Australian Football

Match Report

ST. KILDA'S DAZZLING DASHES

A STIRRING SPECTACLE - SOUTH MELBOURNE BEATEN

St. Kilda, by dazzling flashes of football, in spasms of quick passing that would have demoralised any opponents, won against South Melbourne on Saturday, while the beaten side were all the time playing good, methodical football that in ordinary circumstances should have counted for victory. There were close upon 20,000 people watching the match, and, if fast, plucky football satisfies, they had full value for their money. The gate was about £315.

1st Quarter

Although St. Kilda at the opening had the advantage of what wind was going and the downhill slope, South Melbourne attacked with such determination and consistency that for five minutes St. Kilda were wholly on the defensive, and during that stage Ellis, who had taken Lever's place in goal, was fully occupied. Exchanges between Saltau, Jackson, and Belcher gave the South their first shot, which was dropped close in goal. Then O'Donoghue looked menacing, but Cumberland took a high mark and checked that pressure. Next Jackson was prominent again, but Ellis counteracted him. In hitting out from the ruck Cumberland placed it fairly in the hands of Belcher, who passed to Sloss, but there was only a behind. St. Kilda got in for an instant with Bowden and Sharp figuring prominently. The lastnamed should have marked in range, but missed it. The South's retort was prompt, for Charge and Tandy rushed it up the wing, and placed it with Sloss, who kicked first goal. St. Kilda's first goal was a beauty. Schmidt, Eicke, and Collins passed the ball one to another in a manner that quite embarrassed their opponents, and it ended with Lowry getting the goal. With longer passing—the full length of their drop-kicks—Prince, Morgan, and Sloss took it up to St. Kilda's ground, where Eicke was waiting. In the answering rush Collins, Turnbull, and Watt were prominent, and it was Watt who, from a free kick, scored St. Kilda's second goal, a fine one. The scores were even at this stage, 2-1 to each side. Schmidt was coming in again, when Rademacher checked him. Tandy and Sloss put in good work for South. Then came one of the St. Kilda flashes. Schmidt and McNamara did the passing coolly, quickly. It ended with Sharp, who with a quiet shot got third goal for the Saints. In an instant McNamara and Schmidt were at work again but a fine mark by O Donoghue close in goal defeated them. Immediately afterwards Sharp got a free kick within range, and another of his careless shots scored fourth goal for St. Kilda. Freeman, as energetic and as persistent as a terrier amongst the South forwards, had a long shot from the wing. It was a beautiful effort, and it scored South Melbourne's third goal. Kelly came to the assault then, and a behind was forced. Schmidt led the next rush for St. Kilda, Sharp and Turnbull helping, but nothing was done. Collins had a snapshot in the thick of a scramble, and failed, but Lowry immediately afterwards snapped fifth goal for the home men, and at quarter-time the Saints were leading with 5-1 to 3-2. After the first five minutes, it was a splendid battle.

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2nd Quarter

In the early stages of the second quarter Sloss, O'Donoghue, and Mullally were prominent for the South. O'Donoghue took a very fine mark, but no points were scored, and Ellis, Eicke, Dangerfield, and Schmidt forced it away in one of St. Kilda's electrical dashes. Then Hattam, Bowden, and Cumberland figured in another fine series of exchanges, and Collins, marking straight in front, got sixth goal for St. Kilda. South Melbourne responded immediately, and Freeman, with a quick left-foot kick, got fourth goal, a very fine one. Prince had a snap, but missed it, and Jackson, from a beautiful mark, also got close. There was very little done during this quarter. McNamara and Schmidt kept the South Melbourne off for a while, and the quarter ended with St. Kilda, 6-3; South Melbourne, 4-6. South Melbourne were a stronger side generally during that term, but their forwards were always just a little off the spot.

3rd Quarter

St. Kilda at this stage had Lowry and Watt both limping, but in the third quarter they took command. Schmidt, Woodcock, and Sharp were prominent in the first dash, but Sharp failed to score. Then McNamara marked a long way out, but with a fine place kick just covered the ground, and got the seventh goal. The big fellow was seen to advantage in association with Dangerfield, and from their forward movements Woodcock got it in the crush, and snapped eighth goal for St. Kilda. Rademacher stopped them again on the South's half-back line, but St. Kilda were persistent and dashing, and Lowry had a shot which Deas touched as it went through. Belcher was putting in really good work for the South, but nothing could stop those brilliant St. Kilda rushes. In another of them Eicke, Schmidt, and Lowry figured, the short exchanges being amazingly fast, and Brady wound it up with ninth goal for the home team. Lowry got close again, then Woodcock, from a great mark, had a shot, which was touched on the goal-line. Tandy and Caldwell were both doing well on the wings, while Bollard, one of their new men, put in one fine dodging rush that looked like football in reserve. Another of Schmidt's efforts, backed by Bowden's curves and turns, gave Woodcock a hurried shot, and a miss, and at the last change St. Kilda had the game safe enough, with 10-7 to 4-7, a lead of six goals.

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4th Quarter

In the last quarter St. Kilda shone for a few minutes at the start, for another few minutes it the finish, and during the rest of the time South Melbourne, undaunted by the hopeless task ahead of them, attacked time after time with fine courage and skill. Belcher and O'Donoghue were first in evidence but O'Donoghue shot was from an angle, and missed. That was the peculiarity of most of South Melbourne's shots—they were nearly all from difficult positions. St. Kilda did better, for flashing the ball around the wing, Hattam and Collins got it up to Lowry, and he kicked their eleventh goal. Then South got in, and stayed for some time. Charge, who was coming to his own at this crisis, scored fifth goal for them. Prince passed it next to O'Donoghue, and there was a great crush in front of St. Kilda's posts, where Caldwell, who had forged forward from the wing, snapped it through, and got sixth goal. Mullaley, with a long shot, scored nothing. Belcher, still on the angle, could only add a point, and Kelly, with a long range shot from the kick-off, did no better. Still South Melbourne kept on trying, Payne, Tandy, and Rademacher all doing good work for them. It ended with the active Caldwell snapping another goal through the crush. Kelly had a hurried chance and a miss; Tandy's try went the same way; and then St. Kilda came with one of those bursts that always roused the crowd to enthusiasm. Cumberland and Schmidt sent it to Sharp, and he got twelfth goal. It ended a great game, a fine spectacle, in which those dazzling wing movements of St. Kilda, the deadly certainty and rapidity of their short passing, atoned for any patches of dull play. The final scores were:—

ST. KILDA, 12 goals 7 behinds (79 points).
SOUTH MELBOURNE, 7 goals 15 behinds (57 points).

Seldom has one man had a greater influence upon a game that Schmidt in this one. He was simply without a peer. Repeatedly the South players seemed to catch up to him, have their hands on him, and then, with a curving swerve away, he left them. The best point about his football was that, while he seemed to be taken risks constantly, he survived them, and made very few mistakes was to when a kick should be taken. It was altogether a remarkable individual performance. Next to him Bowden, on the wing, played beautiful football. His quick curves stops, and turns constantly beating the man against him. Both on the half-back line and in the ruck Dangerfield did very fine work, but he gave a lot of free-kicks through getting his hands on his opponents at the wrong time. Cumberland was much better than I have seen him lately. McNamara, who played back and forward in turn, was useful, though not brilliant. Repeatedly when he might have tried a long shot he preferred to pass the ball to Schmidt, who was always on the lookout for it. Collins, on the wing; Ellis, full back; Hattam and Eicke, in defence, all did fine things.

In South Melbourne colours Sloss was a prominent figure. The singular thing was that all four wingmen in this match played splendidly. The fact was that all were playing a lone hand. They were not specially told off to watch each other, so Caldwell and Tandy were constantly in evidence. Charge, with a big blood smear down the front of his face, but a friendly smile shining through it, was a very conspicuous figure in the last half. Rademacher and O'Donoghue did very well in defence. In between Schmidt's captures on the centre, Mullaley did very well. Prince was useful, but has not quite recovered from recent injuries. Belcher, in his quiet way, did a tremendous amount of work, but Morgan was rather below the form he has lately shown. While a great many free kicks were given, Lane did not exceed his duty as umpire.