Collingwood Forever

COLLINGWOOD BEATS SOUTH MELBOURNE.
UNSUCCESSFUL FORWARDS.

Although South Melbourne, have several very good forwards in their ranks, they, fail badly on occasions, and Saturday’s game against Collingwood was one of their worst failures. They played well enough in other parts or the field to have made the finish close, even if they failed to quite secure a victory, but inability to kick goals brought all their efforts to waste. It was not a good game at any stage, and a more silent crowd than the fifteen thousand people who watched the match has not been seen at any similar game this season. This was especially noticeable in first quarter, when Collingwood, having some advantage from the wind, were expected to score heavily.

Neither side managed for a long time to gets its machinery into smooth action, and as a consequence play was scrambling and disappointing. Men whose calculations are usually pretty exact found the ball constantly beating them. In spite of the wind against them, South started off with a strong attack. A pass from Doherty to Laird gave them their first goal, and a moment later Caldwell passed to Robertson, who hit the goalpost. Collingwood then got to work with success. Colechin and Curtis gave Lee his first chance, but his shot was a bad one, and a try by Curtis immediately afterwards was just as weak. Out of a crush, however, Lee got Collingwood’s  first goal, an excellent one, and, from the penalty of a trip got another a moment later.

Twice in succession Robertson, with fine kick got close to the Collingwood goal. A free kick to Doherty seemed rather outside his range, but he just squeezed it through, getting second goal for the South, In a crush in Collingwood’s wings Drummond forced it forward to Lee, who marked and scored his and Collingwood‘s third goal. Just on the end of the quarter some smart play by Hines in the centre gave Robertson another chance. Again his kick was a fine one, but  not straight, and at quarter-time Collingwood had 3-1 to South Melbourne’s 2-0.

Up to that stage South Melbourne had played rather the better game, being notably quicker to the ball. Neither side, however, could mark with any certainty, and finally the players preferred to stand down and wait for their second chance off another man’s failure. Miscalculations as to the flight of the ball were constant, and this to a large extent spoiled the match.

Beginning the second quarter Collingwood had a bad miss, for Sheehy marked almost in goal, but missed an easy shot. Early in the second quarter Collingwood for the first time found their short passes working to some slight advantage, though it was never, a feature of the match. The crowd was still very quiet, though towards the end of the quarter there was a little more vim in the play. The South still scored behinds only. Collingwood backs putting up a good defence against the wind, and about the middle of the quarter scores were even with 22 points each.

Then the game swung finally in favour of Collingwood. Hughes from a free-kick scored their fourth goal, and Curtis, getting out of a  crush rather cleverly, got their fifth, so that at half-time Collingwood had 5-4 to South Melbourne’s 2-10.

Again in the third quarter South Melbourne opened an attack against the wind, but O’Halloran missed a scoring chance. Then out of a Collingwood rush Lumsden passed it to Lee, who marked in front and got their sixth goal. Immediately afterwards Curtis, running close in, hit the goalpost. Collingwood’s seventh’ goal was a lucky one. E. Wilson, who was roving, marked in front, and believing there was no one behind him swung around to run into goal, but was collared. He should certainly have been free-kicked for holding the ball, but the umpire gave him his shot, and the result was a goal. The game had improved in this quarter, but still rather harder than skilful. Towards the end of the quarter Lee had a couple of shots; both were fine kicks, but neither straight enough. At three-quarter time Collingwood had 7-10 to South’s 2-13, and with that the match practically ended.

A gale of wind and hail and rain. broke over the ground, and thenceforward it was a mere matter of splashing and plunging to a finish. No one could hold the ball, no one kick it with any certainty. It was hard luck for South Melbourne, who except about goal had played well enough to give them a chance of still saving thc mutch. When the rain came that chance was gone. Robertson got their third goal, and, with the players only dimly seen, the ball invisible in the dark, the match went to an unsatisfactory finish. The finals were: – COLLINGWOOD. 8 goals 11 behinds (59 points), SOUTH MELBOURNE, 3 goals. 18 behinds (36 points).

For the winners P. Wilson and Drummond were the two finest players. Wilson being quite at the top of his form. Saunders was a very reliable back, Lee, who got four goals and went very close with several other shots, was of great value forward, while McCarthy in the crush, E. Wilson roving, and Pannam on the wing were all prominent. For the South Hines about the centre was one of their best men. He and Wilson were matched, but played wide and gave each other full opportunity. Robertson as a forward did everything but kick goals, some of his long shots being very fine, He represented South Melbourne’s ill-luck in that so many of his tries were just a little bit on the wrong side of the post. O’Halloran, Hiskins, Tandy, Turner, and Sampson all did their share.

1919 ‘THE LEAGUE GAMES.’, The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957), 14 July, p. 3, viewed 22 September, 2015, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4716465