussed, don't forget "Bongo" Lang, who surely would rank in the first dozen of League champions. Names still fresh in memory about that period are Alec Eason., Billy Orchard, Joe Slater (Geelong). Bill Busbridge, Ernie Cameron, Allan Belcher, Bill Sewart (Essendon), Boxer Milne (Fitzroy and South Melbourne). Bruce Sloss, Vic Belcher, and Son Thomas (South Melbourne). Dave McNamara and Billy Stewart (St.Kilda), Leo Seward (University) (one of the best followers the game has seen). Hedley Tomkins and Joe Pearce (Melbourne) Dookie McKenzie (Essendon and Brunswick), and Richmond's first ruck Benne Herbert, Hughie James and Clarrie Hall roving.
Outstanding ruck
Talking of rucks, though, brings to mind the famous Melbourne combination which bore the brunt of many a hard-fought battle in the early nineties—George Moodie, Vic Cumberland and Fred McGinis roving. Can any reader name a better set? Other notable rucks were Charlie Hammond and Mallee Johnson (Carlton), Fred Baring and Allan Belcher Essendon), Dan Minogue and Les Hughes (Collingwood).
Coming down to the present, players who in recent years are very close to the outstanding champions of other days are Ivor Warne-Smith, Syd and Gordon Coventry, Peter Reville, Vic Thorp, Colin Watson, Roy Cazaly, and Haydn Bunton.
Footnotes
Title: Fred McGinis most brilliant player of all
Author: George Cathie
Publisher: Sporting Globe (Melbourne, Vic: 1922 - 1954)
Date: Saturday, 27 July 1935, p.7
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