Australian Football

Match Report

ESSENDON GREAT PERFORMANCE

SOUTH MELBOURNE OVERTHROWN

The third of the three surprises furnished by League football on Saturday was the game between Essendon and South Melbourne, on the South Melbourne ground. There were about 15,000 people watching it, and £200 was taken at the gates. There was every expectation of a good match, but very few amongst the crowd expected Essendon to play so well, or South Melbourne so badly. The whole affair could be briefly summed up in a few words—Essendon won from start to finish; South Melbourne were never in the hunt. The explanation for this one-sided match lay in two important facts. For the first time in the season Essendon got the team they selected into the field, and that team has been playing on. On Saturday it was at the top of its form, every man did something material for the side, and their pace simply left South Melbourne struggling. The home side started it with a handicap. They had both Caldwell and Prince out. Caldwell hurt the muscles of his thigh against St. Kilda on the previous Saturday, and was crippled, while Prince, who had struggled for some time against a severe attack of influenza, finally gave way. These were the two men they could have least spared, because they lost the pace, which was the influencing factor in the game. All through Essendon played a really brilliant game, their marking and running being exceptionally fine, though their kicking was by no means perfect. They had extraordinary dash. As a result, they nearly always led South Melbourne in the race for the ball, and with one side getting shots persistently, and winning hands down, the losers, as is often the case, went from bad to worse.

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1st Quarter

It was fairly in the first quarter, with only 10 points separating the sides. Quite early Dinsmore opened out on the forward lines in a manner which gave immediate encouragement to Essendon. After a long shot by Kelly had been stopped by Shea in goal, Dinsmore, playing brilliantly, snapped his second. A little later he should have got a third, tor he was in easy position, but tried to pass, instead of shooting. At the end of the quarter Essendon had 3-5 to South Melbourne's 2-1.

2nd Quarter

South Melbourne's defence in that quarter was pretty good, O'Donoghue, Mullaly, and Rademacher all doing well, while Sloss also was often in evidence. But in the second quarter South Melbourne went to pieces completely. They were always wrong, while Essendon could do nothing wrong. The difference in the pace of the two teams was most marked, and, as a result. Essendon put on four goals three behinds to South Melbourne's one goals two behinds. Essendon's marking was fine, their pace enabled them to take that instant's time which is necessary in picking out the forwards with accuracy. They did it, and consequently got goals. At half-time the scores were: Essendon 7-8, South Melbourne 3-3.

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3rd Quarter

It is almost sufficient to say that from this on to the end of the game South Melbourne scored one more goal, though in the last ten minutes, they really played their best football of the match. In this third quarter Essendon simply clinched the nails they had already driven home, getting 5 goals 4 behinds, while South Melbourne added one point. It was no longer defeat—it was a rout. Eclipse first, and the rest nowhere. Yet O'Donoghue, Sloss, and Charge were still playing fine football for the South, Charge's hitting out from the ruck being a feature of the play, though the rover was generally slow to take advantage of it. The quarter closed with Essendon 12-12, to South Melbourne's 3-4.

4th Quarter

In the last quarter, with the home crown screaming abuse at their men the one instant, and ironically cheering them the next, the game finished without variation in the performance of the two sides, Essendon getting 3-2 to South Melbourne's 1-4. South Melbourne might have led in that quarter, but they were downhearted and depressed by the storm of abuse showered upon them by their followers, and nobody was particularly sorry when the match ended without any worse demonstration on the part of the crowd than bad language. The final scores were:—

ESSENDON, 15 goals 14 behinds (104 points).
SOUTH MELBOURNE., 4 goals 8 behinds (32 points).

Towards the end one of the South Melbourne players, Bennett, had the ball twice within 35 yards of goal. Ordinarily he would no doubt have taken his shots, but the whole side were confused. They were almost afraid to try lest they should fail. Bennett on each occasion tried to pass the ball to others, and lost it. To particularise for Essendon seems almost out of place, because the only answer to Who played well? is, "the whole team." Their forwards were exceptionally good, Dinsmore and Kirby each getting five goals, while Webster, who played in great style against his old companions, got two. Lang was out of the most conspicuous men in Essendon colours. He has been playing well all the season, coming on steadily, and in this game gave a really fine exhibition. Gove, on the wing, maintained the form which made him an early pick for the carnival team. Bowe, who was minding goal, has seldom shown better football. Ogden was, as usual, a clipper wherever they played him; Dinsmore was another who played a very fine game; while Chalmers, White, and Lumsden stood perhaps a little in advance of the others.

The three men who did best work for the South were Charge, Sloss, and O'Donoghue. With a little more pace to back his work in the ruck, Charge would be a champion. O'Donoghue marked well, showed good judgment, and was conspicuous all through. Tandy made the best of the handicap under which South suffered along the centre-line, while Thomas, Rademacher, Mullaley, and Belcher all played very well.

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PLAYER AND SPECTATOR - A. BELCHER ACQUITTED

The Independent tribunal of the Victorian Football League conducted, an inquiry last evening into a charge of unseemly conduct preferred against Alec Belcher, of the Essendon Club.

G. J. Hough, steward at the Essendon-South Melbourne match on the South Melbourne ground last Saturday, stated that during the last quarter a man rushed past him, followed by Belcher. He called out a warning to Belcher, but it was too late, and Belcher struck the man. It was a technical offence. The man had no right on the ground.

Belcher said that at the time the ball was about 120 yards away from him. He was calling out to another player when he felt a blow behind the ear. He was dizzy and surprised. A South Melbourne player called out, " Are you going to stand that?" He then looked round, and saw a man running away. He made after him with the intention of "letting him have it." When he caught the man he changed his mind, and gave him more a push than a hit.

Les White, an Essendon player, and Constable Lockyer also gave evidence.

Mr. Bryant (chairman) said that it was very questionable if the incident came under the rules. The objects of the rules were to control the conduct of players. It was the duty of the steward to report the case. He considered the interference of the spectator was totally unjustified. If he assaulted Belcher, and there was no doubt he did, Belcher was not to blame for giving as much as he got. The man was lucky he did not get more than he did.

Mr. McLaughlin said it was that class of man who incited players to cowardly conduct. The man was fortunate to be sent off, and not carried off the ground.