Australian Football

Match Report

HARD, STRENUOUS, AND CONGESTED

ST. KILDA'S DESPERATE FINISH

Fitzroy, after a series of reverses, were able to hold out just long enough to beat St. Kilda by two points on the seaside ground, where a slight wind favoured the east goal, and there was an attendance of about 15,000 spectators with a gate of £187. It was a poor game of football. Right from the beginning the men were packed on the ball, and there was a good deal of unnecessary roughness, and at times foul play. St. Kilda suffered most in this respect, and while the umpire gave many free kicks he was much too lenient. McNamara was frequently held back and no notice taken of it. The only redeeming feature in the match was the very fine efforts of the centre men on either side. Throughout the match the play of the six men was always interesting and worth watching. While allowances must he made for a good deal of excitement and strenuous play, the kicking generally was poor. From 39 shots at goal only 13 kicks were successful. St. Kilda undoubtedly had the worst of the luck, for they had a man injured in the early stages. Brady, soon after the start, got an accidental knock on the hip, and although he was on the field he could hardly move. The first half finished with the scores slightly in favour of St. Kilda, but Fitzroy gained a good lead in the third and the early part of the last quarter, which looked like ending in an easy victory. St. Kilda, however, made a remarkable recovery in the last ten minutes. So well did they play and press the attack that they got within two points of Fitzroy's tally, and it was only the bell that saved the game for the visitors. There was much excitement at the finish, and a great crowd rushed the ground. They were cheering the players, and there was a wild scramble, in which many police took part. The details are referred to elsewhere. [See article below]

Brady was in the St. Kilda team in place of Turnbull. On the Fitzroy side Willoughby made his reappearance, as also did Buist and Heaney.

1st Quarter

At the outset Heaney missed an easy goal for Fitzroy, and after a good deal of close, congested play Parratt dropped the ball to Heaney again, and he kicked first goal of the match. Thus early the players were getting out of hand and once, when the umpire awarded a well-merited free kick, Bamford threw the ball away in a childish manner. Brady got a point for St. Kilda, and then at the other end Shaw, with great dash, ran in, but was pulled down. His free kick brought Fitzroy's second goal. Several attempts to break through the defence at either end were successfully repulsed by McNamara and Johnson, both of whom were marking splendidly. Holden, however, got away, and Heaney marked well out. A long, skimming kick brought Fitzroy's third goal. Just before the interval Sharp snapped first goal for St. Kilda. At quarter time the scores were:—Fitzroy, 3 goals 2 behinds; St. Kilda, 1 goal 3 behinds.

2nd Quarter

The second quarter was slightly better football. Fine play by Schmidt enabled Woodcock to add a point, and then exchanges between Dangerfield, Watt, Collins, Cumberland, and Sharp were very fine, but the last-named lost the ball. Cooper, when defending for Fitzroy, was unnecessarily rough on an opponent, but he escaped notice. Lambert with fine dash twice beat St. Kilda off but Jory, Lowrie, and Cumberland got the ball to McNamara, and a fine goal resulted. After a grand tussle on the wing between Bowden and Millen, McNamara had another shot, which went wide, and then Schmidt, with splendid dash and gameness, beat three opponents and scored. Lethbridge missed an easy shot for Fitzroy, and the quarter ended in favour of St. Kilda, who had played the better game with the board showing—St. Kilda, 3 goals 9 behinds; Fitzroy, 3 goals 5 behinds.

3rd Quarter

The third quarter was decidedly in favour of Fitzroy who added 29 points while St. Kilda only got 1 behind. The play was in the stand corner for some time and a majority of players were clustered around the ball. Once it came out into the open and so far were the men away from their places that Lambert was able to run from halfback and kick a goal. Johnson and Cooper defended well for Fitzroy, and then Jones got the next goal for the maroons. Fine handball by Schmidt and Cazaly carried the ball well into goal, but nothing came of it, and the ball being forced away smartly to the other end, Jones played it to Freake, who scored with a snapshot, so that at the last change Fitzroy seemed to have the game well in hand with the scores:—Fitzroy 7 goals 10 behinds; St. Kilda, 3 goals 10 behinds.

4th Quarter

The last quarter began with strenuous ruck play, and for some turn neither side got within distance of goal. Eventually Fitzroy got a point, which proved their last score. The last 10 minutes was sensational, and there was desperately hard finish. St. Kilda, working together, completely broke down Fitzroy's defence, and added 3 goals 5 behinds, several of the latter being very close shots. Sharp, Schmidt, and Eicke got the goals and the game ended before St. Kilda got another chance, the final scores being:—

Fitzroy, 7 goals 11 behinds (53 points).
St. Kilda, 6 goals 15 behinds (51 points).

For the winners the play of the centre men was very fine with Millen, perhaps, the best of the three. Lambert was a very fine defender; while Johnson marked well at time, but Cooper spoiled his play by undue roughness. Buist was also noticeable for handling the men, but when he got the ball he did useful work. Shaw, Bamford, and Norris were hard workers.

For St. Kilda Schmidt Bowden and Collins were splendid. They had plenty of dash, and made good use of the ball. Dangerfield was the strongest and ablest defender; while McNamara forward or back was a fine help to the side, and took his knocks with good grace. Woodcock, Lever, Jory, Eicke, and Sharp were always prominent. Lecher, who umpired, was much too lenient, and several players were lucky to escape being reported.

FOOTBALL INCIDENTS.

TURBULENT CROWDS.

The St. Kilda ground is provided with a ramp, and a protected entrance for players and umpires on their way to their dressing-room, but despite this this was trouble as players left the field on Saturday. The visitors' room is at the Fitzroy street end of the grandstand, and visiting players often avail themselves of a gate near by when entering and leaving the arena, instead of using the proper passage. On Saturday some of the Fitzroy men used this unauthorised gate at half-time, and were warned not to do so. At the conclusion of the game several of the Fitzroy men, Holden, Shaw, and Johnson in particular, were coming in by this gate when there was a rush by the crowd. Strong feeing had been aroused by what St. Kilda people considered was the undue roughness of some of the Fitzroy men, and there was a deal of crushing. As the Fitzroy men passed through the crowd, it is alleged that a man hurled an opprobrious epithet at Holden, who at once took the law into his own hands and punched either the man who used the words, or whom he thought had done so, and there was a general scrimmage, which the police promptly quelled and took the Fitzroy men and the man who had been engaged with Holden into the Fitzroy dressing-room. Meanwhile, a crowd of Fitzroy barrackers, seeing that there was trouble, rushed to the reserve, and surrounded the dressing-rooms, and it was some time before the police could induce them to leave. They were requested to do so by Sergeant Bretherton, who was in charge of the police, but refused, saying:

"We are going to want to for our players."

They hung about until the Fitzroy men came out, and then the crowed melted away into the darkness, and the nearest hotels. In the Fitzroy dressing-room there was an argument between the police and Holden and the other man, who is a resident of Box Hill, as to which of the two belligerents should give the other in charge, but both declined. Finally nothing was done, but the police have made a report of the whole occurrence to headquarters.