Collingwood Forever

FOOTBALL AT ITS BEST.

Although Collingwood outstayed Geelong on the Corio oval was a fine game to watch from beginning to end indeed, the first quarters play especially is described as one of the finest displays of fast and clever football ever seen on the ground. The kicking and marking were both superb and the shooting for goal so accurate that at one stage five goals were scored without a behind. Geelong went out with a determination to spoil Collingwood’s system and for a long time they succeeded in doing it

Eventually Collingwood got going in their best style, and the Geelong people, while having always good object lessons of their own, saw football as it should be played. The second quarter was largely a repetition of the first in fascinating play but Collingwood made rather better use of the wind than Geelong had done, kept the home team hard on the defensive, and towards the finish it was evident that the Victoria-park system was is vogue again.

The third quarter was warm, very warm, both sides at the top of their form, and absolutely no advantage to either. Had the game stopped at that stage it would have been one of the greatest of the season, but in the final quarter Collingwood simply romped over their opponents. In spite of what the points say to the contrary, the winners never found a stage when the obligation to win seemed past. Their kicking all through was magnificent, while Geelong was perhaps, slightly off not in the matter of goal shooting for here they did rather better on the average than the visitors, whose skill was demonstrated, however, all over the field.
Collingwood’s success was largely due to two men, Pannam and F. Leach. One play on the centre, the other on the wing, and, contrary to all the traditions of successful football, neither troubles about keeping his place; in fact, they go with the ball, and are really roving place men.  That sort of thing is only possible to a very good or a very cute player. For the ordinary man to attempt, or may men on a side adopt it, would mean with a team of about equal calibre, absolute defeat. In this case it seems to show that a principle, however sound, has its variations. Peers was roving in magnificent form, some of his high marks being very fine indeed, and these three stood so far above the general ruck that it is sufficient to merely mention Condon, Monahan, Rowell,

M’Haile, Drohan, Green, and Incoll as being up to form.

The four who shone for Geelong were Rankin, Bailiff, Young, and Coles. Rankin was absolutely at his best, and, whether in the centre of the ground or on the ball, had an equally marked influence on the game. Young played one of his best games, and Bailiff was very near the top is that fact attractive, football which is his speciality. That fine player, Coles, too, was greatly admired, for when forward he was the dangerous man of a dangerous lot, and scored four very fine goals, while in the close play he was just as prominent. One amusing feature of the day was the duel between Pincott and E .Lockwood. The latter has always been a thorn in the side of his old club, so Pincott was sent to watch him. The result was that neither of them got a kick worth talking about, and they might just as well have watched it from the other side of the fence.

1903 ‘FOOTBALL.’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 8 June, p. 9, viewed 31 July, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9801618