Collingwood Forever

HEAVY SCORING BY COLLINGWOOD.
CARLTON BEATEN.

The fact that a series of victories were needed to bring Carlton into the final four for the season gave a special interest to their match with Collingwood at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon, and, the weather being beautiful for football, an immense crowd of over 30,000 people assembled to see the game, the gate money amounting to £544. Carlton had a strong side, Downs, their little rover, being able to play again, while in the absence of Collingwood’s captain, McCarthy, the leadership was taken by Lumsden.

From the outset there were one or two marked points of difference in the play of the teams. Collingwood were prominent in the ruck at the outset, and they carried that supremacy right through the match, and their hand play, used with admirable discretion, was one of the most perfect features. Further, Collingwood’s forwards hardly ever failed, while the Carlton men kept dropping the ball all round Collingwood’s goal, but very seldom in just the right spot. Some of Fisher’s fine kicks skimmed the goal-posts on either side, but the little bit of luck made all the difference, for up to half-time Carlton were playing quite as well as Collingwood, and at times a bit better. But, while Collingwood were getting goals, sometimes with amazing rapidity, Carlton were just missing them.

At the start Carlton were the first to press the attack, but the first time Collingwood broke through a goal was scored from a beautiful series of passes between Lumsden, Hughes and Lee. Then Hughes, from the ruck, hit the ball straight into P. Wilson’s arms, who hit it just as quickly onto Lee, and second goal was scored within a couple of minutes. Then Carlton pressed hard for a long time, with no luck. Fernell, Borromeo, mid Daykin all missing reasonable chances. Finally Martin,who was playing admirably, passed to Lehane, who got first goal for Carlton, but it was their only score of consequence in the quarter. Kiely, the Carlton full back, who had been evidently instructed to keep a close eye upon Lee, carried his Instructions too rigorously, and a free-kick to the Collingwood man gave them third goal, while Curtis, with a long, skimming shot, got the fourth. In spite of the fact that Collingwood led by 4 goals 2 behinds to 1 goal 1 behind at quarter time. Carlton had a big share in the match without any reward for it.

In the second quarter the dark blues went to the assault with fine vigour, and exchanges between McGregor, Houghton, and Fisher gave only another miss, though a hand pass from Furnell to Fisher a minute afterwards brought Carlton’s second goal.

One of the best things in the game was a fine rush by Brown, of Carlton, but it all ended in another running shot to Fisher, and a behind. Martin,toiling manfully in the ruck, finished up a fine dash in getting their third goal, and there was strong feeling that Carlton were making good. Still they continued to shoot badly. .All through the first quarter the long, open game had been seen to perfection, though the scramble was more pronounced in the second term.

Collingwood missed a few chances, and at halftime it seemed to be anybody’s game, with the home team in front by 5 goals 6 behinds to 3 goals 8 behinds. Early in the match Scobie, one of Carlton’s half-backs, had hurt his leg, but O’Brien was a fine defender along that line. Scobie, having been sent forward, missed another chance for Carlton in the early part of the third quarter.

Immediately afterwards Lumsden, kicking out of a crush, found an open goal, and the ball rolled through. For quite a long spell Carlton were playing finely, doing everything, indeed, but get the points. Prince, Downs, and Chandler were very conspicuous in these stages, but the one flag came up with killing regularity. Another brilliant bit of passing between Lumsden and Lee gave Collingwood seventh goal, and at the last change the match was fairly safe for Collingwood, who were leading by 10 points, the score being Collingwood 7 goals 8 behinds, Carlton 3 goal 13 behinds.

In the first few minutes of the last quarter Collingwood’s lead increased to the equivalent of five goals with a point over. Wraith snapped the eighth, and Curtis, marked right in goal, got the ninth. All hope for Carlton was gone, and thence on Collingwood did as they pleased, scoring goal after goal with deadly certainty. In that stage there was some of the prettiest wing play of the season, the quick, short hand-passing between players like E. Wilson, P. Wilson, Drummond, and Pannam being perfection. It is sufficient to say that in this quarter Collingwood scored 10 goals to Carlton’s one, the finals being: – COLLINGWOOD 17 goals 11 behinds (113 points). CARLTON 5 goals 16 behinds (46 points).

ln spite of the marked difference between those scores Carlton held their own for three quarters, and lost heart only when it was evident that luck was dead against them. Collingwood’s  hatful of goals at the finish was due to that perfect exhibition football which no side seems to have the courage to attempt while the issue is in doubt.

For the winners, Walton was the best man right through, his coolness and certainty being admirable. Brown (half hack) improved as the  game went on. Lee. by his, forward work, gave them a good start, and they made the most of it. He got six goals while Curtis and Wraith had four each. When Hughes and Seddon were in the ruck their hitting out was most effective. Both the Wilsons, Mutch (who on the hack line, took risk,, but made few mistakes with them), Lumsden, and others were constantly conspicuous.

Carlton’s best player was Martin, whose pertinacity in the ruck was very noticeable, while O’Brien served them admirably on the half back line. There were some fine goes between Chandler and Twomey, with the Carlton man, for three-parts of the game, getting the better of it, though Twomey had rome dazzling bursts near the finish. McGregor did well in the centre; Prince was really one of their most useful players, though he made little show for it; while Downs, Brown, and Haughton all did their share.

1919 ‘FOOTBALL.’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 1 September, p. 3, viewed 24 September, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4697929