Australasian championship won by Victoria
Considering the great counter-attraction in the bay on Saturday afternoon, when the American fleet arrived, an attendance of about 15,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket-ground to witness the finals in the Australasian championship series of matches must be considered satisfactory. The receipts were £570, which brings the total takings up to £1,001. It is probable that the enterprise will result in a loss of about £400. This is a matter that is not likely to occasion any concern, while inestimable benefit must result to the game in such states as New South Wales and Queensland and in the Dominion of New Zealand, where it is fighting for pre-eminence.
Neither of the two games played came up to expectations. South Australia and Tasmania had shown such fine form previously that they were regarded as evenly matched. But the islanders were outclassed almost from the start, and they lately gave a glimpse of the capacity that they had exhibited in other games. They seemed a tired team before the first quarter finished and as the scores became wider apart despair gave way to indifference. Their defence was remarkably weak, and openings were carelessly left for their opponents. Towards the close of the second quarter they had the misfortune to lose Searl, who collided with an opponent and injured a bone below his left eye. Just before the finish of the game a second casualty happened, when McLeod had his leg hurt, and he had to be carried off. The South Australians displayed fine breezy football; their passing was skilful and their long kicking excellent. But the value of their work would have appealed with more force to the crowd had the game been closer.
The first goal in the game was scored by Johns for South Australia, after a series of skilful passes between Adcock, Chamberlain, Townsend, and back to Chamberlain to Johns. This was the precursor of a goal-kicking triumph for Johns, who scored on no fewer than 11 occasions before the game finished. At the close of the first quarter South Australia had 16 points to the good. Out of five goals which the wheatfielders scored in the second quarter Johns obtained 4, and he also hit a goal-post. Tasmania were 35 points behind at half-time, and they finished with the heavy deficiency of 67 points.
The final scores were: South Australia, 16 goals 20 behinds (116 points), Tasmania, 7 goals 7 behinds (49 points).
Johns was the hero of the match. Even admitting the weakness of the opposing defenders, he exhibited considerable skilfulness at times in getting the ball, and demonstrated his accuracy in aiming at the goal. Almost all the men on the side did well. Lee made excellent use of the top opportunities that came his way in the Tasmanian forward division. He kicked four of the 7 goals scored by his side. Mahoney, who has been a ‘star’ performer in other matches, was seen very little on this occasion after the first quarter. The umpiring of Tulloch was a long way below his standard.
West Australia were unfortunate in having to take the field against Victoria without McNamara and Cook, two of their best players, who were on the injured list, while Robinson was unable to do himself justice owing to a score ankle. The goldfielders had been confident of defeating Victoria, for whom W. Stewart (St. Kilda) played instead of Bruce (Carlton), who was slightly injured against South Australia, and they were not without hope even in the face of their misfortunes.
Play opened somewhat quietly and in the dullness that prevailed the defence of Matson stood out brightly, as it did all the afternoon. The Victorians were the first to score, Johnson, who had received the ball from Busbridge, punting a goal. Less than a minute afterwards McGregor passed to Lee, who put up second goal for Victoria. The first goal to the Westerners came from some excellent passing on the part of Gravenall, Metherrall, Smith, and Sharp. Sharp to Trewhella to Robinson was a series of the beautiful half-distance passes which West Australians have played with such perfection in these championship matches, but were unfortunately rare on this occasion. There was only 8 points difference in the scores at the finish of the first quarter, in which the quality of the football suffered by comparison with that displayed in the West v. South match.
The teams went into the game more spiritedly in the second quarter, and for a time there was some brilliant dashing action. Trewhell ought to have scored for the visitors, as he was in a good position within a few yards of the goal-post, one of which he struck. The West Australians at this stage were giving delightful exhibition of their powers, but it was not enduring. On one occasion the ball was passed from Tyson to Orr to Sharp to Metherall and back into Orr's hands without a Victorian touching it, and the last-named added a goal. Two points was then the difference in the totals.
The Victorians with Franks taking a prominent part, put on full steam, and their opponents fell back. McNamara struck a goal-post with a shot, Lee kicked a behind, while Franks (through the agency of Lee) and Shea put up goals. This was all the work of about three minutes. The principal incidents in the remainder of the quarter were the failure of Polglaise in a ridiculously easy chance to score, and the beautiful high marking and tremendous long kicking of McNamara. He scored sixth goal with a snapshot, and Lee got the seventh in a similar way. At the half-time interval West Australia seemed to be in a hopeless position, with a deficiency of 36 points.
Matters did mend for the goldfielders when the second half of the game was entered upon. Indeed, they became worse, for Frank, Lee, Young, and McNamara added goals for Victoria before a change was made in the West Australians' tally. The Victorians were working more effectively in combination than their opponents; they were faster to the ball and surer in handling it, while their height gave them an immense advantage in the air. They were also the stronger team physically. Both sides excelled in long-kicking, which was the finest seen here for many a long day. The points at three-quarter time were 47 in favour of Victoria.
In the last quarter the Victorians appeared to slacken off. Interest had gone out of the game, which ended with the scores:
Victoria, 13 goal 22 behinds (100 points); Western Australia, 6 goals 8 behinds (44 points)
The Victorians all played well. Most of the defensive work fell on the shoulders of Busbridge, Purse, and Pearce; Bailes was brilliant on one of the wings, and McGregor good in the centre. McNamara, Lee (four goals), and Shea were the principals in the attacking party. Franks, Johnson, and Milne had the greater part of the ruck work to do, and they did it well.
Generally the play of the West Australians was patchy. Matson and Gravenall were conspicuous exceptions. All through they gave a slashing exhibition of bright and breezy football. The dashes of Matson from the half-back line were especially brilliant. Metterall roved capably, and both sharp and Trewhella performed creditably among the forwards. Renwick, on the wing, was clever at times.
Coombes umpired in first-class style. Woods (South Melbourne) was injured about the middle of the final quarter and had to be married off the field. He collided with another Victorian.
Footnotes
Title: FOOTBALL JUBILEE. AUSTRALASIAN CHAMPIONSHIP. WON BY VICTORIA. Author: Argus Staff Writer Publisher: The Argus (Melbourne, Victoria, 1848 - 1956) Date: Monday, 31 August 1908, p.5 (Article) Web: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/10163315
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