Australian Football

Match Report

FOOTBALL

THE DECIDING MATCH

There have been many hard-fought games in South Australia, but since Norwood and Port played off for the premiership in 1891. and the result was a draw.

There has been no more desperate contest than when the same clubs on Saturday met for the championship of the season. So even was the game that half-a-mimite before time Port held the victory in their hands, and a kick going astray lost them, the match. Excitement has never been greater than in the last 25 minutes, and so well and energetically did every one play that the regret afterwards was that one side had to lose. A draw would have been a fitting termination to the glorious con test, for neither side deserved defeat.

Even though they lost, Port covered themselves with great football honours, and it was such an honourable defeat that it amount ed almost to a triumph. Norwood secured the victory for whicn they fought so well, and their opponents were the first to con gratulate them, for they won by a superb effort, and there was nothing in the game which left anything behind but the most pleasant recollections. Indeed, the two teans, immediately after the match, met together and enthusiastically praised each other for their fine efforts. Each si.de had one or two good men away. Miller and Padman, of the red-and-blues, kept Gard ner, of Port Adelaide, company in the pa vilion. Photographs were taken of the rival eighteens before the game, and then the following players entered the arena:— Norwood— Barnes, Cowan (3), Crump, Dawson, Gilchrist, Gosse, Hill, Kirkwocd, MacFar lane. Murphy, Plunkett (2), Robinson, Smith, Trembath, acd Webb; Port Ade laide— Bailey. J. Davis, W. Davis, Earl, Fraser, Gosling, Hosie, Hoare, Healey, James. Jones, Keays, Quinn, Samuels, Smithers, Strawns, Tonkins, and Wisdom. Between 6,000 and 7,000 people watched the game in a perpetual state of almost painful excitement. They showed their feelings from the start, and welcomed the sides with loud cheers as the men went to their places.

The start was a sensational one. Webb drove the ball from the bounce forward. Another kick landed it near the sticks. It broke away from Tompkins and in favour of Kirkwood, who kicked it through from the ground. One goal in three kicks. When all was over that six points gave Norwood the premiership. In less than a minute Gosse had scored a minor. H. S. Cowan seized the kick-off with the finest mark of the day, but when he returned the leather Port had settled down. Their ruck got to work, and the pace became faster than any thing seen this season. Port played to their men well, and in this direction much better than their opponents, and their ruck work was magnificent. W. Davis, who played the best game on the ground, helped it to the other end, and Port roused their sup porters to a pitch of wildest excitement by their furious onslaught.

The Norwood back men were strong, but for a time they could do nothing. Fraser had a free close up and did nothing with it, then a chance from Jones was spoilt. The ball hung about the goal, and J. Davis reached out high in the air and gathered the leather into his arms with a tine effort, which he crowned with a beautiful goal. Samuels and Barnes were having some capital duels, bat Port were forcing the play at a killing pace. They fought into position again, and J. Davis snapped up No. 2 goal. The roar from the spectators cculd have been heard in the city, and excited as the spectators were, the players were even more so. The half-forward men were right over the centre line into the back territory waiting for a chance to get the ball out. Davis, Strawns, Samuels. Smithers, and Fraser were continually getting in good work, while Barnes, Plunkett, and F. Cowan in defence, Webb and Gosse in the ruck, and Dawson. L. Cowan, Smith, and Robinson were leading the Norwood game.

Barnes at last broke away, and Dawson helped the ball to the other end. Tonkins saved his side, but a fine flash man Robinson kept Norwood in a good position. The magenta ruck, how ever, collared the ball, and almost in a second it was at the other end, and a be hind came from a snapshot from Jones. The bell closed one of ths fastest quarters on record, with Ports leading by 6 points. With the warm day the pace seemed too fast to last, and the men lined up again wiping the streaming prespiration from their faces and necks. Port had had the better of the first encounter, and they started off with the same fury. They were much cleaner in picking up the ball and in passing to one another, but the solid de fence of Norwood kept them from scoring.

Davis, Fraser, Strawns, Quinn, James, and Hosie again sent the ball forward, and kept it there for a long time. They were ousted at last, and Crump and Dawson scored two minors. The back men at each end were better than the forwards, and for a quarter of an hour the ball was rushed up and down the ground. Port were more than holding their own, but they could not beat down Norwood's defence. They tried one side to find Barnes there, then the other, but W. Plunkett was playing with all his skill, and behind them F. Cowan and Trem bath were wonderfully correct.

The pace eased a little, but the shouts of the crowd worked on the players, and Port, with a magnificent dash, got the ball right into goal and a behind was rushed. This left them five points ahead at the interval. Im mediately on resuming the seasiders in creased their lead to seven points. Nor wood, improving in their play, and with Trembath. Gosse, and Webb doing better work in the ruck, they carried the ball to their end. Webb, from a running shot, wiped out six points, and after a fast dash up and down the ground, in which Port obtained a minor, Hill was given a free at an angle from which there was only about 3 in. to put the ball throngh. He made a great try, missed one post by an inch and hit the other one on the inside. Port had a chance, but J. Davis mulled a shot. Al most at once the ball travelled to the other end, and MacFarlane, from the side, con tributed the third goal from a snapshot, and Norwood led. Kirkwocd followed this with a single.

Norwood were playing in their best style now. They were making a great effort, and their passing was a fea ture of the game. Webb was playing the game of his life, doing a wonderful lot of work in the ruck. A capital series of ex changes gave Dawson a chance, and a splendid kick made Norwood twelve points ahead, and then the players had another spell. At the last change red-and-blue sup porters were smiling at the prospect of victory and Port, though not in despair, were rather gloomy. In less than a minute the positions were changed, and the Port people were shouting themselves hoarse. The ball bounced for Fraser at the start, and by a fine effort he sent it to Healey, and he put it through.

Again Fraser got the ball and again by a clever feat he dispatched it into goal, and this time Quinn cleared off the other six points, and with 23 minutes to go the scores were level. Excited as the spectators had been they were now almost wild with enthusiasm. Webb, Gosse, Barnes, Plunkett. Robinson, and Gilchrist forced the leather to their end, and Gilchrist from a snapshot, and then from the ruck notched two behinds. Nor wood were dashing into the game with greater determination than ever, while Port were fighting every inch of ground. W. Davis was doing a giant's work for his side. Twice by fine marks he prevented behinds being scored, for with time flying minors were of the utmost importance. Samuels went into the ruck instead of Bailey, but that was not sufficient, and a few minutes later Quinn was ordered out to help his comrades.

Port were tied up, for whenever they forced the reds' back Plunkett, Barnes, F, and L. Cowan, Dawson, and Robinson led another attack. At last Kirkwood had a shot, but it only re corded the third point to the good. The ruckmen of Port Adelaide at length work ed the ball along the pavilion wing to their end, and Strawns marked not too far off. There was dead silence as he put the ball down, for a goal meant victory, and it was tbe last chance. Even a cool player must have felt the strain, and Strawns failed, for the ball went out of bounds, and a disappointed cry came from the Port corner. Gosse, who had followed every minute of the watch, seized the leather, and dashing through the ruck drove it to the other end, MacFarlane marked it, and after the bell rang kicked a behind, and Norwood won by 4 points. They were best represented by Webb, W. Plunkett, Barnes, Gosse, Dawson, Robinson, F. and L. Cowan, Hill, Trembath, and Smith; and Port Adelaide by W. Davis, Samuels, James, Fraser, Quinn, J. Davis, Smithers, Gosling, Hosie, and Strawns. Mr. Bilsborow umpired ia a satisfactory manner.

CONGRATULATING THE TEAMS

At the invitation of Mr. James Shaw both teams met afterwards in the lounge, Ex change Hotel. Mr. Shaw proposed the toast of the Port Adelaide Club. The game

was the finest they had had for many years, and the Port's display was one of which they had every reason to be proud. The Port Adelaide secretary, Mr. J. Sweeney, responded, and extended his congratula tions to the winners. His ambition was to take the Port team top, for he had been secretary for seven years in all. On two separate occasions he had left the office, and on both of those the club were pre miers. He gave the toast of "The Nor wood Club," and the secretary, Mr. G. Searey, responded.