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Collingwood vs St. Kilda

Scoreboard | Match report | Match statistics

Round: 15   Venue: Victoria Park   Date: Sat, 25-07-1914 3:00 pm   Crowd: 25,000  
Collingwood 5.3.337.7.4910.9.6912.14.86 C:  Jock McHale
St. Kilda 2.1.133.4.223.4.227.5.47 C:  Dave McNamara
  COLL by 20COLL by 27COLL by 47COLL by 39  

Match Report

ST. KILDA OVERWHELMED

THE TRIUMPHANT MAGPIES - THE LONG GAME WINS

There were several surprises in League football on Saturday, but none more pronounced than the manner in which Collingwood beat St. Kilda, from beginning to end of their match, at Victoria Park, where about 25,000 people watched the play, and £338 was taken in admission money. It was not surprising that Collingwood should beat St Kilda; it was surprising that they should do it so effectually. On occasions St. Kilda sought to reproduce those flashing short exchanges which so demoralised South Melbourne on the previous Saturday, but for some inexplicable reasons—and the chief was probably the Collingwood team—they could never get going. At times Collingwood's short passing was just as good and quick as the best that St. Kilda could show, and, as a rule, far more accurate. Collingwood's superiority was explained chiefly in the fact that every man of their team was playing at something like his top, while the other side had a few "passengers." But it was Collingwood's long game that really triumphed. At the start more than a few of the onlookers were interested in a special issue. They had come to see Lee versus McNamara, and were more interested in that personal duel than anything else in the game. But the Collingwood team were not led astray by any desire to "feed' Lee. They knew, or believed, that their task was quite heavy enough without wasting chances on a well-watched forward. They had another man in Curtis, who was left alone, and, as a consequence, it was Curtis, and not Lee, who got the goals; and as a further consequence, Collingwood, in playing the game, and especially in their fine long kicking and marking, won like champions.

1st Quarter

All through the first quarter it was strong, sometimes fierce, occasionally reckless, but after half-time this slackened down a bit. Right through the match was played at top pressure, and although excitement waned as Collingwood went further ahead, the game was never without interest. Right at the outset Curtis missed an easy try for a Collingwood goal, and after Cumberland, Watt, and McNamara had taken a hand for St. Kilda, Wilson, checked once by Jory, who was playing a slashing game on St. Kilda's half-back mark, passed it up to Lee, who, like a flash, had Collingwood's first goal. Both Laxton and Wilson put in dashing play for the magpies, each of them being a perfect little tiger for work. After a desperate struggle in front on Collingwood's goal, Seddon got it through. The Saints were coming again, but Green, with a good mark on the halfback line, got it away. The first quarter continued to be fairly even, both Cumberland and McNamara missing long shots for the visitors. Cumberland was playing a rattling game his high marking being particularly good. Next Seddon and Curtis passed the ball to Lee, whose shot went outside the posts. For the first time in the match St. Kilda got their sharp, short passes going, and it ended in Turnbull kicking a goal. Immediately afterwards Schmidt and Cumberland gave him another chance but, though in an easy position, he foolishly tried to pass the ball back to Schmidt, and lost it. Collingwood were still pressing. Jane checked them once full back, Jory did so constantly on the half-back line, but they were too strong to be kept off for long, Matheson had a freekick right in front, and missed it, but Jackson, after marking on the wings, and bolting for the posts, scored the third goal with one of his fine drop-kicks. Then Woodcock and McNamara—who marked over two opponents—forced it to the Collingwood end, where, there was a crush, and Sharp got it clear, and within a few yards of goal, tipped it through for St. Kilda's second. Collingwood's response was immediate. Curtis marked, and sent it to Matheson, who, from a squirm in front, got their fourth goal; and after Anderson had beaten St. Kilda off, they got the fifth just as the bell rang, and finished the quarter with a good lead of 5 goals 3 behinds to 2 goals 1 behind.

2nd Quarter

In the early stages of the second quarter St. Kilda appeared for a time to be quite demoralised, and nothing but Collingwood's bad shooting at that particular stage prevented their lead being materially increased. The St. Kilda men were getting in each other's way very frequently. There half-distance stab kicks often miscarried, and Collingwood men marked them, but it was in a flash of their best form that Cumberland and McNamara passed the ball to Schmidt, who scored then third goal. In the short passing Collingwood were doing remarkably well, and from one of their rushes Laxton got a behind. Schmidt was playing cleverly as usual about the centre, but McNamara, while marking well, and getting a good many free kicks for interference, was always too far out to have a fair chance of scoring. A beautiful series of exchanges between Jackson, McHale, and Wilson, ended with Hughes, who got Collingwood's sixth goal. Hislop shortly afterwards had a shot, but a bad one. The Saints should have scored, as a result of quick exchanges between Jory, McNamara, and Eicke, who was then roving, but he missed an easy chance. There was some good football on both sides, chiefly by Collingwood, for whom Green, Minogue, Jackson, Hughes, Wilson, and Laxton were all doing splendidly, while Dangerfield was working hard at. St Kilda's half-back line. A try by Laxton was low and ineffective, but Sadler, who was playing up to his old reputation, gave it to Curtis who, with a low shot, got just inside the posts, making seventh for Collingwood. Then McHale gave Lee a chance to mark in the crush, but his shot only got a behind, and next time he got the ball he shaped as if for goal, then quickly passed to Wilson, who covered the distance, but was not straight. At half-time Collingwood had 7 goals 7 behinds to St. Kilda's 3 goals 4 behinds.

3rd Quarter

In the third quarter, Collingwood placed the game beyond doubt. Green, McHale, Seddon, and Hughes were very prominent; Dangerfield, Bowden, and Woodcock putting in good efforts for the other side. A shot by Woodcock was very low and Rowell marked it in goal. But exchanges between Sadler, Matheson, and Minogue gave Curtis another chance, and with an easy kick, he got Collingwood's eighth. Shortly afterwards Wilson had a shot within 10 yards, but missed, while Collins, trying from the angle for the Saints, was not more successful. While the play was still keen, there was less rushing—less recklessness. Exchanges between Hughes, Curtis, and Matheson gave Seddon a chance to kick the ninth goal, while a pass from McHale to Curtis immediately afterwards brought the tenth. At three-quarter time they had 10 goals 9 behinds to St. Kilda's 3 goals 4, and the game was practically over.

4th Quarter

Early in the last quarter Matheson scored their eleventh goal, and shortly afterwards Collins snapped one out of the crush for St. Kilda. Schmidt and McNamara both had long shots on the angle without effect, but Curtis did better in getting Collingwood's twelfth. St. Kilda had a spasm of success right at the end of the quarter, when both sides were very tired indeed. Watt, Eicke, and McNamara all got goals for them but it came too late—the game was beyond recovery. The finals were:—

COLLINGWOOD, 12 goals 14 behinds (86 points).
ST. KILDA, 7 goals 5 behinds (47 points).

For individual effort, Wilson, of Collingwood is to be highly commended. He played his very best football and everyone knows what that means. Green, on the half-back line, was splendid too, no one on the side better worth watching. Yet Collingwood had a lot of men who were worth watching, amongst them Jackson, Laxton, Hughes, Minogue—not yet up to his earlier form—Mutch, Matheson, and Curtis, the last named being very handy man. He kept out of crushes, frequently got the ball, and scored 4 goals. The veterans (McHale and Sadler) have still a lot of football left, and it is always cool and clever. Seddon did much that was good for his side, and a great many things that were unquestionably neither good nor fair. He was the lucky man of the 36 in so frequently escaping the umpire's notice.

Jory was St. Kilda's best man, and in the first half of the game especially he played with great dash and success as a half-back. Schmidt shaped very well, and had a good deal of attention from his opponents. Cumberland put in one his best games for the season, but Eicke as a rover was not the same man as he always shows himself on the half-back line. Bowden, Dangerfield, Collins, McNamara (who marked well, but failed in many other things), and Jane were all playing well, but St. Kilda's forwards were their weak spot. The beaten side in this case could not find any fault with the umpire.

Footnotes

Title: St Kilda overwhelmed. The triumphant Magpies. The long game wins.
Author: Observer
Publisher: The Argus (Melbourne, Vic: 1848 - 1957)
Date: Monday, 27 July 1914, p.8
Web: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10798757

Thanks to Stephen Wade for helping to prepare this report.

Match stats

Collingwood Match Stats Career
# Player K M H D G B HO T FF FA Age Games G
1 Anderson, George 0 29y 52d 57 7
27 Curtis, Harry 4 21y 295d 5 5
3 Dobrigh, Gus 0 21y 164d 13 7
6 Green, Jack 0 26y 331d 67 2
11 Hislop, Max 1 18y 334d 8 4
9 Hughes, Les 1 30y 98d 112 84
12 Jackson, Jim 1 24y 88d 65 18
14 Laxton, Charlie 0 24y 107d 44 26
13 Lee, Dick 1 25y 128d 120 338
17 Matheson, Harry 2 23y 43d 21 13
19 McHale, James 'Jock' 0 31y 225d 216 11
15 Minogue, Dan 0 22y 324d 57 26
16 Mutch, Alec 0 25y 116d 60 1
21 Rowan, Paddy 0 25y 58d 63 20
20 Rowell, Ted 0 38y 40d 185 175
25 Sadler, Jim 0 27y 362d 105 2
26 Seddon, Mal 'Doc' 2 26y 55d 42 29
29 Wilson, Percy 0 25y 116d 89 47
  Rushed   14  
  Totals         12 14         26y 0d 1329 815
St. Kilda Match Stats Career
# Player K M H D G B HO T FF FA Age Games G
12 Bowden, Bob 0 27y 118d 112 5
22 Cazaly, Roy 0 21y 193d 39 10
18 Collins, Ted 1 20y 306d 34 11
4 Cumberland, Vic 0 37y 21d 154 82
3 Dangerfield, Gordon 0 28y 301d 115 11
11 Eicke, Wels 1 20y 301d 87 29
17 Ellis, Reg 0 23y 153d 34 0
16 Hattam, Harrie 0 24y 18d 69 2
29 Jane, Harry 0 23y 351d 10 1
5 Jory, Percy 1 25y 216d 41 14
1 Lever, Harry 0 28y 201d 150 6
30 Lowrie, Bill 0 21y 203d 7 8
2 McNamara, Dave 1 27y 184d 79 112
7 Schmidt, Billy 1 26y 208d 124 119
9 Sharp, Algy 0 25y 25d 5 11
21 Turnbull, Norm 1 20y 40d 8 5
6 Watt, Jack 1 23y 265d 52 16
24 Woodcock, Bill 0 26y 26d 122 43
  Rushed   5  
  Totals         7 5         25y 51d 1242 485

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.