Australian Football

Match Report

FITZROY'S STRONG FINISH

A PATCHWORK DISPLAY

Great things were expected of Richmond before they met Fitzroy on Saturday, but, although they showed promise at the commencement, and, indeed, had Fitzroy in difficulties by their splendid system, both in attack and defence, they failed to Keep going after the first half, and Fitzroy, having got their measure, romped home easy winners. It was a disappointing finish, as Fitzroy took command early in the final term, and, with clever handball, sure passing, and straight kicking, brushed their opponents aside, and allowed them few opportunities. Richmond finished gamely, but the superiority of Fitzroy was so pronounced as to make Richmond appear much weaker than they really were.

It was the good day for the Fitzroy club, however, as the gate yielded £209, and the attendance was fully 17,000—a proof that Richmond are a fast-improving team, and are also capable of drawing a, crowd. For Fitzroy, Heaney and Lambert filled the places of McLennan and Pattison; and in Richmond's ranks Mahoney and McCashney reappeared, Farrell and Hall standing down through injuries sustained against St. Kilda. Murphy's interpretation of the rules could have been improved upon.

1st Quarter

Richmond began quickly, and their first goal came in a peculiar manner, as Maybury kicked forward, and Lenne rushed out to intercept the ball as it was passing the goal, but what in cricket is known as a "break-back" occurred, for the ball came peculiarly from the bounce and went through the posts. Millen helped in the first for Fitzroy with a pass to Freake, who, after placing, scored brilliantly. The game livened up, and there was some first-class football, both teams going at their top. Richmond, however, were cleaner in passing and marking, but the weakness of their forwards in front of goal was noticeable, and this alone spoiled the great work of the backs, centre, and wings. Behinds came frequently for Richmond, and then Freake was given a roving commission to aid Fitzroy's back-line. Great work by Reeves should have brought another goal for Richmond, but his kick to a bunch of his team-mates was spoilt by them all going up together. Murphy deprived Richmond of a goal by failing to record a free-kick against Lenne right in front of the posts for holding the ball. A dash by Bettles on the back line was a brilliant piece of work, as he beat a crowd of Fitzroy's forwards, and clever exchanges between Mahoney and Herbert got another point. Fitzroy were out of the hunt, as Richmond, playing grandly, beat them everywhere. But there they stopped, and it was only towards the close that Keggin broke the sequence by kicking their second goal, after a great rally led by Moffatt, carried on by James and Maybury. At quarter-time Richmond led by 2 goals 4 behinds to 1 goal 1 behind. Just before the end of the quarter a collision occurred, which is referred to elsewhere.

2nd Quarter

Fitzroy were first to attack in the second quarter and three behinds came quickly—Toohey got one, Heaney followed with another from a long shot, and Freake hit the post. Holden, however, made things brighter with a goal from a left-foot snap. Reeves brought it up the centre for Richmond with a mighty kick, and Maybury, from a free-kick, got a behind. Wilson brought the scores level again with a behind for the Maroons. Thomas turned another heavy determined charge by Fitzroy, but eventually Martin, marking from Millen in front, got another point. Fitzroy for a time were in the same plight as Richmond had been in the first quarter, as their forward line was all at sea. Millen was doing great things for Fitzroy on the wing, and Johnson (back), Holden (centre), and Martin (forward), were concerned in a forward move, Toohey finishing with a brilliant angle shot that reached the goal. Another attack by Fitzroy, led by Parratt, finished weakly, as Freake missed badly from close in. Danks relieved for Richmond with a brilliant run, and James and McCashney, with clever handball, worked it forward. Lenne cleared his goal finely, however, and Holden sent it back to Richmond's end. Thorpe made a mistake in dashing out to relieve, for he missed the mark, and Freake, pickly up smartly, ran right in to the undefended goal and scored easily. Thomas and Moffatt rallied Richmond, and Mahoney swung it in from the wing to Keggin, who tried from a difficult angle, but his shot was just a trifle short. The speed was telling on Richmond and they began to fall away, through their back-line was still a stumbling-block to Fitzroy. Johnson received a round of applause for his brilliant high mark, and the roll he got at the finish of it brought forth a storm of disapproval. At half-time Fitzroy led by 6 goals 7 behinds to 2 goals 6 behinds.

3rd Quarter

Richmond failed to score a goal in the third term, Fitzroy allowing them but 2 behinds. Fitzroy however, could do nothing better than a goal and several minor points, mainly through the solid defence of Thomas, Danks, Thorpe, and Bettles, who constituted a sterling back-line for Richmond. Great exchanging was a feature of the play, and the crowd was kept well up to concert pitch with the clever display given. Battles occurred in every part of the field, and so quickly did the ball travel from point to point that neither side gained much advantage. The backs of either side, however were always stronger than the opposing forwards, and consequently that stretch of the ground between the back and forward lines was the scene of great efforts in the matter of high marking, clever handball, and quick, snappy dashes. Nolan got a behind for Richmond, and then a brilliant rally, in which James, Nolan, and Maybury figured, was spoilt by Keggin, whose shot for goal was a shocking attempt. Richmond kept up the attack, but they were wasting their opportunities through bunching together on the forward line, and all going up for the marks. Fitzroy's backs kept clear of the pack, and scouting round about were always able to clear their goal. Then came Fitzroy's turn, and Richmond were hard at work staving off the desperate rushes sent against them. McCashney lost his head, and raced the wrong way, the consummation of which was a goal to Fitzroy, got by Millen from a free kick. Another fine kick to Lethbridge and a wonderful high mark by Heaney got it within the danger zone, but clever work by Thorpe and a brilliant run down the centre by Reeves relieved. Richmond were being beaten persistently around the centre and wings and they had no breathing space in which to reform their ranks, as all their attention was devoted to keeping their goal intact.

4th Quarter

In the last quarter Fitzroy put on the screw, and, settling down, quickly made game safe. Richmond were 20 points in arrears, and their play was not so sure as to lead their supporters to expect a recovery. Copper, Parratt, and Martin, with fine passing, gave Toohey a chance, which he converted. Richmond rallied, and Hughes tried a long shot, which went out. Mahoney and Reeves sent it forward again, and Keggin got a behind. Then Fitzroy took command, and Holden, Millen, and Martin brought it down to Freake, who scored brilliantly with a place shot. Parratt got another, and Richmond were showing signals of distress. Thorpe continued to relieve as finely as ever, but Fitzroy held command of the wings, centre, and back lines, and Freake scored again. A rally by Richmond ended with Maybury scoring a goal, but down Fitzroy came again, and Freake added another goal to the total. Then Fitzroy appeared to ease off, and Keggin got Richmond's last goal the final scores being—

FITZROY, 10 goals 11 behinds (71 points).
RICHMOND, 4 goals 15 behinds (39 points)

Millen showed out above everybody for Fitzroy, for whom, however, all the players did well, the most conspicuous being Johnson, Lethbridge, Heaney, Toohey, Shaw, Holden, Lenne, Cooper, and Martin.

Richmond were good in patches, though James, Thomas, Thorpe, Hede, Bettles, Moffatt, and Nolan were reliable all through; other to perform well being Mahoney, Reeves, Maybury, Hughes, and Herbert.

FOOTBALL INCIDENTS

The commencement of the second quarter of the match between Fitzroy and Richmond was delayed for a while through the collision, at the end of the previous quarter, of Millen (Fitzroy) and Reeves and Hede (Richmond). For a time it was thought that serious injury had occurred, for the three players lay upon the ground without movement. After massage, however, they resumed, though Hede had sustained a badly cut ear.