Australian Football

Match Report

Plucky finish by Carlton

It frequently happens that scores do not fairly indicate merit, and this was the case at East Melbourne yesterday, when Essendon’s 78 points to Carlton’s 41 was far from being a fair reflex of the play. At the outset Essendon’s fine high marking seemed to dwarf the blues altogether, and it looked like a repetition of ‘Eclipse first, the rest nowhere.’ For the last three-quarters, however, Carlton yielded nothing to their opponents in dash, pluck, or expert football, and in the last quarter the conditions of the first term were so completely reversed that it was only a matter of time for Carlton to have triumphed. For such a performance they are entitled to the greatest credit. It must be said for Essendon, however, that towards the finish they were practically playing only 17 men, for Forbes, who had been high-marking grandly and playing at his very best, sprained his ankle, and was of little use afterwards. Hastings injured one of his arms, and A. Officer, a brother of the famous Essendon back of that name, was also knocked out, and had to be assisted from the field. Thus early in the season Essendon have had exceptional bad luck in casualties.

The game was hard and fast all through, but the onlookers would have enjoyed it better had Crapp, as umpire, shown a little more discretion and given his whistle a much-needed rest. In the many games he has umpired he has seldom been seen to such disadvantage, though I doubt if one side suffered more than the other through his interference.

Until he was injured Forbes was playing better to football than anyone on his side, and next to him Barry and Wright - the former roving, and Wright playing from the centre up to goal - were two men who greatly pleased the followers of ‘the same old’. Anderson played a rattling game back, his from being a combination of accuracy with dash - for though he seems to take the risks at times in going through a crush he rarely loses his kick. Collins’ high-marking round about goal made him once more a notable man for Essendon, and Salkeld up alongside him also shaped admirably. He, with Cleghorn and Officer, each got two goals, Officer’s pair being got in rapid succession just before he was injured. So many men in red and black are on crutches that two of their old warriors - Sykes and Ball - both had to hook up their uniforms again and both played well. O’Loughlin, Kinnear, and George Stuckey were the others who took a creditable share in the battle.

Carlton played a very strong defence and have not for a long time been seen to greater advantage in that quarter of the field. Aitken and Walton were their two best, and Rockie and Weir gave able support. The Carlton men fairly beat Essendon on the wings, Casey and Armstrong both playing cleverly, while Williams in the centre did his share. Caffery was the most prominent of their forwards, and scored three goals. In the close play Blake and Breese followers, and Hannah roving, worked hard all through, and the Carlton fellows were not sorry to find no foundation in the rumour that Blake was likely to retire.