Australian Football

Match Report

THE BLUES IN FORM

FAST GAME AT CARLTON - SOUTH MELBOURNE BEATEN

Carlton's prospects were uncertain at the beginning of the season, but they have gradually developed into a side, and on Saturday they showed their best form for this winter in the encounter with South Melbourne, at Prince's Oval. With several games of about equal importance, the public made no mistake in picking their match, and the 20,000 people who went to Carlton saw a game which surpassed reasonable expectations. Just upon £300 was taken at the gates. With the turf a trifle heavy after rain, and a strong wind blowing, it was one of those days on which skilful football is rarely seen, but this game was an exception. It was fast and fine from start to finish. The players seldom massed unreasonably, there was lots of that fine, open breezy play which is the best feature of Australian football, while individually both sides shone out. At the outset the wind verged slightly to the Carlton end, and South Melbourne had it to begin with, and in the opening quarter the impression was that they had not made sufficient use of it. Both sides adopted the same policy; when they were strong enough to attack they took the pavilion wing—the best shooting side; when forced to defence they steered the ball to the other flank.

1st Quarter

Right at the start of the game South Melbourne scored, Jackson passing the ball to Morgan, who got the goal with a long punt. Sloss gave Kelly a chance, but it brought only a behind, and Charge shortly afterwards dropped it well into goal from a free kick, Jamieson and Baud doing well in defence for Carlton, who then attacked with great spirit. McGregor, Valentine, and Hammond specialised in good efforts, but Belcher, whose defence was always reliable, gave his side ease. South Melbourne figured next in a beautiful series of passes, where the ball passed from Tandy to Charge, back to Tandy again, and then on to Sloss. Finally Charge marked right in front, and scored second goal for the South. Carlton took their turn with Haughton and Sharpe playing to Gardiner, who for a neck sling that one would not have taken for five free kicks only got a behind. Then the Macs came into prominence—McDonald, McKenzie, McGregor—and as a result of this Highland charge Green marked for Carlton, and got first goal. Very pretty play was seen with Kelly, Charge, and Rusich as the active factors. It ended with Morgan, who from a few yards out scored an easy third goal for the South. There was a great struggle between a dozen men in front of Carlton's goal, but little McDonald gave his side the rest they badly needed. Tandy shone out on the wing, McGregor checked him. O'Donoghue was distinguished in a flying high mark, but in spite of it the ball went to the South end, where Fisher snapped Carlton's second goal. It is worth noting in connection with this goal that the ball was at the other end of the ground with 14sec. to play, yet it covered the distance, and just got through when the bell rang.

2nd Quarter

The outlook was interesting, both sides were playing fine football. Just at the start of the second quarter Sharpe, one of the coming lights, distinguished himself. Then McDonald and Baud, of Carlton, came into violent collision, and for a little while both were stunned and helpless. McDonald was hardly on his feet again before he was defending for Carlton, to the rousing cheer of their followers. The game was fast; McGregor of Carlton, in the centre was at his best. Caldwell on South Melbourne's flank equally conspicuous. Belcher and Mullaly helped Kelly to a shot which was apparently touched in goal. Then Fisher was given a free kick in front, and scored Carlton's third goal, while a minute later Haughton and Brown helped Cook to get the fourth. Fisher had a flying shot a moment later owing to the help of McGregor and Baud. Some very clever defensive work was put in by Jamieson (full back) and then O'Donoghue, with a hurried shot out of the crush, got South Melbourne's fourth goal. Thomas immediately sent it up to Carlton's end again, where Charge scored the fifth goal, though Thomas was reproved at that stage for unnecessarily charging McGregor. At half time South Melbourne had 5-4 to 4-6, and at about that stage their supremacy in the match ended.

3rd Quarter

It was in the third quarter that Carlton won, and they did it by the finest kind of football. Haughton—who was playing splendidly, and should, for his many qualities, be an early choice for the carnival team—first helped to get the ball up in front, then snapped it through. Then Green should have scored, because there was no one between him and the posts, but he took an angle shot instead of running to the front, and missed. The mistake was remedied almost instantly, for Sharpe and Haughton placed the ball with Cook, who took a fine mark in a crush, and kicked Carlton's sixth goal. South Melbourne, with Charge and Sloss prominent, had it for an instant, but three times in quick succession they failed to break through Jamieson's defence as full back. Haughton next helped Fisher to a chance, and with a running kick, he got Carlton's seventh goal. There was wild enthusiasm on Princes' Oval as the Blues took this lead. Then for a time it was fairly even, Haughton, Brown, Green, and McKenzie doing good work for Carlton, while Rademacher, O'Donoghue, Charge, and Kelly were equally prominent for the Red and White. It was a pass from Kelly which gave Morgan a chance, and, with a punt, he got South's sixth goal. Dick, Hammond, and Fisher were prominent, and Gardiner had a running shot on the angle, which just missed the goal, but from the crush that followed Hammond got it through, and won Carlton's eight goal. Brown, whose pace and cleverness were constantly admired on the wing, made a quick dash in from the flank, and an equally good shot, which, however, hit the goal post. Nothing more of moment occurred until the last change, when the score were:—Carlton, 8 goals 11 behinds; South Melbourne, 6 goals 5 behinds.

4th Quarter

Three goals is a substantial advantage for the beginning of a last quarter, and Carlton were playing so well that nothing but a miracle could save the South. Bennett, Charge, and Sloss did fine work for them in the early phases, Sloss being especially at his best. Daykin, in a rough and ready way, was of great service to Carlton, but it was Calwell, by a nice wing effort, who passed the ball to Sharpe, and he kicked Carlton's ninth goal. This gave them a four-goals lead. Both sides kept up the pace to the end of the match, and goals were got at intervals, in which both participated. Morgan, with a long left-foot kick, scored the seventh goal, and, after a determined struggle, in which the Carlton captain was taking an active part, McGregor, with one of his perfectly-judged drop kicks, passed the ball to Gardiner, who with a long place shot, kicked tenth goal for Carlton. Nothing could affect the result then, although goals were got afterwards by Kelly and Valentine, the finals being:—

CARLTON, 11 goals 14 behinds (80 points).
SOUTH MELBOURNE, 9 goals 6 behinds (60 points).

There was lots of fine individual play on both sides, but Carlton had the greater number of men playing at the top of their form, and that is the whole explanation of the result. Valentine appended in the team again, but he has not picked up his form. The two men whom I liked best on the side were McGregor and Haughton, McGregor seldom made a mistake. His quick appreciation of the position is always coupled with a knack of doing the right thing, doing it coolly and completely; while Haughton seems a footballer wherever you put him. Brown is rapidly developing into one of the stars of the League. He has fine pace, and combines cleverness with it. Jamieson did some really fine things, did them in a breezy, dashing way, while Baud and Dick were also useful on the defence side. Sharpe, Green, and Cook were, perhaps the best of the other, though they had singularly few idle men on the field.

The best football from both sides was seen after half-time, through in the early stage no one in the Southern colours was better than Caldwell, while Tandy (on the opposite wing) was even, reliable, and alert as usual. Charge played a really fine game all through; Sloss, in the last half, had quite recovered that form which has distinguished him in previous seasons. Belcher, when in defence, was one of their most valuable men; Morgan confirmed all favourable impressions recently formed as to his qualities; and Tandy and several others realised all that was expected of them. Lane is to be congratulated on the highly capable way in which he umpired a fast and fine game.

FOOTBALL INCIDENTS

During the game between Carlton and South Melbourne on Saturday, there was a fierce struggle in front of the South Melbourne posts. For a fraction of a second the players paused, and Haughton whipped the ball through for a goal. It seemed as if the sound of a whistle, distinctly heard from the press-box, had deceived the players into the belief that the ball was "called up." The umpire had not, however, interfered. In a critical game a whistle in the possession of an onlooker might cause confusion and dissatisfaction.