Unforgettable Characters in Football A series of articles written by H.A.de Lacy during the 1941 VFL football season and published in The Sporting Globe.

Peter Burns Henry “Tracker” Young Albert Thurgood Henry “Ivo” Crapp Dick Lee Syd and Ivor Warne-Smith Hughie James Percy Parratt & Jimmy Freake Horrie Clover Alan and Vic Belcher Rod McGregor Dave McNamara Albert Chadwick

PETER BURNS Greatest Player Game Has Produced

May 3, 1941 – https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180297522

When I walked into the South training room on Thursday night and asked a group of old timers, "Did any of YOU fellows play with Peter Burns when he was here?'' work stopped.

Billy Windley left off lacing a football. "Joker" Hall allowed the compress on Eric Huxtables ankle to go cold, and Jim O'Meara walked across the room with a pencil sticking out of the side of his mouth, while one of the present-day Southern stalwarts stood half naked Waiting for the that Jim carried away in his hand.

I had struck a magic chord collectively and individually all three said play with Peter — he was the greatest player the game has produced and a gentleman in all things."

Well it was certainly nice to have them unanimous about It. and so definite too. I wanted Information and I got it in one hot blast of enthusiasm. Peter Burns — what a man; what a footballer, they all agreed.

Today in the South Melbourne room working side by side at the moulding of a younger side. "Joker” Hall is head trainer, Billy Windley is ball steward and Jim O’Meara property steward. But when I mentioned Peter Burns they dropped their duties as one man and were players once again in our grand game — players beside their stalwart, Peter.

Grandest of Them All

JOKER has a way all his own in describing a footballer. He goes shrewd all , and his enthusiasm sparkles through the slits to which he narrows his eyes, "Peter—he was the grandest of them all. He and Thurgood, Remember him?

Could I ever forget him? He had the game sewn up, He could do anything, and I mean anything, , mark or , a footballer every inch of him. And Joker went back to his cold compress.

But Bill Windley wasn’t satisfied "I can’t remember a better player as they come," he said. "He was a marvellous mark, and he usually took them high above the pack on his chest. He could them from the centre, they cheered him when he first put the ball down away out near the centre, but they cheered when he sank his boot home.

He was a gentleman too. They could Skyrocket him over the pickets, and he took it without a growl.

"The funniest sight I can remember was little Harry Purdy, the smallest man on the field and Jim O’Meara here, another small player-rucking with big Peter roving to them. Yet ruck man or rover he was just as happy so long as it was football.

Indeed he was, joined in Jim O’Meara. "Few of them are made in the same mould as old Peter. I've never seen a better." Not a Passenger

But whoa, hold horses; this story is galloping away from me, where is this champion today?

Any time you happen to be near the timekeepers when Geelong are playing, take a special look at the big-shouldered, severe-looking man with heavy bushy eyebrows, and a pair of glasses Just holding their place at the end of his nose. That is Peter Burns.

Burns began back in 1882, and he is still in the service of the game

When we talk of the men who have helped to make our great game, genial Peter Bums comes readily to mind, and thoroughly deserves his recognition.

He is undoubtedly one of football’s great men, one of the men who have helped to mould our game. Briefly his football began at Ballarat, where he played with the famous Imps. He was 16 at the time

In another season he will have given 60 years’ service to football, 50 of them in the service of the Geelong club.

When he told me this there was an undisguised note of pride in his voice he added: "I am happiest when I remember I have been spared sound in width and limb to travel the road as a worker, not an onlooker or a passenger. Too many people are content to look on.”

In June 1885 he transferred to South Melbourne from Ballarat, and wore for the first time the white canvas jacket striped across with red that was the uniform of the Swans in those days.

"That Guernsey was a flash affair," Peter remembers. "Pants were tucked into the tops of the stockings, something like the apple catchers youngsters wore a few years ago.

If I remember rightly, Collingwood was the first club to adopt the bare knee type of knickers of today."

Old-Time Methods

Many players wore caps, and if the sun shone too enthusiastically they donned felt hats and went on with the game hammer and tongs. Imagine a in felt hats, yet it was no novelty prior to even 1914.

There are quite a few people in the game today who look on a change rules as the foul deed of some rabid heretic. They speak as if the rules of our Australian came were the heaven sent heritage of the present generation. Their memories are short.

The Australian game in the first instance was something visualised and then steadily created and developed by rule changes, with which we are not finished even today.

If these conversations could go back over football, as can Peter Burns, they would hold my contention true. Imagine 20 men playing aside, with four followers and two rovers from each side. They played two halves of 60 minutes each.

The winner the toss chose his choice of ends, the loser was given the ball, the teams lined up on either side of the centre, each facing the goal to which they were kicking. At a signal loser of the toss ticked the ball sides to a man went for it.

No man was allowed to cross the centre till the ball had been kicked. After the scoring of a goal and at the re-starting of play after the interval the same routine was followed.

When the ball was out of bounds it was thrown in, in somewhat the same way as today, but with this essential difference: it had to strike the ground before it could be played by the followers. Describing the scene Peter says "The big huskies formed a ring around the place where the ball was likely to bounce to keep the other fellows away. Brawn defied brawn, brawn crashed through brawn.

Behinds did not count. Can the youngsters of today imagine our present game transformed overnight reverting to these old fashioned ways again?

Change goes hand in hand with progress. The wonder is that so many obvious improvements as we have today were not thought of in the first place. Further changes will be introduced, of that there is no doubt, and in such things it does not do to be over-sentimental or prejudiced.

Pushing Allowed

Those were the days of the little marks." says Burns, and we deftly touched the ball on the toe of the boot before it to a team-mate. Can you imagine that?

Burns telling his story with rare enthusiasm continued. You were allowed to push a man from behind without penalty. Think what that meant, the busters were indescribable. You dwelt on the opposition high flyer, and just as his feet left the ground you hit him with all your weight in the small of the back. He crashed like a log. Before my day ‘rabbiting’ was allowed, but it was soon rightly banned.

I pointed out to Burns that with such latitude allowed players under the rules ad in view of so many heavy croppers, tempers must have been ruffled and reprisals bitter. Peter met my suggestions with resentment.

The game was certainly tough, he said, “just as tough as or tougher than it is today. But it never was bitter. We would not have tolerated things that I have seen become everyday incidents in final games on the Melbourne ground today.

We had a strict code and would not tolerate bitterness or deliberate maiming and such things

The men of my day never received a penny for playing, and I believe that better "fellowship was the result.'

It would be impossible to talk to such a veteran authority as Burns without asking him the inevitable question: Who was the greatest footballer you have seen? I have told readers that Billy Windley and "Joker" Hall and Jim O'Meara named Burns, but what does Burns say? Without a moment's hesitation he named his champion.

"Albert Thurgood. He was a wonderful player. He lifted a game on his own shoulders. Back, forward or on the ball a captain could not misplace Thurgood on a football field." And then he ran over the players, past and present, who appealed to him. His champion centre man was Fred Leach (Collingwood) His rovers McGinis (Melbourne), (Collingwood), Percy Trotter (Fitzroy) and of recent memory Alex Eason and George Haines.

"To me the greatest forward of all time was Dick Lee, that great Collingwood player," he said. "Lee had a wonderful pair of hands and a footballer's greatest asset, anticipation.

"Lee is always compared with another great Collingwood player, Gordon Coventry. Both were viral in an attack, but Lee was the better foot bailer, and he got 90 per cent, of his kicks home. Some of his angle shots were amazing.

"Tom Fitzmaurice was a lionheart at centre half-back—one of the greatest players of all time. At full back I always liked Vic. Thorp.

"My two wing men would be Bruce and Kennedy, the Carlton pair, with Charlie Pannam father of the present Collingwood player, and Vollugi and Spence, of Essendon, close behind them.

Potential Champion Lost BURNS went on to relate how the First World War robbed football of a man who was destined to be its greatest player, the late Joe Slater. Slater was reaching for the highest rung on football's ladder when he answered the call, and later fell with the AIF abroad.

He was a beautifully built fellow. 13 stone and 6ft. or more. He moved like an antelope. Burns describes him as the "finest material I ever saw in football togs."

"Despite his size and weight." He says. "Joe could swing and pivot like a rover. He was a champion runner, and carried all his speed and balance in his football movements. To finish him off he was one of the finest kicks I have seen. No—to me football lost its greatest prospect when Joe fell

And so through three wars Burns has followed the fortunes of our game. He carries on ringing the bell at Geelong that marks the start and close of another day of football. But today he was parted from his old friend. "Big Ben of Corio." for Geelong have temporarily transferred to .

His sincere hope is that he will live to see peace again, and his favourite game boom once more.

HENRY “TRACKER” YOUNG Great All Round Athlete

May 17, 1941- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180298744

Forty years ago in Geelong there was a man at the height of his sporting prowess. Today his memory is a tradition. Few would require two guesses to know that he was the late .

A few hours in Geelong convinced me that Henry Young, had he chosen to concentrate, might have reached World class in any one of half a dozen sports. As he was placed, he was content to reach the top of the State ladder. He defies all challengers as 's greatest all-round sportsman.

He was known throughout Australia as "Tracker" or "Hen." Why "Tracker, “even his family could not tell.

AS recollection was added to memory I concluded that the mass opinion of Henry Young in Geelong was something like this

He was one of the finest fellows who ever wore Shoe leather. He was a man as straight as a gun barrel He was a man of very decided opinions, but a man fair in his dealings with the other fellow, even though their viewpoints might differ. If a man was straight himself then he could ask anything of Henry Young. He was a generous man where generosity was merited but he would not entertain the bite of a waster for a split second.

Perhaps Henry Young was never more honoured than when someone spoke of him someone else wrote. He was never guilty of an act unbecoming a man.

As I travelled round Geelong meeting the good fellow and that and mentioned Henry Young I was always answered.

"Henry' Young. I should think I do remember him."

Yet when I started out to collect data I was convinced that the heaviest task would be the selection of anecdotes and incidents in Young's colourful life. I had heard so many stories of his football days, of his rowing and swimming and his coursing that I was convinced that in Young s life there was a story that told itself.

But as I repeated these stones to relatives and close associates seeking confirmation. I found these people saying, “Well I never heard that story, but there were so many things he did, and said.”

No doubt readers who were associated with Young in competitive sport can remember incidents that happened between Young and themselves

OF STRONG PURPOSE

YOUNG was the eldest of a family of four boys and four girls. He was a man of quiet disposition but a strong, purposeful man nevertheless. Although he figured in every branch of sport, his greatest work and his greatest delight was found in his association with the boys and young men of the Geelong district. He spent many happy hours teaching them to row, to swim, to box or toplay football and cricket. Many a father was coaching his lad was inwardly thankful.

He knew that not alone would the lad learn the best way to the particular sport, but that by association with Young, he would be constantly set the example of upright manhood. "Tracker" was a disciple of perfect physical health. But he overplayed his hand and a strain of the heart finally found him out. He died in Eastern Baths, Geelong, in 1923, while teaching his nephews to swim. He had been under treatment for his heart for some months.

When preparing for a football season it was his custom to travel to Portarlington by boat and then walk home the 19 miles He had a greyhound Mick Maroo, which he always trained himself. He looked to Mick Maroo to help him keep fit.

On the day of his death following his usual custom, Young went to the Eastern Baths. He swam the length of the baths and back, and was standing in shallow water teaching his nephews when he had a heart attack and commenced to struggle in the water. For 20 minutes doctors worked over him endeavouring to restore the heart action but in vain. The day of "Ticker" Young had closed. He was then 49 years -a comparatively young man.

Originally he was a carpenter, but for more than 29 years he was a licensee of the Britannia Hotel Geelong. His father the late Sam Young, founded the Volum Brewery, and Henry was on the directorate.

ALWAYS FIRM

YOUNG joined 1890 and retired in 1909- He was captain and coach from 1901 to 1909. And on his retirement received a valuable gold watch — now in the possession of his brother. Mr Jock Young, of Geelong. He captained Victoria's first carnival team.

Young coached and captained the Geelong eighteen with a firmness that brooked no discussion. As a consequence, some spoke of him as autocrat on the field. And indeed he might have been too, for in conversation with two umpires of his day, Herb Coombes and Jimmy d'Helin, I learned that "Tracker" was never slow in telling both players and umpires hat he thought of the trend of the game.

"I recall on one occasion." Jimmv d'Helin said with a hearty laugh. 'Tracker' was continually appealing to me for a free kick for a .

'Push behind.' he kept at it with almost every throw-in.’Plav on,' I yelled back at his every appeal. Finally he stopped right in front of me in a way that allowed no further humbug and said. 'Look here, don't you give a free kick for a push behind any longer?'

'Sure I do, when it IS a push behind,' I replied. 'Well, what do you think is happening to me? Do they have to break my neck?

You are being pushed in the back by your own man ' I told him.

"'I am, am I? Well, I’ll be jiggered'. And up the field he dashed looking for the culprit’s blood.

Two Broken Ribs

ON another occasion he was having a great duel with "George Angus (Collingwood), a fellow, short or stature but a real tiger as a follower.

"George caught Henry once or twice, fairly hard in the ribs. Each time Henry grunted which was strange for him. He seldom let them know when he felt a knock.

At last he stopped short and said to Angus, ‘Look here, George, if you keep on knocking me on that side I’ll have to crack you. I’ve got two broken ribs there.” “Why didn't you mention it before Henry? Angus replied with a grin. “I’ll try the other side, but for the rest of the game Angus respected those broken ribs “was a way they had in those days.

"It was not the first occasion that Tracker' did a lion's share of the ruck work with broken ribs." d'Helin recalled that on one occasion "Tracker" surprised a party of footballers touring Sydney with his delightful singing voice. '"There was the usual skylarking and someone suggested, and naturally, they all insisted, that 'Hen' should sing a song" Jim related.

"I knew that he had been placed second in the Geelong jubilee and industrial Exhibition as a soloist, but the others thought they had him in a spot. I’ll never forget their faces as he rolled out that fine old song, The Midshipmite "'

Young was responsible for the development of many a youngster's football He always was ready to help them, and protect them until they found their feet in senior company. One such youngster who became a champion was Alex Eason. Than whom there have been few better rovers in the game.

"Alex always remembers Young far two things—the unflinching way he took and gave the knocks of the game, and for his insistence on strict discipline and perfect physical condition.

"He was a bottler” Alex told me this week; "a real glutton for training. He would make us run twice round the Eastern Gardens, every yard of it. Then back we'd come for potato races, sprinting all the time, and scooping down to pick up footballs instead of spuds. That was extra to our training, and running, you know the stuff. Then he'd drag us down to the ground for a full match practice on the Wednesdays. Will I ever forget him!

"Tracker" Young might ask the young man who prefers the David of today to the Goliath of his dad's day. I can do no better than quote here the opinions of two fo our acknowledged greatest players Dave McNamara and Rod McGregor. In these columns McNamara wrote:

“My boyish imagination was fired at the mere mention of Young's name. He was my ideal I read every word the papers published about him, and always hoped that I should one day play with or against him.

HELPED OPPONENTS

It was with that idea I trained hard at Benella, and when the day came that StKilda gave me a game I made up my mind that I was going to be in the team permanently. By the time St. Kilda met Geelong, I was being tried out as a follower, and found myself pitted against the man of my football dreams.

He was all I had read of him, and more, he was the finest type of man popssible who played hard for his side, but always for the game. I was awed at the way he brushed me aside, and I realised I knew nothing about following, I was just a raw lad, from the country, opposed to the greatest leader of that time. I decided that to be near my idol meant that I would be near the ball with the chance of taking a few marks! So I trailed Henry all over the ground. I well remember his turning round and saying “what the devil are you trailing me for?’

I plucked up enough courage to say, 'I'm a nipper trying to learn something about ruck work and I think I can pick up a few points from you.'

Imagine my feeling when he grabbed my hand saying as he shook, ‘Come on lad, and I’ll tell you a few don’ts. A dozen times he said, 'Don't do that, lad.'

"He was one of the quickest thinkers on the field I have known and a weakness was strengthened long before opposing captains realised. It was fitting that he should be captain of the first Victorian carnival side ln 1908. He was the inspiring leader in League history.

Few knew that he played through that carnival series with a broken finger. Writing of the 1908 carnival Victorian team Rod McGregor said:—

"It was fitting that Henry Young, a great player with a colourful career, should be captain of Victoria's first carnival team. Young was the outstanding football personality of the time. His ruck work and his uncanny ability in placing the ball with his rover made^ following a problem for opposing teams.

"When I first joined Carlton as a rover and was to play against Geelong, Joker Hall, who had shown me many points in the game, said “No matter what man you have in the ruck, the ball is going to be hit where Henry Young’s rover is. Make no mistake about that. Watch his rover.'

That timely hint ought me a lot of kicks that day.

"Tracker' was a great character. I well remember the day at Carlton when Bob “Skeeter" Boyle tore Henry’s lucky pants. Young had played in them for years. Like many other footballers he had a superstition about them. Anyway, Bob made a grab at Henry and tore the pants. Henry on impulse threw Bob to the ground, standing over him and staring down he said. ‘What did you do that for’? I have had these pants for seven years'

Skeeter, who was nursing his ankle, looked up ruefully and said: That’s nothing Henry, I’ve had this ankle all my life.

Henn grinned, stooped down and lifted 'Skeeter' to his feet and so the incident ended.

Good at man sports

Few who know Young the footballer know of his other exploits in sport. He rode in the Warrnambool to Melbourne road race and led through the Stony Rises. There he fell and a wrist injury caused his withdrawal. He also had successes on the tracks.

After his ride in the Warrnambool he had to seek reinstatement as an amateur.

He was nearly as well known to oarsmen as he was to footballers He won many races with the Corio Bay Rowing Club, and on one occasion stroked a combined senior eight from the Barwon and Corio Bay clubs It will surprise some to know that Peter Bums, another great Geelong footballer: rowed No. 7 in that crew. He was vice-captain and vice-president of his club. His friends on the river were legion

It was while he was mine host at the Britannia Hotel that Young was approached to coach the crews for the Head of the River races. The approach was made by one of the staunchest Presbyterians in Geelong - a man of few words, but great purpose.

Young is said to have refused the invitation. He was questioned on the refusal, and asked to give it further consideration. Young's reply and what followed has become a traditional story that is told to the credit of the memory of both men concerned. Young is said to have replied:

I see it this way. I am a publican, and the Geelong College is a branch of the Presbyterian Church. I am sufficiently a man of the world to recognise that my appointment might not be approved because of these facts. There might be some who would think that a publican’s influence might not be for the good of the boys.”

“Young I am a man of few words”, said the other, “but I also have the reputation of missing few angles to any proposition.

"It is because the council of Geelong College consider that they could not find a man with a higher and better influence on growing boys than yourself that I am making this request of you.”

His hand was gripped by Young. There and then began an association with Geelong College that many old boys remember with pride. Above all else, Young knew how to handle boys. His robust, unaffected manliness in itself gave them a living example of all a true man stood for. Following his death, this extract appeared in the annual report of Geelong College:

"The association has lost by death several members during the year, among them Henry Young, a devoted friend and adopted son, who so ably filled the position of coach for six years to the college crew. He loved the boys, and they all loved Henry Young, a man, a champion of magnificent proportions and strength, full of power, unselfishness and pluck; yet, withal, he played the game in every branch of sport, and was never guilty of an act on any field unbecoming to a man."

His memory is perpetuated by trophies or competition within the college.

A CAPABLE BOXER

PERHAPS there was one sport in which Young excelled, and in that sport, strangely, would never appear to public that was boxing.

It has been said by men who knew their hempen square that "Tracker", could have won an Australian title comfortably.”

On one occasion at the Corio Bay Rowing Club, before a few friends only, he spared with Bob Fitzsimmons Rugby Rob wanted him to spar with him in the exhibition arranged at Geelong, but Young declined courteously.

Fitzsimmons is said to have been so greatly impress with Young's prowess that he could not understand his reticence. '

Young taught many Geelong youngsters how to use their fists. Among them were Ray Jones, who fought in Australian colours at an Olympiad Bill Waldie, who was State heavyweight champion. He also acted as referee in State amateur title bouts.

He had a ringside seat at the famous world championship bout, when Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns at Sydney.

He bad few superiors in his knowledge of coursing. His father before him had been an authority on open coursing. Among many others Young was behind the rise of the Victoria Coursing Club at Geelong.

His specialty was the training and handling of the hares. He also acted as skipper on occasions. He owned and trained many dogs, but perhaps the best remembered will be Volum King. Volum Ale and Mick Maroo. Volum Ale ran-up to Maccabees in a Werribee Derby.

He was a champion swimmer and won several state titles. He was selected to represent the state in Australasian championships to be held in New Zealand, but had to withdraw from the team.

When Young’s life was so suddenly terminated Geelong people cast about for the best way to commemorate him. They decided that a stand should be erected on the , a stand that would bring comfort to other people who still loved football as did Young, and who perhaps would recall he play as they watched a new generation in action.

About that time, another Geelong football stalwart. Charles Brownlow, after whom the was named, also died. ‘Finally the stand was named toe Brownlow-Young Memorial Stand. The original stand was burned and the present one erected in its place.

ALBERT THURGOOD Albert, The Great

May 24, 1941 - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180299136

Even as an Englishman might tell with pride of Alfred the Great, out at Essendon enthusiasts never cease to talk about "Albert the Great" Was there ever a greater footballer than Albert Thurgood—'Albert the Great" to the men of his generation? If there were, they haven't heard of him at Essendon. And so to the story of "Albert the Great"—King of Footballers.

OME lustre might be added so the story by stating that the present generation does not even know him by his Christian name – Albert. More Often he is referred to in kingly fashion, as THURGOOD." and his time—as with the reign of any king, as Thurgood’s Day.

Knowing this one might almost feel surprised that no poet of the kin of a poet has written as they did of a dramatist. When Busbridge Played to the theme "When Thurgood Played”. The enthusiasm with which men of his time speak of his football is in itself poetic.

I was at a great disadvantage in preparing data for this article, I found that Thurgood played and triumphed before I saw the sun rise for the first time. But ancient as seems to be his beginnings, there are men today who remember him well. If you seek verbal adventure, tell them that or or , giants in the game today, would have broken the great Thurgood.

There never could have been a suggestion of such absurdity to our fathers.

Some years back, when a veterans' match was staged at the M.C.G. it was advertised that Thurgood would play. He still drew his crowd. As he ran through the gate on to the ground with his co-veterans, they acclaimed him to a man: "There's Thurgood!" came from many happy lips that day.

The King enjoyed his own again I went along with lads of our generation—for lads we seemed that day to see and learn. Slow as were the movements of the veterans it was soon clear that in this giant of a man we seeing r champion. He still towered above his contemporaries as he must have towered when they were all men in their prime.

When he kicked the ball it kicked though the days of Thurgood's football were over, his personality and, popularity never could be dimmed in the eyes of the men who knew him as succeeding Albert the Great."

Maybe together have wished, as I have often wished that the giants of succeeding generations might be brought together all of them in their prime and made to fight for the everlasting honours of the game. Such a plan would settle many arguments or wouldn’t.

Sad to say that cannot be done. Champions grow grey and youth springs anew. Giants drop out but the game goes on.

Had Everything

So it is difficult to compare the football of a man who began in 1891 with the football of the men of today. But we all can ask the men who saw Thurgood. "What did he have that made him so outstanding" And they reply briefly. "Everything'" “What a man, who is still keen about the game, and still sees it week by week, a man who played with Thurgood, brings him within our present horizons by saying, "Most like him was Tom Fitzmaurice in many of his characteristics: he was easily the rival of Haydn Bunton in all his elusive balanced, swaying ways." we begin to visualise a super-footballer.”

As Fitzmaurice-cum-Bunton, that good combines in the one man all the strength dash and robust air superiority of a great, player in Fitzmaurice and at the same time all the graceful, evasive will-o'-the- whispers of one of our cleverest players—the great Bunton.

Perhaps his like has never been seen on our fields since. In the first place he was a magnificent specimen of a man tall and built in proportion. He was an even-timer over a hundred yards. He was a high juniper of repute. He was a hurdler, with a record or two behind him thoroughly robust, he also was nimble and agile as a 'whippet’.

His ‘kicking was accurate over short or great distances He used the drop the , or the place kick as occasion or fancy directed him, and was equally proficient with each.

His admirers will tell you that he would get one goal from 60 yards out and the next jammed wide on the boundary line, collect another from what seemed an impossible angle.

They swung him in where the game as thickest. In the ruck, he shouldered his way through the pack. In defence, his dash and fearlessness turned back the onset. In attack, he was the elusive jack-in-the-box no defender likes to have to mind.

He started his career with the Brighton juniors, and he headed the lists with 56 goals. In 1893 and 94 he lead again with 63 goals.

Some of his forward feats were astounding. Once he returned with a bag of 12 goals, and those were the days when goals had to be won, not scooped up at will. Later, he bettered that with a tally of 14.

Most Spectacular of His Time

IN 1896 and '97 he was absent in , and I was interested to read an opinion of his play in the Golden West. "Thurgood was the most spectacular player of his time," said the critic, "and always had the fascination for the public that belongs to the champion. He was of gigantic proportions, with great height, bulk and strength, and was as nimble as a hare.

"Naturally, he was a special mark for the big half-backs, but he handled them as if they were babies. He was one of the fleetest of foot in his day and frequently played on the wing in an emergency. A beautiful high mark, he leapt like a kangaroo. He was indeed constructed for pre-eminence in football.

His best performance in the West was to score 15 goals in one match.

He returned to Victoria, and re-joined Essendon. His last appearance in a league game was against Carlton, in 1906.

In his later years. Thurgood became associated with the turf and was well known as an owner of racehorses.

A motor accident at Toorak on Sunday. May 8, 1927, ended Thurgood's life, but not the memory of him. His friends today will still tell you with pride how a journal of the day "offered a gold medal for a contest between him and Jim Grace. Both were forwards of renown, and the medal went to the man kicking the most goals in the Fitzroy-Essendon match. Thurgood won hands down.

Seeking information about Thurgood, I called on his former captain Alex Dick, who now lives in retirement in Hampton. Dick had vivid recollections of Thurgood and told me how he came to the "Same Olds" from the Crowther Grammar School, now Brighton Grammar School, with a wonderful reputation as an athletic. "Thurgood came to Essendon in his 17th year. Said Dick. A big lump of a boy, six feet, and easily 12 stone. He had a great reputation at his school as a hurdle jumper and runner. We played him at once and I for one saw immediately that he was going to develop into a star.

"However it took him a few Saturday’s to settle down. After indicating to us his promise in his first few games he had a bad day and I well remember that I, as vice-captain of the side, with one or two others, had to battle hard in keep him in the ream However, I am glad to say, we succeeded.

"Had he been omitted his whole career might have been changed, though I do believe he would have been a star whether he played with Essendon or not.

"That was in 1892. About this time he was vice-captain of Essendon to Billy Fleming On "Flood Saturday" —the Yarra overflowed its banks and flooded everything—we all gathered at the East Melbourne Ground which was our headquarters, to find that one half of the ground was under water. It was that day that Billy Fleming resigned without any warning and I became captain.

It might be said, therefore, that I captained Thurgood from the start during his best years with Essendon. I have always lelt that those first four years with Essendon were his best.

After he returned from Western Australia he was heavier and slower and seemed less keen The edge had left his game. Still that is only my opinion

Commanded The Air

I AGREE that Albert Thurgood was the most able footballer we have produced in our game. He was a brilliant mark. He lifted his body so high with his spring that he commanded the air when in competition

"His kicking with either foot phenomenal. He screwed punts from 60 and 70 yards with deadly accuracy. I have seen him opposed by accuracy. I have seen him opposed by men renowned for their dash and marking. Some of the toughest centre half-backs the history of the game opposed him, men like Sonny '' Elms” (South Melbourne) and Tom Banks (Fitzroy), but Albert made light of them I have seen him chest high above Elms and Banks and he led them by a yard to the ball.

I asked Mr Dick who of our footballers of ready memory resembled Thurgood. After considering the question he named another great Essendon player, Tom Fitzmaurice.

"Fitzmaunce had a lot of Thurgood in him. He said “but Thurgood had better balance and was more elusive than Tom He often roved effectively and often contested a game against the smarter small men of a the game day against He won hands down. I feel that was something that Fitzmaurice could not have done so well. While he resembled Fitzmaurice he had a lot of that balanced swaying that made Bunton such a hard man to stop."

At 75 years, Alex Dick is well preserved and still takes a keen interest in football. Whenever he can be assured of a seat he goes to see Essendon play, but he shares his patronage to the Same Old, with a new found allegiance to the Association game.

Naturally I asked his opinion of the association code. "I think they are an excellent set of rules." he replied enthusiastically. "It is a much faster moving game than the league, where I feel that too much is made of the heavy knock-down clashes. The Association is a cleverer game. "But I don't think that some of the Association clubs make the most intelligent use of their throw.

Wrong Approach

THE throw is a worthy addition to our game but like all forms of handball, it must not be overdone. That goes for all types and grades of hand-ballers I have seen Association teams involve the throw mainly because they have approached the throw, and hand-ball in general like juniors and use it as a sure means out of a dangerous corner.

I agree that any man who handballs when he should kick is not a senior. The kicking is the fastest and longest means of delivering the ball, "But I have never seen a better rule than the law that enforces the penalty up the field when a man is grassed after delivering or kicking the ball. That is a rule that is urgently needed in the League. "

"I like the Association game, and think it emphasises some of the best features of Australian football. The men are made to tackle the ball—not the man that throw opens up the play and makes the odd man passes' feature of a game"

Mr Dick had two soils who followed him as footballers. Amateur footballers of the early twenties will remember that strong Hampton combination led by Fred Dick, in which a smart sure-footed forward Dave Dick, got bags of goals. Both were his sons. Dave is now with the AIF abroad,

IVO CRAPP GENIUS AS UMPIRE

May 31, 1941 - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180299845

It is a regrettable feature of Australian football that no man holds the prestige and reputation of the umpire sacred. That official is fair game for the honest critics and the one-eyed barrackers alike.

When, therefore, we revive a day when all men respected the umpire, when all men obeyed him, surely that day and such umpires are worthy of special attention in any series that attempts to portray the personalities of our game.

Thus in this issue our "guest" personality is the Umpire. More particularly do I want to deal with the period when Ivo Crapp, JJ Trait and Jimmy D’Helin took the whistle and held the forces of two rugged football teams in the hollow of a hand?

I did not see Crapp umpire in this I am none the worse with many readers. But they too must, have heard of the great reputation Crapp built around Umpiring.

Nothing confirms the reputation of an artist — a popular figure with the public, like the passing of years. Today the umpiring of Crapp and the men of his era is a tradition. When umpires fail today we sigh for another such as Crapp. If all we hear is true, then the man in white today is only the ghost of men of the past.

Today umpiring really merits criticism, the interpretation of rules given by leading umpires at the Patriotic Carnival games on Saturday was notable for inconsistency. It might be said that it is a sufficient penalty to go to the football these days and suffer the irritation arising from the inconsistency of rule interpretation. But to have all of these weekly umpires parade their interpretations in a procession of inconsistency on the one ground in the one day, induces a plague of irritation.

With Saturday’s inconsistencies fresh in the mind, I was chatting with Mr Bert Howson who for 30 years was the best known figure in the fortunes of South Melbourne. For 17 years he was a player and during part of that time captained "The Bloods." For 14 years he was secretary.

Tragedy Of Rules

There was a real shock when Howson who holds Crapp in the highest respect as an umpire, turned from a eulogy of his idol and said: 'Umpires are born, you know: and Crapp was born the high genius of umpiring. But I have considered the question of Crapp umpiring today

"Do you know, I believe that Crapp would have been as much confused by these silly rules as are the men today? What authority has done to football with its rulemaking is a tragedy.

"After a lifetime spent in football service. I am going to say I am sick of the game as it is played today. "Some time back I went to see South play North at South. Would you believe it there were 125 free kicks in 100 minutes play? Can you imagine anything more ridiculous? Throw in the tall scoring. With the stoppages it brings, and how much real football have you? The standard of the game was never higher than when 30 free kicks a match were shared by the teams. Thirty free kicks and a score of 5-6 won a game. That was a spectacle crammed full of incidents. The players were footballers; not anglers for free kicks.

So I say that even the great Crapp could not have umpired the riles as they are today unless

"Thai brings me to the man Crapp. He studied the rales. Then he threw the book of rules away, took a whistle and went out there and umpired football according to the common sense view and the fairest sense of the rules,

"He did not need an umpire’s coach nor an umpire’s board member to watch over him. Crapp had control of a game, he stood his ground. He gave decisions according to his good judgment.

His personality was outstanding. From the moment he entered the arena he was respected and honoured by players and the spectators alike.

"But Crapp was not up against the problems of the umpire of today. He had something like 30 rules— and no expansive interpretations. He lived in an age when it was a game of football. Now they have reduced it to a game of free kicks and the things that you can’t do under penalty of a free kick.

Mr Howson told how Crapp nominated every free kick with a peculiarity of speech that his contemporaries still recall.

“Push in the back – ah”, or “ – ah”, or “Round the neck-ah” he would announce.

He controlled every situation with his whistle and his voice.

Less Spite Then

THEN Crapp had something else in his favour." he continued. "There was less spite In the game those days. Men were forced by an unwritten code to play the ball, and officials did not see any unseemly happening between players from the viewpoint of the guersey worn.

"The men who controlled the game, were old players with a high respect for the game and the man who wouldn’t do as he was expected was dropped.

But on the other hand, how would the present umpire fare if he had to cover both boundaries as well as umpire the game Crapp did that.

“I am disgusted with the trend of football today, particularly as I sincerely believe that the majority of the legislation arises from club interests.

"In the days I prefer, men came through the packs robustly. If you could hold them well and good. If you could not, then they broke clear. The holding-the-man, holding-the-ball rule was simplicity itself.

The feature of defence was the magnificent play of men like the Fitzroy half-back Alex Sloan. Tom Banks and Paddy Hickey. Or the Carlton teams of 1907-8-9—all big chested fellows with plenty of pace.

But Carlton played that robust game well that other teams became Jealous of their success and started all the humbug or holding-the-man, holding-the-ball a rule designed entirely against such tactics as brought success to Carlton.

"Then on another occasion. Collingwood became past-masters of the flick-pass. The other teams could not match them so they banned the flick.

And so on and so on it went, without regard for the game as a whole. Rule following rule into the book. Until the whole thing has become a regular jig-saw puzzle. "Having this in mind. I am not so hard on the present day umpire for I believe that Crapp would have been as much at sea, unless he was prepared to scrap the rule book the umpires coach and the umpire’s board and umpire the game according to cold common sense.

Most people knew Crapp as "Ivo" Crapp, but Mr Howson points out that his name was not “Ivo" but Harry. He says that Ivo Crapp was his brother, a full back with Carlton, so Harry too was called “Ivo” by the boys of his time.

"Joker" Hall says that Crapp grew up with him and lived at the corner of Madeline and Queensberry Streets. "He could not play football for nuts." says Joker, "so he started umpiring in the park lands."

That J. J. TrBilt was very little if any inferior to Crapp was the emphatic opinion of Mr Howson. He too, had personality and the ability to command respect.

"I shall never forget the grand final of 189S," he added. "Collingwood beat South by five points. The game was played at East Melbourne, and was the last before the split which –preceded the formulation of the League.

It was a terrible day-90 deg in the shade and all players wore soft, felt hats. The admission fee had been raised from 6d to 1/ and a great number boycotted the game.

Traitt umpired the game. He had retired before that season, but was prevailed upon to come back for that match.

Would Scrap the Lot

WHEN I mentioned Bert Howson’s view that Crapp fail with the present set of rules "Joker" laughed and said: "Yes—but Bert is probably overlooking one thing. Crapp would scrap the whole darn dam lot of these rules and umpire the game in a common sense fashion. Crapp had loads of personality; there is not an umpire today who really had what we might call natural personality.

Leaving the rules and umpiring for an interval the services of Bert Howson calls for special mention. He started in football in 1892 when in his early teens. I recall he says that they did not want to play me. They through me too light. When I got my chance I went on until 1907. I doubt whether any other man played 17 years on the wing of a senior side.

In 1906 he was secretary and captain of South, and went on to give 14 years additional service as South’s secretary. Such a man has seen many players pass through the game, and he tells with pride of the good fellowship that existed among the men of the period before the 1914-18 war.

0ur greatest concern about money he said, "Was whether the euchre parties we held each week would give us sufficient to run a trip at the end of the season.

Today I hear of players wanting to be paid for going on trips.

I do feel that the increased professionalism in the game today has killed some of its best fellowship. We bought our own togs if was broke. At South is a man, Billy Windley, one of the finest players we have had.

Bought Togs and Season Ticket

He lived for his club and every season not only bought his own outfit, but made a practice of buying himself a season ticket for the club.

Talking of the great players of the game, Mr Howson hesitated to name a champion. He felt that there have been so many players who have served to make the champion by their own unselfishness- quoting the shepherding of Fleiter for Roy Cazaly as an example that is too difficult to differentiate. He praises great Collingwood teams of the days of Monohan, Pannam and Condon, of the Same Olds, when they played at East Melbourne of Carlton, and then said with pride.

"Perhaps of all teams I have the greatest affection for the South team just before the last war. So many good fellows enlisted from that team that we were forced to abandon playing. I will always remember that wonderful player, Bruce Sloss—he among many others, did not come back.

Perhaps South's greatest triumph came in 1917, when we went out into the parks and gathered a team of juniors to resume our football. With those youngsters we won the 1918 premiership and they went on to develop into champions.

William Harris https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180300356

50 years a Bulldog - June 7, 1941

Unable to read and transcribe this.

Dick Lee Dick! Dick! Dickeee!

June 21, 1941 - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180301443

Walter Henry Lee (everybody knew him as "Dick") was the man who presented to football its most dramatic moments. He was the man who scorned the devil, flaunted on his well-trimmed shoulders and back the devil's own number—13. Somehow, it added to his magic.

Every kid of his day saw in that hoodoo "13," only the charm of the great "Dick" Lee. It wasn't the devil's number. It was "Dick" Lee's number, and to the devil with the devil. So many a kid chalked on the back of his Guernsey that magical "13," and loved football all the more for it.

Dick Lee was footballs greatest stunt man. He dragged the crowd to its feet, yelling like people possessed, "Dick! DICK' Dick-e-e-e'", as he backed his skill, his cunning, his daring (or should it be his magic?) against obstinate force ranged against him.

That final "Dick-e-e-e'" was a scream of triumph or the fluttering pulse of disappointment as his fingers wrenched the ball from those other grasping hands or as he crashed without it, and the defence turned the chance, sweeping the ball away.

I will always believe that friend and opponent in those crowds alike were glad to see him succeed. They wanted not only the thrill of his wild leap, they wanted to see him poised high above all opposition. They wanted to see him snatch the ball between his fingers for his success. That brought for them a still greater moment — a more dramatic pause in time s whirligig.

The umpire's whistle gave the stage to Lee. The chattering world stuttered to silence.

Cool Deliberation

IN the dramatic quiet that followed, Lee always acted with colourful deliberation. He kicked his toe into the turf, glancing shrewdly at the goal. One knee on the ground, he carefully tilted and sighted the ball as he placed it on that tufted piece of turf. He was the only moving thing as he backed away from the ball. Then with a brief step or two, he sank his boot in a perfectly-timed drive, and when he succeeded suppose you were a Magpie fan you grinned like a kid with a slice of watermelon. You declared with all the confidence of pre-knowledge, Good old Dick! He never misses!"

And if of the opposition brood, you managed somehow, from the depths of your partisanship to admit. "Thought that one was beyond him. He’s the devil himself!" A grudging compliment, but still a compliment.

Collingwood have, till now never been without a great full forward Lee was followed by Gordon Coventry and Coventry by But if Gordon kicked the' greatest number of goals ever 1299, in fact, if he bagged 17 one day, 16 another and 15 still another, it remained for Dick Lee to supply the football crowds of his day with the truest sense of drama.

Lee added an artistry to endeavour and suspense to adventure.

Vic Thorp, whom most agree to have been the greatest full-back Australian football has produced, had many a grim battle with "Dick" Lee. Thorp votes Lee as the greatest forward of all time. 'Lee was something more than a good footballer." Thorp told me this week. "He was above everything else, a really quick thinker. An opponent had to be on the watch not only for his dazzling leads, but for the dozen and one tricks he was likely to spring on you.

"I recall how he would lean across me one time, just putting me of balance, and then when I was ready and set to meet the same trick again, he would sense my counter, and , this time would give me a little extra pull the way was leaning and again put me off balance.

Always Dangerous

He was a particularly dangerous man to give a kick to from an opposition. It did not matter how acute the angle Dick would almost invariably get the goal. I don't think any forward has produced such a high percentage of goals for kicks as did he.

"As a footballer he was dangerous, he might have played anywhere in the field, for his anticipation and sense of the game was uncanny.

"He was an amazing mark, it did not seem to matter how he was herded off a mark, let him get a spring at the ball and he’d get his hands on it. I recall on one occasion he was manoeuvred into an awkward position I had the drop on the mark, which I expected to take comfortably, little expecting him to set into the air. Let alone touch the ball.

"Yet as I gripped the ball to hold the mark, Lee's hands gripped tightly over mine. He had not only eluded the defence and got into the air, but his Judgment was so exact that his hands were seeking that ball with perfect timing, just that little shade behind mine.

He had a trick of flying high into the air as if miles too early for the mark. But he would stiffen himself and hang there as if suspended and down he'd bring the ball. "If he got a run from behind he would fly high over the pack, climbing all the time and just as you thought you had the ball he'd reach over and wrench it away.

I asked Thorp why granting that Lee was the greatest forward of all time, he did not run up seasonal goal tallies as high as those of Pratt or Gordon Coventry.

Thorp replied at once: "Poorer defence work against Pratt and Gordon, and tougher going for Lee. There is a looseness in the game now that Lee would have exploited -with greater ease than Coventry or Pratt, for his kicking was more accurate than either.

This slackness did not come about all at once, but seemed to develop gradually when pace and more pace of foot, rather than soundness was demanded of footballers. Both men succeeded under the 'new boundary law, with the free kick against forcing the ball out.

'That helped ruin defensive work."

In Lee’s day, six goals was a winning score. Defenders were the tightest and toughest footballers in the game. They gave nothing away. They stood shoulder to shoulder. Just let an attacker fumble even for a split second and he was gone. "Forwards had to fight and turn the determined dash of big chested sure-footed fellows who could pounce on the ball with the ease of a cat.

Lee always was a marked man as were Coventry and Pratt, but the whole defence set itself against Lee. Yet he was never idle. He was working all the time matching his great courage and his astounding ability against us. Give Leo half a dozen kicks and he’d win the game. Today forwards, and very ordinary ones too, get as many as 15 or 20 shots to score half a dozen goals. Lee would not only get as many, or maybe more chances today, but he would get 15 or 18 goals from the 20 shots."

I remember well the amazing leap of Lee and the thrills we got as kids from seeing him play I remember the day he got in a brush with a big Fitzroy follower and the town talked for weeks over the "big happening."

Such was the influence of Lee on the kids of his day that unconsciously they would imitate him. Erecting posts and taking the ball to the most absurd angle, placing it and endeavouring to steer it through as Lee did, or would have done.

It was Lee who inspired the youngster who grew into another famous Collingwood forward—Ron Todd.

If Lee were playing today, placekicking would be revived: for we do live by imitation particularly the imitation of a football hero.

Good Early Tuition

Lee is the son of Wal Lee, who has been head trainer of the Collingwood club for 50 years. Before that he was head trainer of Britannia a club disbanded to form Collingwood.

It was natural that "Dick" would. Therefore be bought up virtually with a football in his hand. He was always kicking at goal at Victoria Park. He was always mixing with players and it was natural that he wold receive sound advice. As a result he was a very experienced player, when he was but a youngster.

In those days, somewhere near where the Collingwood Technical School now stands, there was a paddock, known locally as the Old Police Courtyard. Here young Lee kicked a ball about with the other lads.

He joined a small club known as St Joseph's, where he was a star. His prowess was soon mentioned at headquarters and when a charity game was arranged between Collingwood and Richmond for the Lady Talbot Milk Fund, he was invited to play with Collingwood. He was then only 15.

The following year he began training with Collingwood, but was not selected. He transferred to Rose of Northcote, who played on the Croxton Park private ground of Jack Randall.

One day Collingwood found themselves in a pickle. They were two men short and telephoned to Rose of Northcote to send young Lee to the East Melbourne ground However, when he arrived his place had been filled so he doubled back and re-joined the Rose, who had played the first quarter without him

The publicity from the incident together with the fact that in the remaining three quarters he kicked seven goals for the Rose, brought Footscray and Richmond hot-foot after him, Collingwood had to do something about holding their colt, so they selected him. In 13 matches that season he kicked 36 goals. That was 1906. He retired in 1922 as captain of the Magpies.

In 17 seasons with the club he played 233 games and kicked 708 goals, in every year that he played a full season with the Magpies he topped the goal-kicking list. He won the League goal-kicking honours nine times, and another occasion, although he did not play the full season, he was equal with (Geelong)

His goal record season by season is Season Goals 1906 35 1907 47 1908 54 1909 58 1910 58 1911 25 1912 (injury) 2 1913 (injury) 8 1914 57 1915 66 1916 48 1917 54 1918 (injury) 17 1919 56 1920 (injury) 20 1921 64 1922 (injury) 38 Updated with tables Total 707

Football Heroism

BEHIND those broken seasons is a story of football heroism beyond comparison. A man of lesser purpose would have handed in his togs years before Lee did. Throughout almost the whole of his career Lee was forced to wear a protective shield over a shin wound that persistently refused to heal, He received the wound against StKilda when he stopped an accidental kick from one of his own team- mates. The wound was particularly obstinate. His father tells how after one game in which Dick had covered himself with glory, he asked for assistance to remove his boot.

As the father removed the boot the blood oozed through Dick’s saturated stocking. Later such a thing was no unusual happening. No matter how they tried to protect the shin, in every game it was burst open again.

Talking of his injury, Lee once confessed to me that there were occasions when the pain in the shin make him howl like a kid.

Before every game he had to visit a doctor and have the proud flesh on the wound burned with caustic

One Saturday after a fair going over by the doctor, Lee relates, “I slipped in changing my shoes and struck my shin on the edge of a chair. I saw the floor and cried like a baby.

Finally the wound was cauterised in a special way and it healed.

Then one day, while assisting the Collingwood defence on the Melbourne round against South Melbourne. Dick Casey baulked him. Lee caught his toe in a crevice and wrenched the boot off the foot. In doing so the knee was badly twisted, and it finally forced his retirement in 1922.

Old Wal Lee always says when forwards are spoken of "Why Dick never really got down to being a good forward. He was always playing on one leg with the other one 'game' and sometimes next door to useless. If he had had two good legs who can tell just how good he would have been."

Lee's accuracy was magnificent. The story has been told how in the amusement parlors at the Eastern Market, where one test of skill was to kick football through an almost impossible opening. Lee succeeded so often that they barred him. He developed both the place-kick and a type of stab-punt in which he dropped the ball point-first and stabbed it like a shot arrow with hair-line accuracy. He thinks the game today is slovenly and inaccurate. Kicking, he says, is a lost art.

The work of a team is not planned so thoroughly. There are more mistakes in tactics handling and in a quarter these days than in a season then. Defences have lost the art of smothering.

What he regrets most is the development of a different spirit in football. Today he sees a viciousness that never previously existed. He says the vicious player then soon reached his level. The dirt and viciousness of today would have cleaned up in a week in this day.

THE COVENTRYS Gordon Coventry and Brother Syd July 5, 1941- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181707467

No brothers ever served football as did Syd and Gordon Coventry. For a decade and a half they were the backbone and soul of Collingwood teams. They were the inspiration of Victorian football. No other brothers ever rose to the supreme heights of this pair. Syd was the outstanding player in Australia in his day.

Gordon was Australia's greatest forward. Syd won the Brownlow Medal, and for years was the inspiring captain of Collingwood and Victorian teams.

Gordon kicked more goals than any forward before or after him. Since this series in recent weeks has covered forwards, this story deals in more detail with Gordon Coventry: but never can be forgotten the great influence, the inspiration of his older brother, Syd.

Was Gordon Coventry the greatest forward the Australian game has seen? Some say he was. Others are just as definite that "Dick" Lee was his superior.

It is a great pity that we must continually be making comparisons.

It is irrational that we should mentally match the heavyweight of one age with one of another and then spend hours arguing just how the match would have worked out.

Still, we do these things in that strange way of mortals and we do argue about the respective merits of footballers in just the same fashion.

Since writing the story of "Dick" Lee I have been challenged that purely football manner: "What was wrong with Gordon Coventry as a forward?"

In truth the answer is: "Nothing: who said there was?"

If you extol the merits of one man in that strange manner of our thinking. It seems that according to some you cast another man Into the shadows. Nothing could be more ridiculous.

One appreciates a champion to the fullest and says so surely it is not to be supposed that he cannot see the merits of another undoubted champion.

I am certain of only this. If I asked 'Dick’ Lee what he thought of Gordon Coventry, he, in that slow, deliberate way of speaking just how he has highly would he be ranks full of praise for Coventry’s football. I have discussed the other Coventry' with Lee Gordon and I know just how highly he ranks. Gordon’s goal-getting.

On the other hand, when Gordon wrote his life story for The Globe, some three years ago, he said this of Dick Lee.

Champion in Any Era

LEE would have been a champion goal kicker in any era. He just could not help kicking goals, and -with the opportunities he would have got football had it been played in his day as it is now. He would have set a main that would have had the forwards of my day working overtime.

I venture to say that Pratt s performance of 150 goals in a season would have been well within the compass of Lee, who was tried and tested over a long period without ever losing a day’s prestige as a champion.

"To Lee I owe much for any success I gained as sharp-shooter. When I joined Collingwood I swerved as I moved forward to kick. You could not depend on my direction.

"When the coach one day told the forwards to have ten minutes at kicking for goal, Lee took me aside and asked me If I would like to improve my accuracy in kicking for goal. ‘Sure’ I said, and puffed up with pride.

Dick wanted to know what direction I was aiming at. I told him that I wanted my kicks to go through the centre of the goal-posts. 'Right’ said he. “Then face up to the goal.'

He showed me the correct way to hold the ball and that did away with my swerve. It was Lee who told me to give one look at the goal and then concentrate all attention on the ball. I never forgot that golden rule.”

Although he was a fine drop and place kick, he advised me to keep on with my punt, as it was my natural kick and I was showing direction and length with it.

Many times since he has told me that I have not made a bad job of it.

Wonderful Record

Coventry’s greatest recommendation to frame is in his record which is:

Coventry retired on his 36th birthday, playing his last match in the grand final against Geelong in 1937.

Season Goals Games 1920 13 5 1921 19 11 1922 42 18 1923 36 13 1924 28 14 1925 68 18 1926 83 20 1927 97 20 1928 89 20 1929 124 20 1930 118 21 1931 67 18 1932 82 19 1933 108 17 1934 105 19 1935 88 21 1936 60 13 1937 72 19 Total 1299 306

Outstanding Performances

17 goals against Fitzroy in 1930 16 goals against Hawthorn in 1929 15 goals against Essendon in 1933 14 goals against Hawthorn in 1934 11 in one match five times 10 in one match twice Headed goal kicking list six times 1926-27-28-29-30-37

Four times over 100 in one season 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934

Interstate and Carnival matches

Kicked 94 goals and played in 21

In league games Coventry kicked against each club

Team Goals South Melbourne* 141 Scored his 500th goal Fitzroy* 137 Scored his 1000th goal Hawthorn 134 Melbourne 126 Geelong 121 Carlton 116 Richmond 115 North Melbourne 112 Essendon 108 StKilda 100 Footscray 89 1299 Played in 15 semi finals Played in 8 finals Played in 7 grand finals Kicked 111 goals in final series

New Character

THE penalty kick rule brought a new character to the play, with the centre of the ground the main avenue of movement. This was a rule that Gordon learned to exploit to the fullest. I am not saying that he could not have been just successful under the throw-in or that Lee would not have adapted himself to the penalty- kick. The fact remains that the men exploited different rules for their individual success,

I saw both men in action more of Coventry than Lee but got a greater thrill out of watching Lee than from watching Gordon. That to me was the difference between the two champions.

Lee was sensational. He was sensational. He was the artist-born ill all he did. He was dramatic. I could never forget I the presence of Lee in any game. Coventry was different he was most nondescript at times, as it seemed to mooch his way through games. Yet at the end when you trotted up the score you found that he had kicked seven or eight goals,

And this did not surprise you. You accepted it as part of Gordon's routine. Yet if Lee kicked those same eleven goals it would have been talked about for weeks.

Those were the ways of the two men Coventry never ceased to be the obtrusive countryman. Lee was the man of the city.

Lee's play was sophisticated, cunningly planned, with every atom of football grey matter brought to bear on getting goals. Gordon chewed a straw and still got goals.

Gordon did not lack artistry either. He did not lack football brains. But he worked with his feet never far from the ground. Lee flew into adventure.

Gordon was perhaps just as cunning he was the most skilful "blocker I have ever seen in the game. He could have held back a regiment of defend wide-spread arms, and the broad back while the pee-wees of the attack raced through to get the goal that was denied him.

No matter where he played, Gordon created forward movement and forward co-operation around him. He was the spearhead of the Collingwood attack, but he was something else. He was the proprietor and organiser of a forward system that routed defence after defence.

He was an artful fellow in the most unsuspected ways. He drew a defender under the ball and then burrowed his way back, stern first, until the opponent hadn't an earthly chance of even touching the ball. Meanwhile with great, long, strong fingers, outstretched, he dragged to the ball. He had tremendous hands, and once his fingers touched a ball the incident was as good as over.

He worked to a very low-set centre of gravity, and consequently was the hardest man possible to knock off his feet. He flicked his hip and the opposition attacker was immediately off balance.

He was a granite-like man. Not over tall—though not lacking inches—but with a body of almost mammoth proportions and as solid as a granite block.

Steady As a Rock

This rock steadiness was his greatest protection. No man ever ran into Gordon Coventry without hurting himself. Consequently Gordon was always content to concentrate on the ball and allow the opposition to bounce off where it would.

Coventry worked farther from goal than did Lee. He was confident that his long swinging punts could make the goal from 60 to 60 yards. He invariably used the , at which he was an expert. The torpedo punt usually swings with the leg. That is to say that from the right foot it tends to swing in flight from right to left and for the left-footer the opposite way.

Gordon controlled the punt as he liked. He was a right-footer, but, if shooting from his right side angle, the natural left-footer’s shot, he kicked the ball off the side of his foot, imparted the left-footer sin and got his goals just the same.

His kicking, therefore, was that of a thorough mechanic rather than the artist.

His marking was uncanny. He was seldom spectacular in the manner of a Lee. But he gathered the ball in astounding manner and from the most baffling angles His anticipation was the thorough foundation— the ground plan of his marking. His strong fingers were unerring operatives

He was a flat-footed footballer, but moved like a flash to anticipate a lead that he scampered here or there' drawing defenders in his train as do some forwards. His movements were rather confined to necessities. If he hadn't the pace of a wing man Gordon developed a peculiar swerving run that lied defenders into knots. He came at the goal running straight at a defender then in a split second would half baulk and set off at a different angle, leaving his opponents nonplussed.

Uncanny Judgment

HE rarely ran far to the ball. He had perhaps the least amount of movement about his football of any forward. His run to the ball seemed to be deliberately delayed. Always that wonderful judgment of a balls flight served him. His fingers, did the rest.

Coventry was a country boy. The youngest of seven brothers who lived on a farm at Diamond Creek. He was born on September 25, 1901. As early as he can remember there was a football in the family and at one time six Coventry brothers played in the one game for Diamond Creek.

He tells how as a youngster he hated the feel of boots "on" his feet and shed his footwear as often as his parents and watchful brothers allowed him to; He raced over stubble paddocks without his boots, the soles of his feet as tough as steel He could kick a football as far with his bare foot as he could wearing boots.

At the early age of 13 he joined his brothers in the Diamond Creek eighteen. At 15 he could punt a ball 60 yards.

Early in his football Gordon came under the influence of Dr Eric Cordner, a former University and interstate footballer, who taught him a lot about the art of blocking and using weight to the greatest advantage.

After many seasons in the rough and tumble of the Heidelberg competition. Gordon came under notice in a final game. He was playing centre half forward at the time. Collingwood lost no time in inviting him to join them. The Heidelberg competition finished early, and as there remained six Saturdays of the League he was invited to attend Collingwood practice on the Tuesday night.

On his own confession the venture nearly ended in dismal failure. Arriving at Victoria Park station he got stage fright and actually retraced his way back to the platform.

Then came the choice between facing the music over the road at the Collingwood ground or returning home and confessing- to his brothers that he had funked It.

As the scared country lad stood there hesitating chewing over the pros and cons of what seemed to him adventure, big beyond his power, the future of many things hung in the balance. For one thing I suggest no decision ever affected the fortunes of football team as did Gordon's determination to turn again and join the Magpies.

Brought Syd In

IT was Gordon brought Syd to the, club and I doubt whether Collingwood ever had a greater player or captain than . Syd at the time had left Diamond Creek for Queenstown (Tas) where he had coached two premiership teams.

From an inauspicious start Gordon played two home and away games a semi-final, final and grand final that season with Collingwood. It was 1920 and Richmond won the premiership against the Magpies.

Thirty times Gordon played on the MCG in final series games, but says that no game in that long career stands out in his memory as the final of his first year, when he was matched against Paddy O'Brien. Carlton centre half-back. He got five goals and lost five teeth. That performance stamped him as a regular Magpie.

Nothing was so typical of Gordon as the story he himself tells of an old pair of boots with which he kicked more than 1000 goals. The old boots were patched and patched. Coventry was barracked about his old boots. The studded almost demanded that he scrap the old boots.

Team-mates delighted to throw orange peel at the old boots at three-quarter time. But he wore them right to the finish, and then the say only the laces were holding them together. They were museum specimens.

No player crowded more colour and incident into his 13 years football than did Syd Coventry. If his career is touched only briefly here it is not because it did not merit more detailed consideration. But as far as this article is concerned it throws the spotlight more on Gordon than Syd.

Yet no man did more as a player and a leader to inspire Collingwood teams than did Syd. He had a knack of hanging around the centre and creating the odd man for which Collingwood teams were famous from the pivot or just behind it.

He was fearless and a protective care on the small men that made them as fearless as himself. Syd was the spine and the heart-beat of Collingwood.

ROY PARK Purple Patches in UNIVERSITY PLAY

July 12th 1941- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181708130

On the subject of great forwards, the personality of one man—small though he was physically— commands attention.

He was the idol of all crowds, and although playing center forward to a team that was regularly whipper- in in the League, he was always up at the head of the goalkicking list.

With this man is coupled University football

CAME a day when a Wesley College boy walked out of the rear of the Collegians eighteen. Collegians always a power in the amateur competition, then the Metropolitan Amateurs, were to engage in their most important game of the season.

The boy was Roy L. Park.

Full back of the opposing team counted the Collegians players over and over again. He had a repuration of being tough and was licking his lips in anticipation of what he was going to do to the full-forward. 'Seventeen," he said, puzzled. Then, Jo-king his thumb towards the small Wesley boy and, still more puzzled, he remarked “don’t tell me they are going to play that kid”.

They tossed for ends and “the kid” almost apologetically made his way to full forward.

"Blime!" said the full-back hungrily. It was a bean-feast—the toughest full-back, and he knew it, opposed to "the kid" it was a joke.

The game started. The ball was driven forward by one of the Collegian rucks. The full back moved out confidently to meet the sitter “the kid” wasn’t in it, just thistledown in the path of a lion.

But It all went agley, sadly agley. Just as the full=back set himself to gather the ball it was whisked away, and before Mr Tough could realise that it had happened, the ball was sailing through the goal.

Seven times the ball sailed through for seven straight goals for Collegians.

"The kid" looked as innocent as ever, even Mr Tough turned disgustedly to remark'. "Blime I can't hit him, anyhow. He'd kick em into the pockets of a billiard table.'

Called Him "Sheepie"

TIME passed on. Epoch struggles on the football fields molded into history. The Kid, of that amateur game – at Wesley he was innocent looking they called him “Sheepie”—had played many thrilling games.

Let me recast the scene.

It was in 1920 and the East . Footscray and North Melbourne had battled for the Association premiership in two torrid matches, and in circumstances that excited players and public alike. By this time “the kid” had grown to be ‘the little Doc.” With only seconds to go, and less than a goal between the teams. Considine had marked in the goal square for North. Before he could kick the crowd rushed the ground and the game could not be finished. Imagine the feeling when a replay was ordered.

With minutes to go a melee occurred between the players, and to say tempers were frayed is only mildly stating the position. Footscray hung desperately to a four-point lead. Then North swept forward. Considine repeated his feat of the previous week, marked in the goal square, and landed a goal. Footscray were two points down. There was less than a minute to play, and a premiership to be won or lost.

It was a desperate cause for even cool heads, and there were a few of those sensing an opportunity. The little Doc moved fast up the field from full forward, dragging the full back with him. He gathered the hit- out from the ruck eluded an opponent, side-stepped another, then drove the ball straight at the open goal.

Realizing he was trapped, the full-back tried desperately to reach the ball, but it beat him home as the bell rang. The "Little Doc had turned defeat into glorious victory. Charlie Hardy played in that match, He says of Park:

"He had the amazing faculty for never doing the wrong thing. He was shrewd and coldly calculating, yet, withal, he looked so harmless. His goal sense was uncanny. He was the 100 per cent, forward, pick the next man where you will." .

Between those two incidents in the career of Dr Roy Park was sandwiched a lot of football.

Leaving Wesley he entered medical school at the University, and became center half forward for the students. It was in this role that he met the best full backs in the league. None emerged from a tussle with park with glowing honors. Perhaps the one word tussle is hardly correct, for one does not tussle with a shadow.

Park was the splendid mixture of the mercurial and the electric. He looked the most unconcerned person on the ground when an attack was pending. Then he avoided all attention, cleverly came through packs like smoke through a keyhole and scored from all angles in the most electrify fashion.

No full back had his measure. No full back ever roughed him up. He was the suer-elusive forward with a deadly sense of accuracy.

Yet I doubt whether at any time during his League career he weighed nine stone. After Playing with University he played with Melbourne for a season. In each of his seasons he was right up among the League goal-kickers.

HAD FEW FACILITIES FOR TRAINING

Mention of the University team brings to mind the fine band of footballers who served ‘The Shop’ during their years a league club. Many of the University players were champions. In some respects few finer men played in the league in those days. They never got anywhere, because they were students first and footballers afterwards. They seldom trained and could not see a full game out against; better-trained League teams.

But talking over the University team with men who were their opponents, I have found nothing but th e highest praise for the men in the student line-up.

It was only a fortnight ago that Jim Marchbank, well remembered as one of Carlton’s champions In the 1906-7-8 years, named as the greatest centre man he had ever seen.

Another League champion of those days voted Eric Wood as the all-time champion full-back. In still another conversation, Stanley Martin was advanced as the most striking wingman this man had seen. “Martin was fast and a beautiful high mark. Clever as they come and with all a beautiful kick with either foot.

But mention of two University players never fails to rouse the greatest enthusiasm among their supporters and opponents alike. I refer to the late Leo Seward and Major Jack Brake, a member of the League Tribunal these day

It is no small number of men who will argue that Seward was the greatest, footballer the Australian game has produced. “A man and a half”, they say Seward was a product of St Patrick’s College, Ballarat. They called him “Sommy”, for the said he always looked to be half asleep.

But on the football field he was unconquerable. He was 6.4. With a granite hardened body, and weighing about 14 stone. He had a lavish mop of brown curly hair, and when in action looked more the lion than the sleeper.

Seward had been timed to run the hundred in 10 1-5 sec.

He was a towering mark and a magnificent kick. Game after game Seward followed four quarters against recognized champions like Henry Young, Cumberland, and those powerful Carlton rucks of Marchbank, Flynn, Elliott and Mallee Johnson.

He was a scrupulously fair player, but it is recorded that on one occasion he picked up in his arms a persistent tormentor and dumped him like a bag of spuds. He was powerful all right.

Jack Brake came afterwards—a product of Hawthorn College, but he, too, was a champion follower and represented the State like Seward. He was scrupulously fair, won his battle on the strength of his football ability alone.

He was a member of one of the teams that played the now historical exhibition game of Australian football in London during the last war. Martin Ratz was one of the classic; rovers of the day, and Ogilvie was little behind him. . One could go on talking for a long time of the individual champions in this University team. How did they come to play in the league?

In 1908 it was decided to admit Richmond from the Association to the League as that would have meant an unbalanced competition of nine, teams. University were also admitted. They had a sustained run of premierships in the Metropolitan amateurs their highest recommendation.

BUT the highlight of their football was their spirit. They played as amateurs, bought their own uniforms and boots. They could not afford the elaborate training staffs of the other clubs. They shared the East Melbourne Cricket Ground with Essendon

How many of the former University players remember the old four-wheeler that whisked away the emergencies from the first eighteen ground to play in the second eighteen. Usually it arrived half way through the first quarter.

For the students they were great days – great battles even if they were a trifle uneven. The boys took too many a hiding, many a black eye, but they played the game for the worth of the game itself, That is something to remember and be proud of.

On this point it was a pleasure to receive the following letter from Dr James N Shelton of Maribyrnong.

“A recent article in The Globe concerning the University Football Champion, the late Leo (“Sommy”) Seward, bu his team mate Dr. Joe Fogarty, recalls some purple patches in varsity football generally.

Seward was unquestionably one of the greatest league players of all time. Yet Dr Fogarty in a modest style would almost convey the impression that the Varsity side of that time was “Reward plus the rest”.

So far from this being so, let us recall the caliber of Stewads team mates. “The Varsity team of 1909 was drawn from the following: Leo Seward, Martin Ratz, Tom, Chris and Joe Fogarty, Harry and Ted Cordner. George, Elliott, Mark Gardner, Jacky Jones, Jack Gray, Athol (Tiny) Tymms, Arthur Wilson, Alec Ogilvie, Edgar Kneen (Formerly a member of a premiership Fitzroy team), Bert Hartkopf (a Scotch College champion all-round athlete, Frank Kerr, Dave Greenham, Lance Sleeman etc.

Player and A Half

STEWARD was, as Dr. Fogarty states, truly a player and a half on modern standards, a super-Torney, a super Dver or Mueller as you will.

I have seen Seward dominate a game, following for all four quarters and crown an amazing performance by being the outstanding goal-getter with six or seven goals of a total of say 13 goals. Could Torney, Dyer or Mueller do that? "

"Yet, despite Seward's magnificence, many others of that Varsity side were champions.

"Actually, the player who captured the imagination of football crowds of that time was the brilliant rover, Martin Ratz, 'the bloke with the plastered hair,' as he was known to awe-stricken opposing supporters. Curiously, in appearance on the field and style of play. Bate was remarkably like a modern champion rover, viz., Dick Reyolds (when at his best). But, as Americans would say, Ratz had "then some.' as he was a magnificent place, as well as drop, kick.

"There was Harry Condner, a real champion center player, who more than held his own against such famous centers of his day as Rod McGregor (Carlton). Jock McHale (Collingwood) Joe Slater '(Geelong) Lal McLennan (Fitzroy), Billy Schmidt (Richmond), and Billy Stewart (Essendon). With Gardner on one wing. Jacky Jones on, the other, he completed a center line rarely beaten. .

"Ogilvie was a wizard as change rover and forward, with Ratz. Ted Cordner was a Butterworthian half back—a 'rock of Gibraltar.’ Hartkopf an exceptional mark and kick, while the Fogarty brothers following George Elliott. Etc, completed a great side. Just how good it was is shown by the following -

Memorable Carlton Game

THE 'Shop played Carlton at Princes Oval. Carlton, premiers in 1907-8-9, had (if, serves me correctly) the memory serves me correctly) the following awe-inspiring line-up:-

Backs: Marchbank, Beck, Jinks Half Backs: Clarke, Payne, Ford Centres: Bruce, Rod McGregor, Kennedy Half Forwards: Caine, Harvey Kelly, Gotz Forwards: Elliott, Vin Gardiner, Topping Follower: Mallee Johnson, Hammond, Rover: Bongo Lang

What a side, yet the Varsity side, with Seward playing as a man inspired, backed by the magnificent roving of Ratz and Ogilvie, dazzling play, etc, had Carlton that day, morally, played into the ground.

"Neutral supporter gazed in wonderment as the ‘invincible' Carlton side were out-played. However, three *presentation' frees within the goal-base in the last few minutes enabled Carlton to scramble out by a point. .

"University afterwards -could not quite live up to the standard of that great 'composite' side, composed as it was of bona-fide undergraduates plus a goodly mixture of ‘pickings’ (such as the great Seward) from educational institutions outside, such as Ballarat School of Mines, etc. Nevertheless University produced champions in Jack Brake and the goal kicking ‘prodigy’ Roy Park (idol of all crowds), and fine players in Bert Hurrey, Vic Trood, Leo Little, Eric Woods (One of the greatest full- backs of all time, not forgetting Vic. Thorpe), the clever rover McLeod, Jack Doubleday and Stan Martin (both former Wesley champions who lost their lives later with the AIF of 1914-18).

"Varsity later, faced with difficulty of insufficient weight, withdrew from the League.

League Feeding Ground

Yet from the amateur ranks in which the Varsity Blacks in particular starred, it served as a great ‘Feeding nucleus’ for the league sides. Carlton especially being fortunate. The Blues gained Harry Furnell (now a champion half forward) and Phil McCumisky. Later it secured (Carlton captain), Donoghue and Green, Darcy, Lear ect.

"South gained Frank Ross, a former Wesley champion with a remarkable turn of speed, as half-back; Richmond secured Gerry and Kevin Rush. Carlton tried hard to gain a centre player wizard, Clive ‘Cocky' Heatley.

"In recent times Melbourne were fortunate In securing that beau Ideal; of a footballer, Alan La Fontaine.

Thus to 1941, the present of league football shows a distinct Melbourne flavour In "Varsity football, as University has at either end of the period sent champions to the .

They include Langley, champion of Melbourne, who starred with Cumberland, Moodie and McGinte in the early part: and, in recent years, Alan La Fontaine, who has crowned brainy and magnificent football with skilful captaincy which has led them to premiership honour."

JACK WORRALL A Born Leader

July 14, 1941 - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180300795

He was a born leader of men. He had the drive; he set the example as a young man, set him in the midst of the crowd and he would rise to lead that crowd. He thumped the fist of one hand on the other and hit listeners needed no second telling.

He lived straight. He saw things straight He made up his mind and never wavered. He had the determination to tear down barriers, the courage to go through brick walls.

Yet this born leader had a fault. He was as stubborn as a mule. In his heyday they described him as "implacable." He had to lead the cause. Anything less found him out. Thus they speak of Jack Worrall— every boy's hero in the nineties and just after.

THAT was "Johnny" Worrall, as the men of his generation spoke of him He claimed full attention in his time. In memory he will live, traditional to an evergreen subject for the men who came after.

He was the greatest footballer of, his time—the fierce, fighting captain of the Fitzroys-the man who never knew when he was down and beaten and never knew just how bandy were his legs.

A story survives him. He often told it against himself, of how on one occasion he got the ball on an acute angle He swung his left foot at the ball and swerved it between the posts for a beautiful goal.

As I hung there, balanced on one leg" he often told his listeners. "watching the ball swing through I saw out of the comer of my eye an opponent making a threatening run at me I knew I was in for it but could not do a thing about it. I was tossing up whether I would get in first when he stopped dead in front of me and all excitement, burst out. "You bandy coot — it's those bandy legs of yours that do it. "

He won his way into Australian elevens where his fighting cricket, particularly against odds and on bad gave him a high reputation both here and in England Naturally such a man even a man of placid men, would be a personality. But Johnny Worrall was far from placid. He was the dictator in his horizons.

High Sense of Values HE was a man of inflexible will even to the fault of being headstrong. He was not hard to get on with, but once a man let him down it was a difficult task for him to reinstate himself.

Such a man makes enemies-Worrall made many He knew it; but, true to his nature, he declared with defiance "Enemies, yes; but I have many friends." He was an excellent administrator because he had a high sense of values, by occupation he was a compositor he was more: he was a printer.

He printed indelibly by strength of purpose for the highest ideals in sport, his contempt for anything else. His pupils never forgot that above all in sport he had the highest conception of how an athlete should live. He set a constant example himself by living straight and clean. Men who had his confidence have told me that as an administrator and coach lie never fully trusted the athlete who "knocked about." It wasn't Worrall's way to countenance physical abuse.

"Woe to the man with a narrow chest"—that quotation has been described to Worrall and his football methods. It ould suggest something of the knock-down merchant of these days. Nothing of the kind He believed in strength." say one of his old players but in the years I was associated with him I never heard him encourage an unfair action I know that men guilty of questionable acts on the field were taken aside and made to understand the views of the coach. "A man who kicked another would never be selected again. Worrall found it hard in his later years to understand the moral outlook of officials who knowing that men in their teams kick, countenance the cowardly practice by selecting them week after week.

John Worrall was born at Leviathan Reel, just outside Maryborough. He was a member of a big family brothers and sisters. From his early days he was distinguished for his sporting ability. He came to the Fitzroy club a few weeks after they had formed. In the Fitzroy rooms any Saturday afternoon you will find Joe Kerrigan one of the original Fitzroy players I am indebted to him for the information of those early days early days. He says that they had just formed Fitzroy and had played one or two matches when Worrall came down from the country. He immediately made his presence felt.

That was back in 1884 Kerrigan gave 15 years of telling football to the Maroons as a wing man. He tells how the club was formed from Normanby, who played outside the present ground, where the of green is now. ... He was captain of Normanby.

Basis from Carlton

There was a split at Carlton and Jack Elliott and the Cameron brothers led several other players across to Fitzroy. It was decided to form a senior club George McShane crossed from Essendon and became the first captain. The colours chosen were the same maroon and blue of today.

"Harry Bussell, secretary of the Fitzroy Cricket Club, well remembered Worrall "Of all our captains here we had two men who were born leaders – men who would go through fire and water and always find others fighting along with them" he said.”They were Alex Sloan and Jack Worrall. "They stood out. They inspired men by their fighting qualities."

"Worrall was a great captain. He led us from 1886 to 1892." added Joe Kerrigan, "and pick the next man where you will, he was the greatest player the game has brought to light."

"Of course he was." agreed Harry Bussell, "he could play anywhere and was a champion day after day. "Why for one thing." added Kerrigan, "when have we ever had a man who could kick with either foot as he could? He could kick 60 yards with each. If he got a shot with the natural right foot swing into the goal, he used his right foot. If he got the opposite angle, he used his left. What other man had the confidence to do that?"

Apropos his kicking. Worrall's nephew, Frank Walsh a member of The Globe football staff tells me that when he and his brother. Les secretary of Preston) were youngsters, their uncle would bring them a football to Maryborough, and teach them to kick, "He could pick out a hole between the branches of a tree, and drive the ball through with either foot, with never a miss He was a marvel the way he could kick a football," said Frank. Largely through the influence of Worrall other prominent Maryborough players came to Fitzroy, among them the Hickey brothers—Con and Paddy and Tom Banks.

In his day Worrall was Fitzroy, so much so that they extolled his feats in a piece of doggerel which ls still remembered at the Maroon headquarters. They say a goals a moral When it’ s passed to Johnny Worrall He's the captain of the dark maroon and blue. Came the day when Worrall ceased to be a footballer and became a football administrator and a coach. He was the power behind the rise of the Carlton winning teams of 1906-08 Carlton winning teams of 1906-7-8.

He was secretary and coach of the club and brought to the ranks of the Blues some of the most famous players the game has seen. Uncanny Judgment In building up these Carlton teams he did not covet ready-made players. He had an uncanny judgment. He could take a player without history or background and if he decided he was the man he would back his opinion against all critics.

He was seldom wrong. There was the instance of Doug Gillespie, who became a first-line player with the Blues. Gillespie, as a colt often scouted for the ball over the playing arena fence behind goal. One night opportunity offered and Gillespie jumped over the fence and took a hand in kicking the ball back to a forward who was shooting for goal.

Worrall called to "Bongo" Lang the Carlton rover. "'Who is that fellow?"

Lang said he was a friend of himself and some of the players. "What's he doing there?" Moving across to Gillespie. Worrall told him bluntly to go inside and get a uniform. Without any further preliminary. Gillespie was a Carlton player. Worrell's judgment was proved correct.

Rod McGregor tells a good story of how he became a Carlton player. "It was a holiday and I called into 'Joker' Hall's tobacconist shop near the Victoria Market," he said. 'Joker' jumped it on me: "Want a game of football this afternoon?' Those were the days when you went a long way for a game.

'Joker' took me up to Carlton as a rover. After the game I was dressing when Jack Worrall, without the slightest formality and with all his native bluntness said: 'When do you get your clearance. The baldness of the invitation still causes me to smile that was Jack's way." McGregor was playing with Essendon Town at the time.

Men of his Carlton' teams speak in the highest terms of his coaching. One player said that the routine and example that Worrall set Carlton was the basis of ail scientific coaching today- He made every man work at his faults the two essentials were marking and kicking in Worrall's estimation. He demanded it of his team that they should be able to kick with either foot.

He made his men stretch out at training, reaching for short. Low stabbed kicks directed wide of them. He would take a ruck aside and work them individually and collectively until he obtained the result he wanted. A weakness noted in a player during a game was challenged and corrected on practice nights.

Played to Strength BUT there was another side to Worrall's coaching? He insisted on playing to a team man's strength and on an opponent’s weakness. If he had a high mark like Haney Kelly forward, he would not allow other Carlton men to encroach and cramp Kelly.

Likewise, woe to the man who kicked the ball high to a small man. The team had to be as ready-witted as Worrall was himself. He advocated handball as a mean; of getting out of trouble. However once the ball was out in the open. It was kicking, not handball. Ron McGregor tells a story against himself and Mallee Johnson. They indulged in a pretty piece of handball and apparently liked the effect of it so they repeated it Worrall was on their tracks.

"That was a nice little game." he declared, and while you were playing it you were giving the other side a chance to get back to their places." His men had to play their places and keep their places. No wing man was allowed to over-run his forwards in the self-glorification of getting goals. He taught his men how lo make use of every square inch of a ground. It was said that despite his forceful ways he never interfered with his captain. He had first Jim Flynn and later Fred Elliott as leaders at Carlton e backed them up. He was essentially fair to his players He always saw their side of a difficulty. He later coached Essendon to premierships and was also the first coach of umpires of the Victorian League.

Seeking information about the early days of Worrall I encountered, in one place, a sectional opinion that was not favourable to him immediately this particular matter was mentioned a difference of opinion developed. As it concerns two of Australia's greatest sporting personalities and as there is now an explanation of the whole position available for. Perhaps, the first time, think something should be said about it here. The accusation against Worrall, as it was given to me that he had written to cricket umpire Jim Phillips, asking him to no-ball Jack Saunders the Australian left-hand bowler, for throwing." Feeling that there was some possible explanation for what was undoubtedly a serious accusation I pressed for further details. The only thing I found out was that "Johnny never denied it" -that of course from his detractors

Time for Explanation

LATER, in yarning to Rod McGregor about the Worrall days at Carlton. I mentioned to him the Saunders Incident. Immediately Rod" said I am glad you mentioned it, for I feel the time has come to kill for ever any suggestion of unfairness against Old Jack. I know the whole story only the stubbornness of Jack prevented its being cleared up during his lifetime.

"He told me one day how it came about. He prefaced what he had to say by extracting a promise that I would never divulge what he was about "Jack, as outspoken as was his custom said that he felt that some deliveries were questionable—never thinking that the matter would be ventilated.

He told me I was the only man to whom he had made an explanation about it. But the time has come to give that explanation. Jack's memory is cherished, and nothing should detract from it, so I am pleased to tell you this. "Worrall and umpire Phillips were personal friends Worrall was asked thought of Saunders's delivery.

Jack as outspoken as was his custom, said that he felt that some deliveries were questionable-never thinking that the matter would be ventilated. He said to me As God is my judge I was asked for a personal and confidential opinion. A man less forthright than Worrall might have hedged the question but that wasn't Jack's way "He never hedged in his life. How the matter leaked out was an accident but it left Worrall at a great disadvantage. He might quite easily have explained away the difficulty, but he was of such a stubborn type that they could not have torn an explanation from him."

Youthful Prodigy at Cricket

As in football, Jack Worrall was a youthful prodigy in the cricket field. He was only 14 when he had his first game in the senior eleven at Maryborough. While still in his teens he was playing a big part in Ballarat cricket and making useful scores against visiting English teams. Indeed. English teams that played at the famous mining town about the 1880's found him a hard nut to crack.

His doings there drew the attention 0f Melbourne cricket officials to him, and when he was about 20 he came to live in the capital. His first game was with South Melbourne in the 1883-4 season, but he transferred almost immediately to East Melbourne. He served the Jolimonters for several seasons, then linked up with Fitzroy. As the result of a dispute there he and several other players left the club, most of them, including Worrall, going to Carlton.

It was in his first season at Carlton, 1895-6, that he made the then Australian record score of 417 not out against University. Later he played for a while with Hawksburn, now known as Prahran.

Worrall at once made good in senior cricket and at the age of 21 was in the Victorian eleven, holding his place for about 18 years. He was one of the first players to reach an aggregate of 1000 runs against N.S.W., his total being 1344 at an average of 23 — not a high average as measured by present-day standards, but quite good for his time. He made two trips to England—In 1888 and 1899 — having a very moderate record for the first tour, but being one of the mainstays of the powerful eleven of 11 years later. In all the first-class games of the tour he scored 1202 runs at an average of 35, while in the Test he made 318 runs at 45 an , only and Alf Noble being ahead of him. In all first- class cricket he made 4610 runs at 21 an Innings. In addition to his batting, Worrall was a useful change bowler, and one of the greatest fieldsmen the game has known. His usual position was mid-off, where he has hardly ever had superior. Furthermore, he was as capable a cricket captain as he was a football leader. Victoria has had few better cricket captains than he In his cricket Worrall brought the same qualities to bear that he did in his football. Ever a fighter, he never gave up while there was a chance of victory for his side. One could not say that he was a polished batsman and he did not have a wide range of strokes but what he lacked in this respect he made up for by his pluck and determination.

Most of his scoring was done in front of the by means of powerful drives and pulls, and he never hesitated to lift the ball over the heads of the fielders close in. When in his stride he could score very fast, and bowlers and fieldsmen had reason to remember the power in many of his strokes.

Bad Wicket Champion

IN one respect he was an absolute champion, and that was in his ability to overcome the difficulties of a bad wicket. Australia has had few if any better bad-wicket batsmen and most of his greatest feats were performed on such pitches. Instances that are frequently recalled by old-timers were when he made 103 out of 187 on a shocking wicket against N.S.W. at Sydney in 1897-8, and when a few months later he made 109 out of 189 in similar circumstances at Melbourne. In the latter game the next highest score made 17. In the early part of his first-class career. Worrall's performances were often of a very moderate nature, and this was attributed largely to the fact that he was engaged in night work.

Later, when this handicap was removed, he improved tremendously in his batting, and became one of the outstanding batsmen of Australia. He was a wonderful judge of a cricketer, as he was of a footballer, and for some years was a very successful coach of young cricketers for the V.C.A. Many of the lads who passed through his hands took a prominent place in the game, and several of them gained Test honours, A man of very decided views, which he never hesitated to express, he was a strict disciplinarian, and always expected those under him to play the game with the same seriousness that he himself put into it.

At the same time he was a man with a keen sense of humour, and could tell a cricket story in an inimitable way that had his hearers convulsed with laughter. He did not mind telling a story against himself, and one he told with great glee. In his later years he played a lot of golf at Rosanna, and one day, after his game, he was waiting on the station there for his train when he got into conversation with a stranger who, he found, knew many of the old-time Fitzroy footballers This man spoke of several of them,

And eventually Worrall asked him if he remembered Jack Worrall. "Re-member him, "said the man. "I should think i do. That bandy coot! Why, he was so bandy that I'll bet he couldn't stop a pig. Jack said that he was inclined to agree with him.

IVOR WARNE-SMITH Ace of All Rounders

July 19, 1941 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181708655

By

WHENEVER and wherever football is discussed by critics young, old and not-so-old. The query is inevitably raised "Whom do you consider –was (or is) the best player you ever saw?"

The question is a hard one to answer, and a good one to evade. Who would like to compare satisfactorily

Rod McGregor the champion Carlton centre man of 30 years ago, with Jack Dyer, the present Richmond follower or Vic Thorp the renowned Tiger full back of 20 years ago, With Haydn Bunton or , the Brownlow Medal winners in recent years.

The one and only safe basis of comparison is that of all-rounder ability of the feats of players who proved themselves capable of shining consistently in most of the positions on the field.

From this reasonably safe angle of general utility we find that the name of Warne-Smith crops up as often as that of any other star, probably more often than most — at least in the last 20 odd year's since the last war ended —and that period covers my own intimate experience as a player, coach and critic.

Stalwart and Star

A STALWART and a star of the powerful Melbourne combination in its first real burst of fame to 1925 and the following seasons, a dual-winner of the Brownlow Medal, admired and respected by teammates and opponents. I.P.S. Ivo Phillip Sharran, if you are curious Warne-Smith had superior as an, all-round star footballer, and very few peers.

In my own humble opinion, he had no equal as the ideal utility man of league football, the solution of many a selection committee puzzle.

Since he and I began at Wesley College on the same day in February 1912, as shy and bewildered youngsters perhaps I can reveal some facts about Ivo and his three brothers that are not generally known to the football public.

Apart from the invaluable privilege of having passed through the hands of that incomparable head master L.A.Adamson. We both learned the finer points of football form two grand tutors, Harold Stewart (later head master in succession to LAA) and “Fatty” Kaighen of Ballarat.

The vital principles of intelligent football particularly in attack were drilled into us at an impressionable age and nothing we learned later in league ranks was unknown to those shrewd mentors, blind turns, kicking either foot, leading out, the keeping of forwards fanned out wide, these and a host of other first principles of real football were drilled into us week after week.

Ivo absorbed them, never forgot them and used them at all times in his great career. I was fated to become a position player, half forward flank, where I was expected to use the torpedo punt to drive the ball goal wards as far as possible , no pleading on my part, which was often and urgent-ever secured for me a change on to the back lines, where l yearned to be playing.

However, “Smithy” started as a defender, moved into the ruck or in to the pivot, played everywhere, I think except on the wing, and put into splendid practice every football trick and asset worth knowing.

Four Warne-Smiths were at Wesley College. The two elder brothers, Spencer and Waldo, were killed in the 1914-1918 clash. The youngest brother, Bobs, was too young to get away to that war, so he sacrificed a sound business as an auditor to get away to the present war.

Ivo, the third brother, served over three years in the last war, was wounded at least once, rose from the ranks to become lieutenant, and saw service in both France and Gallipoli, after enlisting at the age 17— not a bad effort

Over There Again

Not content, away he has gone again on active service, and wherever he is, rest assured, he will not shirk his share of work, peril and responsibility. Surely we can give the Warne-Smith family full marks for patriotism of the best type.

It is however, whom we are discussing, Born in November 1897 (If memory is correct) he began at Wesley as a big raw boned youngster of 14. Before he was 16 he had forced his way into both the senior football and cricket teams and won his colours for both sports (Colours being the equivalent of the University Blue).

In those days “Smithy” was just as renowned or his cricketing ability as for his football prowess, being a sound forceful batsman and a tireless fast medium bowler

When his school days were over he joined the Melbourne club in 1919 an soon proved his worth as a back.

Well do I remember a game at Fitzroy that season, Bob Merrick had become the idol of Maroon fans his brilliant high marking and elusive ground play quickly gaining him interstate selection.

Warne-Smith practically unknown men to any except keen Melbourne partisans, was detailed off to shadow and quieten Merrick. So effectively did he do so albeit so fairly that he earned the loud disapproval of the rabid Maroon barrackers behind the goals?

To their discredit they aimed solely at him probably to put him off his game. The missiles missed Ivo but one hit Merrick, and the mercurial Bob went through his very full range of expletives at the crowd in his anger and surprise.

He was the one who got rattled, but the imperturbable Ivo went on with his job unconcerned and unsmiling

He was in fact, one of the coolest men I ever knew, and I knew him as well as most people ever really knew him. I never saw him rattled on the field, or off it for that matter.

Still comparatively “un-famous” Smithy went to where, for some years, he was on the land at the same time playing in the northern League. His value filtered back to the mainland and he returned to the Red Leg fold in 1925 where with “Bunny” Whitman, Bob Johnson and others, he gave the side a meteoric boost up the League ladder into the final four o be improved upon with a premiership next season.

That year saw Melbourne give the famous Magpies a real trouncing in what is often termed the most brilliant display of class football ever seen in a grand final.

Could Do It All!

WHEREIN lay such real merit in Warne-Smith's play that he should twice be selected as Brownlow medallist in three years?

He was not renowned for brilliant high marking, as were Horrie Clover and Alec Duncan.

He was not admired for his phenomenal kicking as were Harry Vallence, Roy Cazaly or the late George Bayliss of Richmond.

He did not dazzle spectators with sheer speed, as did "Bill" Twomey of Collingwood; "Barney" Carr of StKilda or Tommy Williams of Fitzroy each of whom could handle the ball cleanly and expertly at their breath taking top speed.

Warne-Smith was not expected to dominate the ruck by virtue of Barney Herbert or Tom Fitzmaurice or his strength like Con McCarthy or the man mammoth South Australian.

But—and I must "but" here—he was nevertheless a splendid high mark, a good kick and a genuine two- foot" artist, could do a real job as a follower, and could hold down the important pivot position, and be a prolific feeder of his forwards.

With due respect to most of the stars in one phase of football art, let us play them all in one game give Father Time a holiday.

Play the stars out of their favourite position. Play Vallence in ruck, Herbert full-forward. Bayliss in defence. Con McCarthy in the centre, Vic Thorpe, half-forward, Wittman in a back pocket.

I have left out dozens of other champions, but those mentioned will suffice. Could you visualise these topnotchers being anything but ordinary players, or real second-raters, in such unusual positions?

I "omit 'Roy' Cazaly from this game because Roy ranks very highly in my opinion, as one of the best all- round champions I saw play, and big Tom Fitzmaurice proved his calibre whether following, defending or in attack , and would have done so as a wing player had he not grown so tall.

“Smithy” could be placed anywhere on the field, and he would play comfortably and capably. I never saw him actually play on the centre wing because he was rather over-size for that position, but in all other parts of the ground he played and held his own as no other player did.

Yes, "Smithy" was the ideal utility player. Safe and sure the in the air, equally at home in wet or dry conditions, as all champion footballers (and racehorses) should be his anticipation could be classed as uncanny.

His position play both to receive and deliver the ball (position play does not really cover both aspects) was high-class he had ample courage both to ‘take it’, and give it back at the right time without viciousness. He could kick either foot effortlessly, not over far but usually far enough, and he was withal, an astute and tenacious leader.

Haydn Bunton’s biggest drawback was his inability to kick left-foot, and his aversion to stab-kicking in a game, although he could do so quite well on training nights. Let me recall another game at Fitzroy in 1928 when lvo and I met as opposing captain-coaches. Playing in the centre, he was feeding Taylor and Wittman with cool precision and unhappy results for the Maroons. I went in to quieten him or attempt to do so and told the men minding Taylor and Whittman with cool precision to play the "leech" and stick to them.

For a time I flatter myself that I did keep lvo 'reasonably quiet, but the other two Redlegs continued to lose their "shadowers"—what a pair to be given too much latitude!

I called mv two culprits lots of names, roared at them several times during one term until the sphinx-like "Smithy" said quietly. "Break it down Rats.' You can't teach them to think all at once." .

"I only want common-sense." I retorted. His only comment was "When most players finish at the neck., Rats?'

The neck was just where lvo did the not finish. He said very little on the ground, but he thought lots and did lots.

One trick of his which seldom failed was his method of fending off an opponent when he himself had the ball or was about to get it. Just a quick short-arm push in the chest or the solar-plexus, and on his way went "Smithy," leaving his rival temporarily flat-footed.

The transfer of the ball to one arm and the short, but very solid, push with the other hand were almost simultaneous, and it got him countless kicks and out of many tight corners.

Could Hold His Own

NEVER saw or heard of lvo having resorted to fisticuffs while playing football, but, if brawls were in the offing, I would much sooner have "Smithy" on my side than not. In the words of Stadium fans, he could "use 'em." I put the gloves on with him once when we were lads together at school, and did I stop leather? He hit me everywhere and every how. He was taught for some lime. And I will vouch that he must, have been an apt pupil!

Jack Dyer has an imitation of tills trick, but he often mistimes it, and forgetful of his own height, often succeeds in pushing the opponent's face it doesn't look so good and is not so effective as Ivo's chest push was.

I think that, with his strength, coolness and courage, he would have gone long way in the roped square had he taken up boxing in place of football.

There was never a hint of it in his play, however, and he retired with a clean record.

I have praised this well-known figures so much in the article thrown so many bouquets at him, let me now indulge in a mild criticism of him. His football is difficult to criticise, but lvo Warne-Smith would have been more popular, more enthused about in his hey-day were it not for his reticence, his more or less frigid manner with strangers and even acquaintances.

Few people felt as ease with him; he would not converse freely. His apparent off-handedness with folks detracted from his popularity—in short, he was not a good "mixer."

When he did come out of his shell, which was seldom, he was found to possess a wealth of quiet humour, to be a staunch pal, and full of common sense and balance.

Very "fortunate were Melbourne to have "his services, and doubtless they would give a deal to unearth another of his type. But Phar-Laps and Warne-Smiths happen once in a blue moon.

Everyone I am sure will join me in wishing him a safe and sound return to Australia from active service.

He was an ornament of our grand game of football.

HUGHIE JAMES Helped to Build Richmond

July 26th 1941 Hughie James- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181709210

Hughie James succeeded as a footballer because in first things he was a man. He was the typical Digger—a fighter—generous in victory, uncomplaining in defeat. Essentially fair-minded, he could take it and give when a game got tough. He asked no quarter. He gave none in the welter of football.

James is so closely associated with the rise of Richmond was a League club that no better man could be selected as the frame on which to drape the story of that band of Tiger stalwarts to whom defeat held no great terror because it was encountered, and who battled on to transform their club from the butt of the successful to the buttress of success.

HUGHIE JAMES joined Richmond in 1908. Soon after the club had been admitted from Association to the League. With him were Barney Herbert, Clarrie Hall, and Vic. Thorpe, stalwarts that helped, build the Tigers into a premiership force of all of them, Richmond people will tell you, James, stood out for the quiet good-fellowship he engendered in the club room. On the field he was a fighter through thick and thin, after the game he was never dismayed at defeat and looking forward with the greatest confidence to the next engagement.

No man believed more confidently in the supremacy of his cause than Hughie James. It was his infectious confidence that carried the Tigers through the wearying ways of the underdog in those early days.

Honesty of Purpose

THE honesty of purpose in this man cannot be better illustrated than by this story, told for a fellow member of the Richmond team at the time

Hughie James was Essendon residence. I understand that he had, prepared to play with the Dons, but had failed to make the grade. Consequently no man was keener to beat Essendon every time they met Richmond than James.

This game of which I am speaking was been hard to win. The finish was tight, with Richmond holding only a few points lead. Richmond scored a behind and the ball was kicked into the crowd. After some delay it was thrown back to the Essendon full-back. But someone in the crowd had stuck a pin in the bladder. The ball was being fast deflated.

The full back, instead of. Running out to the umpire. “Bull” Williamson, with the ball and explaining what had happened. Kicked the ball to Williamson instead, saying as he did so. “Eh” ump, have a look at this!”

George Bayliss the Richmond full forward, snapped up the kick and drove it through for a goal in a flash, neither he nor the umpire realising what the full back had intended.

The final bell rang almost immediately.

Hughie was very upset over the whole affair. He argued with the umpire that the goal should be cancelled, He went to the club officials and "demanded that they should take the matter up at the League and have the goal Wiped out. Saying to them: "Nobody is keener to beat Essendon than I am, but I won’t have a win as the result of an honest mistake like that," he said. Of course nothing could, be done. But the story does reveal the sincere sportsmanship of the man.

Had a Commission

Came the war and Hughie joined the pioneers, in which arm of the A.I.F. he held commissioned rank. Three years ago last he returned to Melbourne from New Zealand, where he is now a director of Geo Brammell and Co Wellington. He was soon among football friends laughing and joking as before. He found time to drop into the Globe Office and write an article on his war time football experience.

It seems he was among the originators of the suggestion that units of the A.I.F. should stage a big Australian football game m London. He gave the full credit for the suggestion to the Lord Mayor ,Cr. Frank Beaurepaire and said that the game had its beginnings over a few noggins around a brazier on Salisbury Plain. England.

With natural enthusiasm the Australians put the game on properly, and London, while many of those of its citizens who attended the match did not know the rules thoroughly, enjoyed the flashing passages of arms and made the affair a talking point for the prescribed seven days of wonder

There were other games with the AIF, games played in rough and ready manner that is typically Australian. They played where they dropped their packs often, on the frost-bitten fields of France.

Hughie laughed when he recalled on game. It had the salty tang of the hurly-burly in which James was always to be found with that smile nobody ever wiped off his kindly toughened dial.

“We were in France at the time, Hughie said, "around Charleroi and a hit shot for the corps football championship. We were representing the Third Divvy and were up against the Fifth for the title. I had two great fellows that like it thick as well as thin, in and Len Gale.

I made the mistake of arriving with my stars up and that seemed to suggest one or two things to the opposition. It’s great fun to skittle an officer, you know the stuff.

"Immediately the game started they got busy. I stopped someone, but Dan got him on the recoil and we were all at it hammer and tongs. After two quarters of hard tough skirmishing we got down to the business in earnest when who should up and stop the fun but a brass-hat — a general.

"His nibs had the wrong idea of the whole business. He said that the game had been instituted to promote and considered that what he had just witnessed would have the wrong effect.

Cut it out, he said in his best brass-hat manner and was very upstage about the whole buisness. Fighting is strongly prohibited. Any more of this and I’ll stop the whole affair. But really no bad feelings came from a game like that. The fellows really get down to knowing and respecting each other better. They lick their wounds together afterwards in the way all the best footballers have.

And there you have something of the character of Hughie James. He saw fun in most things—even the rough and tumble of a hot football game. The memory of a football rough and tumble was always sweet to him.

Real Ruck System

HE helped to create around the Richmond camp in those post war days of football an atmosphere of good fellowship and fun off the field and a thoroughness and efficiency on the field.

With Barney Herbert and Clarrie Hall he created a system of ruck work that has seldom been surpassed. They worked night after night perfecting their signal, the followers telling the rover in code where they would hit the ball and where they expected him to gather it.

Off the field Barney Herbert and Hughie were always at friendly loggerheads, arguing which one of them was the better kick. Truth is that neither of them could kick over a chalk line and each knew it. But Barney would not let Hughie get away with any suggestion that he was the better kick. The result was those inimitable goal kicking contests held every Sunday morning between Barney and Hughie.

The sheer burlesque of it, and the good natural fun of it. Barney and Hughie shooting it out for a straw hat or some such prize created an atmosphere at Richmond that has never been surpassed for camaraderie.

I believe that if Barney and Hughie could be persuaded to turn out again for another shooting match at Richmond a great crowd would assemble to enjoy the fun and pay tribute to two great players.

Hughie at heart had no false ideas about his kicking prowess, provided Barney wasn’t about. On one occasion when I tied him down on the subject he said

A good rick man does not have to know how to kick. Tom Leahy, the South Australian. I regard as the best ruck I ever met, and he could not kick over chalk line. Neither could I but what does that matter to a good ruck man? He is there to give the ball to his rover. No good ruckman need be a good kick.

If anyone asks you the authority let that statement tell them Hughie James. And then when I am not around get them to ask Barney Herbert if there is a greater authority on kicking a football than the said Hughie James.

The war ran it’s grim course and peace reigned again." Men warned to forget the years of punishment and play, once more Football boomed.

Richmond was ready for the boom. It was through the persuasions of James that Dan Minogue transfer from Collingwood where he had played before the war to Richmond as captain and coach.

James held the personal opinion of Dan and wrote in The Globe.

I have played a lot of sport but I have never met a better fellows than were in those Richmond teams.

In their building up to the 1920 premiership one man stood shoulders high above the rest of us. He was Danny Minogue. He was the finest fellow I ever played under. Danny was a real man every broad inch of him. He played the game hard, but he would never split a hair.

He inspired a team because he never asked them to do anything he could not do himself. He could lead a forlorn hope like a hero. I admire Danny tremendously. He is one of the finest fellows Australian Football has produced.

Richmond were knocking at the door in 1919 but Collingwood pipped them and they had to be content as runners up. The following year they won their first league pennant. They won it again in 1921.

Some Star Players

I HAD considered the opportunity of discussing different players with James when he was in Melbourne last. He considered Roy Cazaly a player and a half. As I have mentioned he considered Tom Leahy the best follower in the league here he thought the Con McCarthy – Les Hughes “Torchy” Laxton ruck the best he encountered.

To him Billy Mahoney of Richmond was the prince of rovers. He had a very soft spot for Alex Eason, and among pre-war rovers he held the highest opinion of the Melbourne star Hedley Tomkins and Essendon champion Ernie Cameron. In the centre no man surpassed Billy Schmidt in his opinion. He considered Schmidt a wizard among centre men.

He said of Schmidt, he had a touch of wizardry in his play. He had a something that I never saw m another, centre man - an unnatural sense of doing the right thing when he alone seemed to realise it was the right thing when he alone seemed to realise it was the right thing and everybody else expected something else. But his unexpected moves turned games.

He had a ball sense unsurpassed by any other man. While his kicking was superb. Billy Schmidt was a really magnificent player. He was the 'daddy' of them all." Among the defenders, he chose Wels Eicke. Vic Thorpe and Harry Lever. The last named two were full backs, while Eicke was usually at centre halfback.

Forward he refused to decide between Gordon Coventry and Dick Lee, but thought Horrie Clover stood alone at centre half-forward.

PERCY PARRATT AND JIMMY FREAKE Dual Personality.

July 28, 1941 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180301899 This is the story of a dual personality — a combination rather than an individual. There was a day when the team wanting the premiership had to beat Fitzroy for it. Before the rise of those great Carlton teams of 1906-7-8 there had been several fine Fitzroy teams. But withthe fall of Carlton, Fitzroy came again, building up season by season till in 1913 they won the flag. Working for that success was the dual personality two great attackers, Percy Parratt and Jimmy Freake — the two working as one. To separate the two would be to slum the story, to rob it of its true lustre. Later the two developed into a great triumvirate when Goron Rattray was added. It is done, Fitzrov had the best three-way attack any team ever assessed. Jimmy Freake, centre forward, was a man handicapped in forward work by sature. He was little more than 5ft. and I doubt whether he ever weighed more than 10 stone. He was not aggressive by nature. In fact, he more the mouse than the lion. What he brought to forward work was a sense of difference, coupled with scoring accuracy that he stimulated for Fitzroy to a period of boom. Freake was a super-forward, one of the hardest a defence was ever asked to look after. Yet it is doubtful whether would have survived the practice games in his first season without the uncanny judgment of Percv Paratt.

Parratt was a particularly gifted player in that over 30 yards he could kick the ball to a full forward in a manner that did not allow a defender to even get a look at it. For those 30 yards the ball was never more than a couple of feet off the ground. Freake came out from full forward in a low crouching dash, gathering the ball with his chest almost on the ground The understanding between the two was perfection. Ah says Mr Wiseacre "What's good about that? All the defenders had to do was stop Freake and the system broke down." Simple wasn't it? Yet seek out one the defenders of the day of Parratt and Freake and ask him if he or any other man playing alongside him every which way Freake intended to run and, secondly, just when he intended to make that break. PARRATT knew, no matter how long Freake hung fire, Parratt sensed it, and he, too, dwelt just that split second. When Freake came streaking out low like a whippet. Parratt’s arrow kick hit him plumb in the chest. The rest was up to Freake. He was so accurate with either place of that he got bags of goals. If it was Parratt's job to drive that ball low to “the spot” never forget it, Freake’s job to make “the spot” and gather the ball. He had to get there and he was hedged around with the barbed wire of shoulders and elbows of stubborn defenders.

Poor little Jimmy! HOW they conspired against him! Be it to his everlasting credit as a forward that he always got there, right to "the spot." When he had the ball tucked in safe the day was as good as won. As a kick, Jimmy Freake was an artist, as accurate as his great Collingwood rival Dick Lee. Naturally, hearing all this, you are beginning to wonder how Parratt and Freake planned their attacks. If you had seen the pair operating you would be certain that they spent hours working out moves to defeat the defence I did, until I put the question to Percy Parratt. "Jimmy and I never talked football Parratt informed me "I was a –member of the Fitzrov team before Freake joined us the first day he was selected I went to him and advised him never to lead to the wing, but always straight up the ground. Goals were easier to get from the front.

Apart from that, I never remember even discussing a game with Jimmy let alone discussing tactics with him. "I doubt whether Freake ever playing anywhere but full forward. He got a lot of goals in our juniors before we promoted him in 1911, I think it was. He was a Collingwood boy, and like many another lad from that district wanted badly to play with the Magpies. But with 'Dick' Lee at centre forward there was no place for him in Collingwood, so he crossed Smith Street and joined Fitzroy. “I saw a lot of Freake both in football and cricket. We held an opening record partnership for Fitzroy Footballers C.C. of 211. (Parratt got 137. Freake 871) He was a quiet little fellow who endeared himself to everyone.

"If he succeeded as a full forward he did so not through any preconceived plan with me, but because he had the gumption and initiative to succeed. "All I had to do was to kick the ball in front of him and he got it. I want to stress that-he got it no matter how difficult the opposition. He was very clever in his ability to slither his chest and knees and still hold the ball up from the ground. There was never any doubt about the mark being fairly held he was such an expert. There are high marks and clever marks. If the ball had been shot into the air, Jimmy wouldn’t have had a chance. He lacked the inches and the ability of the high mark, be ue was a clever mark, few more so. Change won the Title

I RECALL the 1922 premiership for a special reason I had dropped out of football and Freake had been passed over for Bob Merrick. Five games before the final Merrick was a casualty in both knees. I had been persuaded to play again and I remember before my first game in my come-back the committee hummed and hahed" about playing Merrick. Finally, just when we should have been taking the field, they came across and asked Jimmy to strip. It was one of the few occasions on which I saw him ruffled. He rightly resented the late decision and felt he was being made a convenience of. Nice time to tell me to strip; I'm going to turn them down' he said.

I knew he meant it and I wanted him to play so I said to him come on out there, you’ve only got to clap your hands and you’ll get goals I’ll work for you like a hard worker. That is the only other time I can remember that we held any discussion about a game. He went out and we had a birthday. "After we won the final I remember the late Lou Thompson coining into the Fitzroy room and saying that we could thank South for our premiership .It was against South that you brought back Freake and Parratt.' said Lou. In making his point." Like Dick Lee, last week's "personality", Percy Parratt began his football with Rose of Northcote. He told me that in the Rose eighteen in his last year were Joe Prince, well remembered as a South wing man; Jack Incoll a Collingwood champion; Tom O'Connell (Richmond): Jack Scobie. Jack Freeman and Les Charge, all famous South Melbourne players, Parratt entered Fitzroy as a rover in 1909, but before the season had gone very far he was stationed on a half forward flank. He even had one game at full-back. "I killed that move when I kicked off something like ten yards." Parratt said laughingly. On one occasion he place-kicked a goal from the centre of the East Melbourne ground. The game was near, the end. Fitzroy wanted a goal to nose out Essendon. As Parratt placed the ball Rattray ran across to him urging him on. "Kick this, kick this—they're only three points ahead!" As the ball sailed, through Gordon did a hornpipe around Parratt crying out. "You beauty! You beauty!" "How that wind helped me!" is Parratt's only reference to that kick, which must, have been nearer 80 than 60 yards. It was during the war years that Rattray joined Fitzroy. With the Wesley College speech night in 1916. Gordon, who was captain of football and cricket. Enlisted in the A.I.F. Chance threw him into the same company as Percy Parratt. "I seemed to be always striking a guard or a fatigue in camp." Gordon explained, "just when I wanted most particularly to be somewhere else...

Came a Saturday and. sure enough, I was down for guard again. ‘Which would you sooner do: Stand guard or play football?' asked Percy There could be only one answer to that one. So he arranged everything, and along I went to play with Fitzroy. I was in their team in the finals, but we were touched off by Collingwood. I went oversea with Parratt. Triumvirate Complete Coming back to Melbourne I was soon into my stride with Fitzroy." This was added the third string, to the famous Fitzroy attack. Rattray, a left-footer was a deadly kick with a swinging left torpedo punt up to and perhaps more than 70 yards.

At Wesley in Rattray's day the torpedo punt was the universal kick. Take the story for what it is worth, but I was told that the kick was developed more by design than accident at Wesley. To those unknowing its peculiarities the torpedo punt is a nasty kick to mark and few knew the whys and wherefores of the torpedo those days. Better marks than Wesley failed to hold the ball and once it hit the ground “Good night” said the fox, the smaller Wesley fellows swooped it away. Whether by design or not the kick was practiced assiduously at Wesley Fellows would kick it for hours shooting at goal from all angles. While Gordon "was a good kick-a very good kick, in fact, I think he would be the first to say that he was not outstanding among Wesley boys. He was not among the best, but the field was a hot one.

The kick is universal now, but I doubt whether anybody has quite mastered it for accuracy as did those Wesley teams of Mr Harold Stewart late headmaster. Among them Ratray had developed his accuracy. He astounded League fans with his swinging kicks, Percy Parratt told me that many times he stood back, behind the crowd which flew for a Rattray drive, and marked the ball low on his chest. It had swung over the heads of the best marks, causing them to misjudge the ball. The old story of those Grammar school high marks again Naturally, with Parratt and Freake doing the uncanny thing and with Rattray bringing his long- range artilleries to work with deadly effect. The Fitzroy attack was paralysing when functioning at its top. Talking of Freake, Rattray told me, how the full forward assisted him with his clever moves. When I got the ball well out," said Gordon. "Freake would lead out as usual, drawing the defenders with him. Parratt would run in behind to cover my kick. I would let drive almost at an an empty goal. "Next time when I saw the defenders hanging back to cover Big Bertha,' I would drop it across to Jimmy. We always had them guessing. "Occasionally Parratt would swing the ball across to me. The three of us always seemed to be moving in combination. "I have never seen two players with the accuracy, up to 40 or 50 yards, of 'Dick Lee and Jimmy Freake. I saw more of Freake. Naturally. He was a deadly kick. "But Jimmy was a great little fellow outside his football. He was quiet almost to a fault, but lie had a way with him. He had loads of guts. I do think that Parratt made him as a forward, however Jimmy wanted a man who could kick a ball as Parrattt could. Having said that I want to emphasise the great ability of Jimmy himself. His greatest fault was his physique, yet he succeeded despite that handicap,

Immediate Success Mr McLENNAN, president of Fitzroy, was captain when Jim Freake joined the team. McLennan said this of Freake: "From the moment Freake first, appeared with us he was an outstanding success. Supported as he was by a gifted player such as Percy Parratt, he became our spearhead for years. "Jimmy Freake had to die before those of us who admired him realised to the full just how highly the world respected him in the old Bundoora Cemetery there assembled to pay the last respects a representation of sportsmen and the social and business world that I have never seen equalled, "A quiet little fellow had passed on and left behind him a legion of friends. There is a popular belief that 'Dick Lee and Jim Freake were cousins. That is not so though the two were fine friends. They attended the Vere Street, Collingwood School and played in the school 18 together. Dick Lee told me of his high regard for the friendship of Freake. Freake headed the goal-kicking list only once - 1913 with 56 goals, but he pressed Dick Lee on several occasions.

HORRIE CLOVER

A Star in His First Year

Aug 6, 1941- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181709816

By ROD McGREGOR

In 1920, unheralded and unsung, H.R (Horrie) Clover joined Carlton FootbalI Club and stepped from obscurity into the limelight in his stride, to become one of the great figures in the post-war renaissance of the Australian game. In the glamorous days of the "twenties" no name was more on the tongues of football fans, and none more respected. He was without doubt the greatest centre half forward of his time and since, and must be accorded a prominent place among the great footballers of all time.

FEW players have entered League ranks with les fuss than Horrie Clover and surely none has shot the highest rung of the football ladder in so short a time. Like so many great sporting cures of that day he had lately turned from the Greater Service abroad and arrived at Carlton without the beat of a single drum; but from the time he first placed foot on the field he went to the top like a rocket. He did not, however, return to the earth like the proverbial stick, but reined at the top to become the idol the Carlton fans with his name their battle cry. He remained there until he stepped from the arena in 1 after a glamorous career with the Blues.

Football patrons bursting with enthusiasm like so many buds after a hard winter paid high tributes to their soldier players, who were doubly heroes. The strident shout of CLOVER!" from One-Eyed Hill, as raked down a towering mark, soon became to Carlton what "!" was to South Melbourne, and it is only the unique personalities in the game that can command such a tribute even from their own. Such was the entry into football of the greatest halt-forward since the 1914 war, and one of the greatest footballers.

Chance Discovery

THERE'S quite a story behind Horrie Clover's entry into Carlton, showing that his connection with football was something of a freak. The bare outline this story will be sufficient. Actually he came to Melbourne in 1919 and joined , with no thought of football.

While on a cricket tour with the Y.C.A. team to Mildura and Wentworth in association with the late Lyle Downs, a dye-in-the-wool Carltonite, he and Lyle joined a group of locals having seme practice kicks at Wentworth. Evidently Lyle saw enough because as Horrie himself said "After that he never let up on me until I put on a uniform."

To Lyle Downs alone is due the great due the Clover's entry into football. Although a tragic end cut off this great little player in his prime. A new champion remained a living tribute to his discernment.

On arrival, the old heads among us poked him over with a certain amount of reserve, peculiar to old heads. We had seen recruits before, some of them ran very impressive in the training room, but utter frosts on the field. We reserved judgment. Not for long.

Of cheerful personality and a good mixer. Horrie soon made himself popular with team-mates and officials. He carried this friendly attitude on to the field, but it was soon realised that he had personality plus. Here was something out of the common, something that Carlton and every other team were looking for, a half-forward, a re-birth of one the great old-timers when classic marking and kicking were the main stays of the game.

Appearing at a time when half-forwards of the old type were scarce, though there were still famous halfbacks they put new life into a position that had become decadent, and raised the tone of the opposition by virtue of the necessity to check this new menace. He had taken to the game like a to water, and before the season was over a new star, loudly acclaimed, had flashed into the football firmament.

All this in his first year argues some exceptional capabilities. Here they are Tall, lithe, and faster than he looked, Clover had uncanny judgment and a sure grip in going for mark. His marking style was essentially correct. His hands cupped the ball and made a sure first-time catch, which is the hardest thing to teach in marking

In kicking, excellent style and delivery characterised every action. Tall players are seldom at home with the short kick, but Horrie exercised the command over the ball at short range as he did when shooting at distance. Drop, punt, or place didn’t matter, and he could slam a 20-yard pass as easily as he could kick a goal from 60 yards.

Brain Behind All

BUT it was his intelligence that put the hall-mark on his play. A keen student of the game and its methods, he was never guilty of thoughtless play. It was the brain behind the player that was the secret to his success, and which lifted him Championship class.

It was to Carlton's interest that he played half-forward and sometimes forward, but I believe he could win the hearts of the admirers of the game, be they friend or foe. It is how you play the game that counts.

Horrie Clover had high ideals concerning football. He believed, and often expressed himself in no uncertain terms that football was a fair man's game. Like the rest of us, he had his ups and downs, and realised that no player, however great, could always be on top. But even in defeat he never departed from the lore of good conduct on the field. I can safely say that he was never guilty of an unmanly act and, o player left football with a cleaner record.

One of his most spectacular feats, if not his greatest, was his 13 goals against St. Kilda. Opposed by the have made as good of several other positions, and would have made a spectacular half-back, as he was a footballer in every sense of the term. There are players that can change the face of a game in two kicks. Horrie was one of them. I well remember a match at Carlton against Essendon in the great days of the latter's mosquito fleet. That champion half-back, Tom Fitzmaurice, had the job of watching Carlton's great half-forward, and, as may well be imagined, this was a headline of its own.

Tom was an inspiration to his side that day, and guarded Horrie like an only child. He played magnificently, and did everything a great half-back could do to pin down his opponent for the greater part of the game; but in that vital last quarter two kicks by Clover gave Carlton two goals and the match.

The test of a champion is that be doesn't panic when he's up against it, and if ever Clover learned that tribute he earned it that day. Beyond this, however, there is something that keeps a footballer alive in redoubtable Wels Eicke, who had to give away, several inches in height but nothing in determination, Horrie had a day out. He marked as if he had glue on his fingers, and gave an object lesson in straight kicking.

At that time, 14 goals scored by H. Robertson, of South Melbourne (also against St. Kilda) was the League record, and Horrie had the equalling of that record in his hands. Measuring the kick and concentrating on accuracy, he didn't worry about distance, but, to the discredit of the Carlton forwards, who looked upon it as a foregone conclusion. Harry Lever was left alone and unattended and grazed the ball with a finger as it went through. The merest suggestion of a shepherd would have made that goal a certainty. This reads to me like a record. I do not recall a half-forward kicking as many goals from the centre half-forward position in a League match, although from a full-forward position the number has been beaten on a few occasions. However, in fairness to the record-holders, it should be remembered that Horrie on this occasion missed practically nothing, so that the best he could have done was to equal the standing record. Still, it was a great performance.

In State Team

CAME 1921 and the Carnival in W.A.—A short year and a half since Carlton’s new half forward had put on his football boots. Things were humming in football, and there was a buzz of excitement as to who would be chosen. The selectors were old-timers, and not to be fooled by any flash-in-the-pan artist, they selected H. R. Clover as centre half-forward, which put the seal on his ability. To represent the State in his second year was remarkably quick work, and seldom achieved. Horrie got a great thrill out of it, and naturally Carlton thought that the selectors had done the right thing.

There are more angles to this Carnival than a broken brick, but hearsay is generally tinged with some partisanship and as I was not a spectator I am not competent to express an opinion. Sufficient it is to say that the fame of Victoria's new half-forward had preceded him, and it was part of the W.A. plan that he should be closely guarded

It is certain that this trip proved for him a mine of experience. "There were more things in heaven and earth' and football, than he had ever dreamed of, and he learned more of the ins of the game, as well as the outs, than before or since.

His next Carnival would have been the great 1924 event in . As one of the selectors on that occasion, I know that he would have been a certainty, but unfortunately Horrie suffered an illness and could not be selected. To make matters worse received an injury the day before we sailed. We substituted with Alex Duncan and Lloyd Hagger, and they did a splendid job.

This would have been for Horrie the big water mark of his career, because, to my mind, this was probably the best team that ever represented Victoria, and a most colorful carnival.

We find him then in less than five years since entering the game a highlight in Australian football and with any luck at all the scalps of two Carnivals tucked in his belt. This distinction was earned in that intense period after the war when football was at its peak, and competition unlimited.

While I have never had any doubt that Horrie Clover would, in any case, have reached the high place he attained in football, I feel that his phenomenally rapid rise was accelerated by his association with a band of champions who provided opportunity and backing for his unusual gifts.

A footballer knows the value of such support, and Horrie will agree with me that he had any amount of good example and sound advice to assist him through the early stages. The advantage of a good setting is not to be lightly regarded, nor is the value of established players towards the moulding of a new champion easily.

To some extent this is the luck of the game, but it has its converse side. He couldn't have held his place in that team unless he had the goods. This was the time when Carlton looked like rivalling the glorious days of 1906, '7 and '8. In the early "twenties" we see associated with Carlton such names as O'Brien, Boromeo, Clover, Beasy, R.Hiskens, Greenhill, and Duncan. Wherever football is spoken about, these names speak for themselves, and they are worthy of more than a passing tribute while speaking of one of their greatest.

Missed Premier Side

BUT here lies mystery. This team didn't win a premiership. Can you visualise what It would mean to throw this band into the Carlton team today? For such an excellent team and club man, I am sure that it is one of Horrie's greatest regrets that be was never in a Carlton premiership side.

A dye in the wool clubman, he took an active interest in all club affairs. Captain of the team in 1924, he was unable to play in 1925 because of illness. In that year, a reform movement changed the administration at Carlton, and Horrie took over the secretaryship. He continued as secretary-player through the whole of 1926. But dropped the secretaryship early in 1927. Already he had shown a flair for administration which was to keep him in football in later years.

Skipping along to 1931, we saw the retirement of the great player. This took place after the famous semi-final, Collingwood v. Carlton, of that year. The game was predicted as a foregone conclusion for the Magpies, but Carlton confounded the critics and won handsomely. "Soapy's" great day —11 goals.

There was a lot of controversy over this match and suggestions of violent play and the like, but, strangely enough, the only player to suffer a real injury was Horrie Clover, and this is quite an accidental manner, as confirmed in his own words.

"There was no suggestion of spite or intention about my injury- It was an accident." This was typical of the man.

Here retired one of the greatest players since football's post-war revival—the last of the great half- forwards.

It is difficult to make comparisons now of the value of players years apart, but perhaps I am in a better position than most to measure his value to Carlton. Carlton’s famous side of 1906, '7, and '8 is well known, and to get a game in that side put the seal on a player's ability.

It is my opinion that had Horrie Clover appeared on the horizon during those years he would have walked into that team. That is the highest compliment I can pay him. His prowess on the field Is now being rounded off in administration of the game. Now in his eighth year as a League delegate, he ranks with past great player-administrators whose inbred love of the Australian game made no service in its interests too great. So continues one of the most striking football personalities since the 1914-18 war. May he long continue!

To him and all his kind, a footballer's greeting.

Good health! Good luck!

ROY CAZALY Up There Cazzer!

Aug 9, 1941 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181710311

Roy Cazaly was the kind of footballer who induced the critic to delve deep among his adjectives and link together a chain of superlatives. Yet, in that strange manner, in which we often show our greatest admiration, we strung together no superlatives. We paid our tribute to his prowess in the vernacular—in the phraseology of the man in the street. With the most commonplace catchcry we spread the renown of this man from Capricorn to Port Arthur and wider afield to the nearby islands and New Zealand.

BACK Of beyond, back of the Barcoo, an indigenous man chased a buckjumper round a corral while his mate, Tommy, hung with knees and thighs to the heaving and pitching back of the untamed flea-bitten horseflesh dynamo, Jerry chased him round and round, slapping the side of his leg with an old felt hat and yelling to urge the brute on.

"Up dere, Caszerl Up dere, Caszer! Dont know who dis plurry Cazzer is up dere—up dere, you plurry beaut!" South of Hobart they cried with delight “Up there Caser!" West of Wyndham the; took up the cry, "Up there Cazaly", though its pounds to peanuts plenty who used the phrase could not tell you who "dis plurry Cazzer” was flesh, fish or vegetable.

To the colorful adaptability of the language of our people, we gave the cry of the football partisan, and doing to we added lustre to the game and memory of one of our greatest footballers.

It all had its beginnings round the football (rounds of Melbourne—particularly on the South Melbourne gound, where the local-born Roy Cazaly answered the cry of encouragement from a thousand one-eyed Southern barracker by flinging himself into the air high above the opposition, to gather an amazing mark.

"Up there, Cazzerl" — the neat Southerner poised In the air, hung there as if his elbows were getting purchase for his hold on the air itself, then with a graceful bend forward he picked the ball off the outstretched fingers of the pack.

The best was never good enough to check the brilliance, or upset the uncanny Judgment of this man, who seemed to be able to make the very air itself support his flying body.

"Up there Cazzerl" they.' yelled the rucks rose for the throw-in. He was a clever turn in mid-air. A little man with his stockings over his ' boots moved like a flash to accept the gift ball from the follower and South Melbourne's fortunes sped on.

Realty Great Ruck

DO you remember them—Roy Cazaly and his rover, Mark Tandy, with the burly frame of Fleiter to barge a way for "Cazzer" to work? These three farmed one of our most famous rucks—Cazaly, Fleiter and Mark Tandy (he of the twinkling toes).

Today, Roy Cazaly plays the greater, if less spectacular, role of coach, and Just how capably he does it reflected in the performances of the young Camberwell side who a fortnight' back beat Williamstown in their great struggle to make the Association finals. If I wanted a young football side to be developed in all the fundamentals of winning football, if I wanted them taught how a great game should be honoured in the playing, I would get Roy Cazaly and persuade him to handle the catch of colts.

With one exception—an unfortunate three years at South—Cazaly has had a most-outstanding success as a coach. It is my opinion that at South Melbourne, Cazaly was hindered rather than helped by people who believed they knew more about how a football team should be handled than did even this great player with newly 30 years' experience In football and coaching.

Even today I see in the South Melbouure ranks players who have Cazaly to thank for the remarkable improvement in their play. I have always been a firm believer in the coach of the side should be the team-manager and sole selector of the side. He should not have his plans and his ideal over-ruled by the vote of a committee. If I were asked to support my idea, I would use the example of Cazaly at South Melbourne as one of my strongest arguments.

However, the work that Cazaly has done In a single season at Camberwell has answered his critic at South. It was as a coach into direct contact with Cazaly. After a period, in Tasmania he had returned to Melbourne to take charge of Preston, then very inconsistent. One day they turned on brilliant football. The next they were scarcely able to provide opposition.

Sacked Half Team

After watching those for some weeks Cazaly sacked half the team and amazed the critics by taking the field with a lot of boys gathered form the local paddocks.

I was among those who sniffed. "What does this fellow think he is at?"

Seeking him out at Preston, I put it bluntly to him that if the experiment failed him and the "bird" would become very close friends.

"I’ll take a chance," he said, "I've got eighteen fighters behind me now not one of these kids cares whether he is playing on the Preston ground or away from home. He’ll go down fighting. I can do something -with kids like that."

He had to win some 13 matches straight' to win the premiership.

He won 12 of them—a dozen brilliant odds against victories with youngsters who were mere tyros yet were fighting It out like seasoned players.

He went down finally to Northcote an experienced team built on half a dozen League champions—on a blustery north wind day—just the one day in a score that would upset a team of inexperienced juniors and suit the veterans.

Watching the rise of that young Preston team, I saw many things that caused me to admire the great qualities of this footballer. I knew why he was a champion, even though in those days he was not the player he formerly was.

Many a callous old head started the day's proceedings against a Cazaly fledgeling by giving the youngster a belt or two to put mm off his game.

Immediately the first blow was struck that youngster got a temporary move and Cazaly took over the Whacker. Before many minutes it was the bully who was calling for the trainer.

I recall a game at Preston when a punch at a clever little wingman. Cazaly left the forward line, ran the big fellow to earth, spun him round and with his open hand smacked him across the face. While this was going on another opponent, and a former League man, ran up from behind, gave Cazaly a rabbit-killer and dropped him.

He was up in a split second. The ball was kicked into a bunch, in which Cazaly and his assailant were principals.

Despite my closest watch, all I can report is that Cazaly came away with the ball, loping in that long striding way he had while the assailant had his tongue hanging out over his cheek and was evidently seized suddenly with some form of violent spasm.

The rough stuff was stopped in a trice. With the opposition trying to play real football, Preston triumphed. So in other games Cazaly let no man deal with his colts. He literally took on all the bullies— not in the crude bash and wallop ways of a street lighter, but quietly, unobtrusively—yet very effectively.

I asked Cazaly regarding this Phase of football. Did he agree with it? Did he condone rough play?

'No, I 'don't. I never will, he was quite definite on the point. "But years of experience in all grades taught me that the fellow who wants to win by bashing your best players is, in the show-down, chicken- hearted.

I came into the League at 15, a big lump of a kid of 12 stone—but, nevertheless a butt for everyone who thought the best way to beat me was to bash me. I soon came to the conclusion that most of these fellows were curs underneath and were only punching and kicking because they were lacking confidence in their own football.

"I can say I never once hit a man in a game of football without he thoroughly deserved it.”

But I did find out, early, that the best protection a young player or any player had from these bashers was to give them a real good one back soon after they started the rough stuff, and adding a little advice like "There is one or two mere where that came from if you are still feeling the same about knocking me.'

Never once did these tactics fail to stop a rough house.

"In one League game a chap chased me all day, and finally cut open my eye. When I returned to the field with my eye stitched, and started to give him a bit back he lay down on the grass without being hit. Just fancy without even being hit. There are plenty of, fellows in the game today who will tell you that story.

Cazaly therefore was a colourful player he survived a more recent hard players because he had skilled and himself to be hard along with the hard. He matched an electric mind, split second imagination, the more obvious tactics and the roughneck, misguided fellow who considers that his Prime role in football is to punish the more skilful into submission.

Punishment never took the edge from Cazaly’s efficiency because he snapped off the threats of the bully like the head of a ripe carrot.

Cazaly was born at Albert Park in 1893. He began his football with the local school team, graduated through junior teams until he got his big chance with St Kilda, at the very young age of 16.

He did not want to play with St Kilda, and he certainly did not want to play with South Melbourne. He says that he always had a soft spot for Carlton's, and says it was his ambition as a kid to play for the blues.

In fact he joined Carlton second 18, sustained a bad shoulder injury. Because of some oversight he did not receive the attention he expected, he left Carlton rather disappointed. Jumped into team

His chance came at St Kilda. He jumped into the team. Despite his tender years they played him in a man's role follower and half-forward.

He stayed at St Kilda for 11 years during which period he became captain of the first 18. However in 1920, internal troubles had St Kilda in their grip. Cazaly tired of the ringling asked for a permit to play with Carlton. However, under the league District Football scheme, he was prevented from doing so.

St Kilda wanted Cyril Gambetta on whom South had a hold so it was fixed up to switch Cazaly for Gambetta. Sid Campton was largely responsible for his appearance with South.

Cazaly played like a champion during 1921, 22, 23 and 24. Gradually building up the great rock force is stimulated the side. In 1925 he crossed to Minyip as playing coach, but for the two years following he was back again with south and the cry of up there Cazzer again echoed and re-echoed.

About this time City Club Launceston ask certain football official in Melbourne to find them a man who could mix it with a rather difficult Personnel, inspire them and lead them to a premiership. City badly wanted a premiership.

This small committee decided that Cazaly was the man. He went across and began almost a new career. He became as famous a figure in Tasmanian football as he had been in Victoria.

He stayed at Launceston for three seasons and City won two of the three premierships contested. The north under the leadership of Cazaly Triumphed over the South and that means quite a lot in Tasmania.

In 1931 he returned to coach Preston, related something I could experience there. Bowling you in return to Tasmania, over, north Hobart for 2 seasons, in one of which they were premiers, beating Cananore, led by in the grand final.

Then he transferred to New town, and led them to their first premiership in 15 years.

After 2 years at Newtown he was invited to coach Fitzroy. However, south Melbourne had prior claims on his services and he was forced to reject the Fitzroy offer. The next three years at south for among the unhappiest in Cazaly's career.

Everything confirmed

The daily had some remarkable experiences in the game. He told his he's back in these columns and he made such colourful reading and provoke such keen discussion some accused him of drawing the long bow. These people can be assured that everything is only said in his articles was confirmed at a later date by people associated with an incident writing to the office supporting the story.

For example he told the story of how early in his career at St Kilda he got into Holts one practice night with Vic Cumberland. They exchanged blows even though Cazaly when a kid and Cumberland a grown man. When the story was told I received letters saying the Cazaly as a kid would not have stood two seconds against Cumberland.

I was reading these letters when I visited held with two members of the South African rugby team. You wanted to see a picture of David McNamara kicking. He said and wanted to show them his action.

I got the picture and in course of conversation he said how much he was enjoying to Cazaly's articles.

Do you know that story he told about himself and Cumberland fighting at practice brought back happy memories to me he said. You are a Victorian then of course I am. I was St Kilda's a full back in those days, to hold that young kid away from Cumberland. He was fighting mad. It was Wally Grant who was fullback for St Kilda for many years but had been resident in South Africa for some time.

I introduce him to Cazaly again and they spent the rest of the afternoon yarning over old times. So with every other house incident Cazaly related.

Cazaly was a member of the Victorian carnival team that visited in 1921, and was in the Victorian side in that much discussed roughhouse 1924, when Victoria just beat the westerners. tought by Cumberland

Yet Cazaly has the greatest admiration for the football of Cumberland. He was not the perfect physique of a man, told me this week, and taught me all I knew about ruck work. Cumberland never wasted the ball and always passed it on to a team-mate. He was a big man and a big hearted football one of the greatest the game has produced.

When Cazaly was learning the game he jumped weekend and week out after a ball swinging on a piece of elastic. He learn how to swing himself in the air to meet its varied flights.

Going home through the park at night he will run slab up against a tree trunk, turning or swaying at the last minute to avoid crashing into the trunk. Key skills in avoiding appointment was perfected by those tree trunks. He perfected his kicking. He worked for his success.

To back up his football Cazaly has some telling a philosophies. Chief among those is one I will never forget, a man is only as game as he is fit. How true it is, the confidence of physical fitness.

For his own part is only neither smoked nor drank alcohol. He was something of a faddist in his eating. Keep and the frying pan. Not eat a fry to please anyone. You took the most extraordinary care of his body, particularly his feet.

If you want to know when a man is washing up watch his feet he said. If he can't lift his feet he can't lift his game, his heart might still be willing but his best will be second-rate.

He never played a game of football,or, for that matter, took part in any sport without at it's conclusion carefully bathing his feet in a saline bath and thoroughly massaging them.

New Victorians know that in Tasmania is a registered masseur and practiced there for many years.

Of Roy Cazaly I can say this Colin if I wanted a boy of mine to be taught the finest points of football and to be set the example of Manly bearing in a hard relentless game like football I would not hesitate to ask Roy to handle him. I know that any boy would be the better for the example and instruction of this man.

ALAN AND VIC BELCHER Belcher Brothers

Aug 16, 1941 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181710678

Thirty years ago two brothers stood facing each other on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the respective captains of the grand finalists of the year. They laughed as they tossed for choice of ends,' wished each other luck, said something about it being 'all in' to the final bell," and then made arrangements to meet each other afterwards.

Behind the little scene was a good-natured family argument, as imagined there would be when a family of 14 got down to the cheery good purpose of arguing that the team of one brother would win the flag from the team of the other. But the greatest influence behind the little drama was a baker's cart. Which makes this story quite involved.

READERS by now may have guessed that the two who Stood there tossing for choice of ends were Alan Belcher, captain of Essendon, and his four years younger brother, Vic, leader 'of South Melbourne. They were the best of pals. In fact talk to Victor today, is to be immediately impressed by the intense regard he holds for his brother, Alan, who died in 1921.

But when South met the "Same Olds" it was "all in." even though they home to tea together afterwards.

With a family of fourteen to sponsor discussion, can you imagine the happy leg-pulling and good- natured banter that was table talk when the Southerners and the "Same Olds" were due to clash. Some were for Alan, some were for Victor. Such things were bonds when the family circle was larger and simpler. Yet greater pleasures were found with the wider expanse of family life.

The Baker's Cart

WHAT of that baker's cart? Among this big family, Alan and Victor Belcher grew up in Brunswick—mostly as other robust, healthy kids grow up. They played their school football, then migrated to the paddocks. Alan joined Coburg juniors in the VJFA and represented the team in an interstate match at . Then he led Brunswick and again played for Victoria.

Essendon were attracted by his football, and on finding him congenial employment, he joined them in 1906. He played there for 14 years, retiring in 1919. Alan was always the big brother to Vic, and as Vic tells his story you can feel the warmth of his appreciation for his older brother. Then one might well ask, why didn’t Vic join Essendon to?

Vic says he never wanted to. He says that be was the easiest player South ever sought. He was more than half-way with them before they beckoned him. He would have been disappointed not to have played with South. How did it come about?

"It was this wav"—Vic tells, not get a ride on his cart, unless you barracked for South. I was always in on that ride and bun. He talked and talked to us kids about the greatness of South as we rode, around with him till he won me over. I wanted to play with his team. So when the time came I could not get there fast enough. It was this simple thing that meant 14 years of solid service with South as player and captain.

Victor came into football m the footsteps of Alan, so to speak. He was always a year behind him. They were Tasmanians by birth. Alan was born at New Norfolk and Vic at Scotsdale but the family moved to Brunswick when the boys" were still very young. Vic joined Coburg the year after, Alan - Then he too transferred to Brunswick—in 1906—and joined South in 1907. He retired a year after Alan, in 1920.

"Not Good Enough!"

FROM the bribery of rides on the baker's cart developed a sincere partisanship for South. Vic always barracked for South with all the enthusiasm of the youthful.

At that time Bert Howson was secretary of South. One day he surprised the young Brunswick player by calling him from the bench in the Hoffman Potteries and inviting him to play with South. In surprise Vic exclaimed "What! me play with the League, and with South! Why, I'm not nearly good enough for that." He was 17.

He went to South with a reputation as a defender, but Billy Dolphin, then captain, saw his possibilities as a follower and joined him in the ruck with the late "Joker" Cameron. Vic has many a story to tell of the' renowned 'Joker," who was always up to some prank or other, and who played the game as hard as it could be played. Vic, was about 11st, 6lb, and about 5ft, 11in, rather light for a ruck man, and, as he was still in his teens, he can, under, the direct tutorage of Cameron.

Vic tells a good story about a brush between “Joker” and umpire Jack Elder. A South player got into a mix-up in the first half of a final between Carlton and South. Elder had informed this player that he would report him The Incident was discussed in the South room during the interval. "Joker" said: "Look here. I can fix it. When we go out there again, you stagger across the centre and leave the rest to me "

"Joker" was standing close to Elder and Belcher when the victim of Elder's by looking very stupid.

You're not reallv going to report him, Jack'" asked "Joker" with a note of surprise. "Of course. I am; it was a bad case. 'Yes, but he's got concussion. He doesn't know what he's doing."

"Yes—well, I do; and I am still going to report him. I am too old to be bluffed even by you, 'Joker’

The late Skinner, while president of South, once took a party of fellow parliamentarians to East Melbourne one Saturday, to see South play. He was particularly keen to see South win, but things went very wrong in the first half. Skinner took Joker aside, and told him he thought something should be done to shake up the team.

"Joker" agreed, and said he would address the team. Skinner had all his pals gathered round him to hear Joker policy speech – Fortunately, they all had a sense of humour, and all joined with the players in a good laugh at Skinner's expense as "Joker" developed his ideas for the benefit of his team and all his listeners

Missed Three in 210

THERE was a stage of Belcher's career when he had missed only three games in 210 played by South, one in 1911 and two in 1913. In that period 141 games were won, 66 lost and three drawn. He had played in eight semi-finals, five finals and two grand finals. He captained the team many times, and was captain of the Victorian team in 1919, both at Adelaide and Melbourne.

On one occasion when he was captain of South Melbourne Vic was standing on Scotchman’s Hill watching the running of the Melbourne Cup. He had noticed 2 children playing on the bank of the Marybyrnong River. Suddenly he noticed that one had disappeared. Running down the river to the river bank, he was told that a little boy had fallen into the river. Without waiting even to remove his coat, Vic dived into the river in search of the child - On his second attempt his search under the water was successful. He was able to grasp the child, bring him to the surface and swim with him to the bank, where willing hands were waiting to help rescuer and rescued out of the water. The youngster recovered, and undoubtedly owed his life to the prompt action of Belcher. The Footscray police, who saw the rescue bought Belcher’s action under the notice of the Royal Humane Society.

Giving advice to young players, Vic says: "The player who loses his head, loses his value to the side. Keep a cool head. Never allow your opponent to lead you to the ball. If you are doing the leading you have a double shot on a mark and a free kick.

“Never give a free kick away recklessly. Find a team mate to give it to. Study the delivery of the ball, a thing to which not nearly enough is given these days. The man who tries to do all the work himself running on trying to beat opponents on his own is a menace in a side.

Look to Fitness

A YOUNG player must look to his fitness. He can't play football if he is not making sacrifices by training and looking after himself off the field. "There is another very important thing — no man is a footballer till he has learned to kick well with both feet.

"Today there are men playing League football who seem to drill alone without being able to kick with just one leg. They boot the ball into the clouds and think their job is finished."

Talking of the players he played with and against Belcher says that the best big man he saw was his mate Bert Franks. Franks, who played at around 14 stone, was fast and clever. He had a' running drop-kick that often reached 60 yards. Of the general utility players he says that few were the equal of Henry Chase, the Brunswick flying machine. " "

"Chase was the most brilliant player I ever saw. It was an eye opener to see him running with the ball. He had a magnificent stride and threw the ball ahead of him, gathering it in as he strode like a tornado. He was not a really spectacular player. But, I suppose, in the crazy way the game is played today, they would free kick him for throwing the ball if they saw him streaking down the field. Chase was a match- winner and a half and if allowed to play the game without being penalised for his long bounce of the ball would be the greatest attraction in the game today. He was a generation before his time.

Belcher has all sympathy with the umpires today. “The rule makers have ruined the game with their muddling.” He says it like many an old-timer with deep resentment in his voice. "This 'no drop rule' is farcical. No umpire can handle it consistently.

"I have written It before and I repeat it here the Association are to be congratulated on the manner in which they have improved their rules. They have got down to rectifying the abuses in the game. “Umpiring an Association game is a different matter from umpiring in the League."

Never Reported

ALWAYS Belcher was in thick of the game. Victor was never reported in 14 years of League football. After retiring from South he coached the 1922 Fitzroy Premiership team. He also player-coach of the city club Launceston, for one season.

Alan Belcher was a robust type of player Vic says that he and Dyer would be very much alike with their bustling tactics

He could play the game smooth or hard. He was always ready to protect his small men. He retired in 1919 and died in 1921 He represented the State several times He played at 13.6 and stood more than 6ft.

Vic speaks of Alan as the life of the family, a fellow who was in everything, and always on the look-out to put one over the others for the fun of the rest.

VIC CUMBERLAND

The Mighty Cumberland!

Aug 30, 1941- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181711826

Forty three years, almost to the day, August 27, 1898, to be exact—there ran on to Geelong oval a young man who was destined to be among the greatest of the great in the line-up of the giants of Australian football. He was Harry Vivian Cumberland, but more readily recolonized as “Vic” Cumberland, or as “Cumby”.

He mat a veritable Atlas and carried the world of many a football club on his broad shoulders. His was a dominating personality, yet, despite his great strength, it is recorded, he was cautioned by an umpire for unfair play. He was a good soldier—a worthy son of soldiering stock. His last season in the Victorian League was 1920. He was then 43.

ONE day recently a keen eyed wearer of khaki stood at my desk. He produced himself as Sergt Ugler Davie, and without any preliminaries began something like this.

“I've got a complaint against you”

That is new experience for a football writer. He can always be assured of complaints. But here was something different.

“Do you know” he continued, that in your football personality series you omitted the greatest player there ever was - the mighty Cumberland? I challenge you to bring records to prove that there ever was a greater player of service and ability. I’ve got all ‘Cumby's' records ready."

His was indeed a gift from the sheds. I had been scratching the surface of an article on Cumberland, but somehow the right man who could tell me the facts of Cumby's life had not been found till Sgt. Davies issued his challenge.

I’ve got all the facts," he said. "Just give me a day or two and I’ll prove to you just how great Vic. Cumberland was.

True to his word he did and from now this story is his. I've never seen a man so sincere in his apperception of a great player. He worked like a slave to cover every angle of Cumberland’s life.

This is Sgt. Davie's story of the life Cumberland as he told it to me.

Harry Vivian Cumberland was born Mathoura Road Toorak in 1877. The Cumberland family consisted of six girls and four boys. Harry was the youngest son. Charles, the eldest, now living in retirement at Hampton, was a good all-round footballer in Tasmania during the 90's. He still is a splendid physical specimen.

Cecil second eldest, now living at Grafton, N.S.W. was a noted high mark and long kick with Tasmanian teams. According to his brothers, created some exciting diversions with his powerful tear-through methods. He was 6ft.3 ½ and 17 stone, and the day he was set task of checking Paddy Hickey, of Fitzroy was a thriller. Charles was an immensely strong man and could pick an average man up in each hand.

Real Wonder Man

BUT the "Wonder Man" of Australian football was surely Harry Cumberland (Cumby) the great man of St. Kilda. For nearly 30 years he was football's outstanding personality and player. His wonderful record of service has never been surpassed or even equaled by any footballer in the history of the game.

His career was brilliant. Wherever and whenever he played, in other States of Australia, with the AIF in the historic matches played during 1915-18 in England and France, he was always the dominating figure. He began his career as a champion, developed into a super-champion, and continued a giant to the end of his career.

Cumberland and St. Kilda are synonymous terms to the majority of footy supporters. Certainly Cumberland exercised a wonderful influence on the destinies of that team.

He was the most outstanding player in the history of the club, and the considered opinion of many of the greatest exponent of the Australian game since its inception.

In his great length of service he played with and against Thurgood, Trotter, Peter Burns, Condon, Henry Young and McGinis. He beat the big men of the pre-war period, then held his own in post-war football. He met shoulder to shoulder footballers of other States, men who were termed the greatest of the great, and he outplayed them all with his outstanding ability. His fame and popularity were widespread, and his luster was never trimmed.

Strangely, Cumberland did not begin his career with St. Kilda. In 1892, when only 15, he commenced his senior career with the Brighton (Tas.) club. The Tasmanian League, as now constituted was not then in existence, and clubs like Cananore and Lefroy came afterwards. Although he had not inherited tendencies as a footballer—his father not being interested in the game, Harry proved himself a natural footballer, and a follower by build and instinct.

His brothers say that he just could not keep still when a football was about and even in his youth displayed remarkable skill and endurance. During the ensuing six seasons he developed into a champion follower and all-rounder. He was considered quite the best player in Tasmania. Cumberland was ambitious. He wished to play football in Victoria, where already another great Tasmanian, Fred McGinis, had become famous as a member of Melbourne.

In those days, interstate players were not sought by Victorian clubs, as in later years. Payment of players was prohibited, and severe penalties were provided for breaches of the rules. In August. 1898, Cumberland came to St.Kilda to live, wishing to play with that team. By chance, he visited St. Kilda ground, where a junior match was to be played, and one of the teams being short of a man Cumberland was invited to play.

Mr G. W. Lamb, who was then secretary of the Melbourne League team was also a spectator, and he was so impressed with Cumberland's play that he invited him to join 'their senior team. So it was that in 1898 Cumberland became a League player.

Young Surprised

'HE following Saturday, August 27, 1898, Melbourne played at Geelong, and Cumberland was included as a follower. The League teams then consisted of 20 men, the ruck consisting of four; followers and one rover.

Melbourne's opening ruck that day was:—Followers: Cumberland, Moodie, Wardill, J. H. Reppon; rover. F. McGinis. Melbourne did not win that match, but it was a triumph for Cumberland, who was the best player on the ground. This was a notable feat, as in addition to the players mentioned, other notable players participating were Leith. Herring and McCulloch (M.) and Peter Burns. Jack Conway, and the McShanes.

Henry Young who was recovering from a broken leg, was a spectator and he remarked to Herb Fry, the Melbourne follower, who was also a spectator. "Where did you get him? My word, he’s a rare good un!. Commentating upon the match a leading football critic wrote:-

"In Cumberland, Melbourne have found a player of great merit. His play on Saturday stamped him as a champion."

The next match was at St. Kilda, and this was won by Melbourne, Cumberland repeating his performance of the previous week, showing St. Kilda what they had lost. The title of champion player of the season 1898 was awarded to of Fitzroy, but the following comment was added:-

“If he had participated in the required number of matches, the newcomer (Cumberland) would have been awarded the honor. He has proved himself a champion, and more than held his Tasmanian reputation. From his very first match. Cumberland had impressed his team-mate with his personality. His mastery of the game and dashing play were an inspiration. ln Premier Side

For long years Melbourne had been struggling to gain highest honors in the football world. With the Inclusion of Cumberland, Melbourne began to gain prominence. In 1900. After being for years nearly always nearer the bottom than the top. Melbourne secured its first premiership since 1876.

Fitzroy, which had secured successive premierships in 1898 and 1899 were defeated in the final match. Cumberland again played a leading part in the victory. Incidentally Melbourne were not premiers again till 1926.

In 1903, Cumberland transferred to St. Kilda, which had won only one match in the preceding three seasons, that season, Cumberland's great play Inspired the St. Kilda team, and it won when, to their dismay, midway through the season, their champion. Cumberland, departed for New Zealand.

Cumberland almost established the game in New Zealand. He helped to form teams, and his own wonderful play was a great advertisement for the Australian game. New Zealand was represented at the 1908 Jubilee Carnival at Melbourne, so the previous efforts of Cumberland had borne fruit.

In 1909, Cumberland transferred to the Sturt club (S.A.), with the loss of Cumberland, StKilda simply went to pieces. In the next three seasons, the team won five one matches, as follows:- 1909 (2) 1910 (1) , 1911 (2). Meanwhile, Cumberland was making the game in .

Sturt, formed in 1901 had entered the final four only in 1906. Cumberland again proved a dominating factor in a club's success. In an advanced position on the list in 1909, the team was in the final four in 1910 and 1911.

In August, 1911, the Carnival was held at Adelaide. Teams from every State but competed. Victoria the champions of 1908 held at Melbourne, were strong favourites for the title.

South Australia and Victoria won all heir preliminary matches and met in deciding match.

South Australia, captained by E.L. Lethe, won the championship in a decisive manner. The victory was largely due to the great play of Cumberland, who showed amazing form against his former comrades.

In 1911 the for the most brilliant, most consistent and fairest footballer of the SA League was awarded to Cumberland.

In commenting on this award one authority wrote: Four Titles in Row

"CUMBERLAND, during the past season has played with unparalleled brilliancy. His play In the Carnival games against the best footballers in Australia stamps him not only as the greatest footballer In Australia, but the champion: all round footballer."

In 1912. Cumberland returned to St.Kilda. The three preceding, seasons had been disastrous, and the 1912 team was an unproved combination.

Cumberland's dominating play and Influence was again a stimulating factor, and the team had its most successful season, winning more matches than in any previous season, and playing Fitzroy In the grand final.

This was the year St. Kllda should have been premiers, but they were battered into submission to the position of runners-up.

In 1912 the Tobler Cup was awarded to the champion of Victoria, by public vote. Cumberland, then back with StKilda, won the award by a substantial majority,

Again in 1913 and 1914 this contest was held, and on each occasion Cumberland won by a large majority. Cumberland was probably the possessor of more trophies and awards than any other footballer.

In 1914 — StKilda though not quite so successful won nine matches and one was drawn.

Cumberland was a splendid specimen. He was strongly built being 5ft 11 ½ in height and weighting 13.7. His perfect physical condition was a great factor In his football successes. His absolute fairness was traditional.

Natural Soldier

PROBABLY If Cumberland had he would have been a great soldier. From every angle of heredity soldiering should have been his natural and logical life.

The Cumberland’s had been distinguished soldiers for generations. “Cumby’s" grandfather. Gen. Cumberland was an Imperial Army officer who came early days from as England commanding to Tasmania officer of the 96th and 38th Foot Regiments. The grandfather devoted his life to soldiering, serving in Nova Scotia, Halifax and India, and his sons followed in his footsteps. Cumberland's father. Pergrine served, for many years in the commissioned ranks, but on being appointed to an important position in the Customs Department resigned his commission.

Cumberland's opportunity to follow family tradition came comparatively late in life. He enlisted in the A.l.F. in 1915 and was attached to the 29th Battalion. He proved a grand soldier, and wherever the light was thickest he was there with a cheery word and a stout arm. He was wounded three times.

The 29th Battalion boasted the crack football team of the AIF. As with every other team with which he played, Cumberland was a dominating figure. The team was captained by Bob Rahilly (Fitzroy) and included Bob Corbett (Melb.). Vic. Jones (Prahran). And "Doc" Seddon and Paddy Rowan (Coll.).

The 29th team was the champion of the 8th Brigade. Then they won the championship of the 5th Division. Then the 5th Divvy beat all-comers. In all these triumphs Cumberland was an inspiration. His great play surely earned, him the title of Champion of the A.l.F.

Cumberland returned from the war in 1920. It seemed a fitting time for him to call a halt to his active football. He had had a long and distinguished career. But he found there was still work to be done.

He stepped off the troopship to find his beloved St. Kilda in the throes of an annual "flare-up." Leading players were on strike, and refused to strip unless another player—a champion – was omitted. Cumberland strode on the scene. The dissenting players tried to dissuade him from playing, but he put StKilda first and found a uniform again. His first match was against Collingwood at Victoria Park on King's Birthday, July 7, 1920.

Played at 43

Few knew that he would play and St. Kilda supporters down in the depths over the dispute among the players, yelled and yelled their appreciation when their "Mighty Cumby" pranced onto the arena. He was then 43. That game was a triumph for Cumberland, who gave a magnificent exhibition of football. t the conclusion the crowd cheered him to the echo. The St. Kilda room was a rare sight and StKilda and Collingwood players and officials stood there cheering the player whom they chose to describe as the "grand old man" of football. St. Kilda supporters presented him with a wallet of notes.

Yet 29 of the 36 players in that game had not been born when Cumby played his first game. He finished the season with Saints, and then announced his retirement. St. Kilda gave him testimonial.

Cumberland told his friends that the time had come when the knocks of the game were shaking him up, but he did not point out the rather nasty wounds on his knee, wrist, and face he had sustained overseas with the A.LF.—wounds which would have influenced a less heroic fellow to forget all ideas of even one more season in football.

Some months before his death in 1921 he was injured while riding a cycle. He collided with a wandering "cow' near Ferntree Gully. He recovered from the injuries he received

Cumberland's record summarized was:—

Played on 27 occasions in representative matches for Victoria and South Australia

Played in 273 premiership games in Victoria and South Australia (Melbourne 60, St.Kilda 155, Sturt 58).

In addition, he played scores of games in Tasmania, New Zealand with the AIF and a season with Collegian

He scored 247 goals in premiership games and 58 goals in representative games.

His football lifeline was:—

1892-98.

Tasmania; 1898-1901,

Melbourne; 1902, Collegians (Cumberland was refused a permit to St.Kilda, and played the season with Collegians, whose home ground was St Kilda;' Collegians won the premiership);

1903-4, St. Kilda

1904-05-06, New Zealand

1907-08, St. Kilda

1909-10-11, Sturt (S.A.)

1912-13-14

15. St. Kilda;

1915-19, A.l.F.

1920, St. Kllda. Contemporary players and press reorts prove that Cumberland was always a champion, whether in wet conditions. He specialized in wet, fine, or windy conditions. He spcialised in the punt for general play, but was a neat stab-kick. His long place-kicks were famous. He was a magnificent mark, his superb timing and judgment always giving him the drop on the ball, he was particularly clever with his handball, and was perhaps the only follower who, marked the boundary throw in with both hands, turned and handballed it too his rover.

ROY CAZALY on CUMBERLAND

ROY CAZALY was a partner in the ruck with Cumberland at St. Kilda. Writing of his football days. "Cazzer" referred to the mighty Cumberland in these words:—

"Cumberland was a game and tenacious fellow. One day at Richmond we were having a torrid time against Hughie James and Moffatt. 'Moff' was a difficult man to overcome. He was as big as a house, and to get round him was a test of ability. We were being beaten in the ruck, and Moff' was doing the damage.

"Cumberland, running back into the arena at half-time, said to me, "well, we have to get round him or over him.' "The ball went out of bounds, and on the throw-in 'Cumby' leapt high right over Moffatt and James and hit it to the rover. The ball was wet and heavy, and as Cumberland came to earth the blood was streaming from his hand.

"He had split the webbing of his hand right to the palm. The injury would have made a man less tenacious leave the field to have the stitches inserted, but Cumberland said as we gathered round him. 'No, just bind it up tight. We've got to win this match.' And win it we did.

"When you serve your apprenticeship with a game fellow like Cumberland, and one li; who backed his gameness with outstanding ability in the real points of football, you naturally grow close to him."

TOM FITZMAURICE Tom Fitzmaurice…..a Genius

Sept 6, 1941 - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181712241

This is the story of football's most travelled footballer, good-natured, big hearted, big framed Thomas Joseph Fitzmaurice. He stood 6 ft. 4 in., weighed 14 1/2 stone. Tom jumped so high that he was declared on a plebiscite to the highest mark in Victoria. He hit them so solidly that he cleared the deck as he dashed through with the ball. He found time in between football seasons to win a State athletic title, to row, and to compete against such a world star as Marjorie Lawrence in a singing championship. He met every situation with sunny good nature.

But Tom wasn't in football for his singing. He was one of the most sensational players the game has produced—a champion in every regard. He towered above his peers a giant in the defense of premiership teams.

Were the Fitzmaurices a family of sportsmen?

"I don't know about that." Fitzmaurice replied to my question, "but my Dad was a champion at hurling in Ireland.

A champion hurling player in Ireland seems to be sufficient hereditary recommendation for a champion Australian rules footballer. Don't they say that Australian football was a development from Irish football?

Today Tom retains all his good nature and his broad smile. He talks of football as he would tell a humorous story. That was much the way he played - happy to be able to play, happy to be in a great game until he was 41.

Finest Individualist

CHARLIE HARDY, who was a rover in the premiership Essendon teams of 1923-24, and one of the famous mosquito fleet, describes Fitzmaurice as "the finest individual he ever saw." And Charlie has seen them big, small, fatty and lean. He was a fine team man," says Hardy "both because of his sunny good-natured disposition and his wonderful football. But he was something more. No man I ever saw could lift a game in an Individual way as could Tom. He was a super-man when he wanted to be.

Firstly, he was a great athlete—a high jump champion and a fine sprinter. Then, for a big man, he was well balanced and clever to him in all his movements. I remember saying to him after one game, when we were under the shower: "Tom, I honestly believe that you could compete with any athlete in the world if you wanted to. In Australia there would be no footballer that could touch you if you would only take yourself more seriously." "If I were to criticize Tom it would be to say that seldom did he allow himself to go flat out. Seldom did he call on the reserves he had. "He was always good-natured, and never once did I see him 'rub it In' against a man he had beaten. So long as things were going all right Tom was happy."

Hardy says that Tom was irresistible in the air. He seemed to tower over his opponents. When he came through playing the ball on the ground his great weight and strength up-ended the opposition like skittles.

Barred From Football

THE joke is that when he was a growing lad-and how he grew!—Tom could not persuade the Brothers at North Melbourne C.B.C. that he could play football. He could not get a game with the team, no matter how hard he tried. When he moved on to St. Patrick's College there was the same story. He could not make the team. In fact, the Brother in charge of football put a ban on Tom even playing football in the yard. He jumped so high that he was a danger both to himself and the other boys. He was football's ugly duckling.

So Tom played only handball until he was persuaded to join up with the Essendon C.Y.M.S. Until he began to develop in the natural rough and tumble of junior football, he was never considered good enough. But that day passed. Tom began to win a reputation among the juniors. He was nearly 17 at the time, and a junior at the Commonwealth Bank. Came the day when a friend in the Commonwealth Bank persuaded him to try at Carlton. Tom was only a youth, and went along somewhat, apologetically to train at Carlton on the Tuesday and Thursday nights. There was a practice game on the Saturday, and he was delighted when told to attend.

Along he went with about a dozen pals, all keen to see how he shaped. They were all boys together one in, all in. To their disgust. Tom was left sitting on a form while everybody seemed in a hustle and bustle to prepare for the match. Then an official said something about getting a game in the second half, when they read out the teams for the second half Tom was still left sitting on the form.

"They left me high and dry,", he says with a laugh. So back to Essendon C.Y.M.S. he went for the rest of the season. The indifference they showed that day cost Carlton one of the greatest players Australian football has produced. Imagine Clover at centre half-forward and Fitzmaurice at centre halfback—could a greater combination have been produced anywhere? It was Carlton's black day when they left big Tom sitting on that form.

Selected At Once

PLAYING with the C.Y.M.S. at the time was a former Essendon player—Billy Mongan. He saw the possibilities In Fitzmaurice and persuaded him to try, his luck with Essendon. Tom was selected immediately, and in his first game was pitted against a great player in Dave McNamara. He took a mark or two over Dave, and at the end of the game was greatly heartened to receive a sincere "well done" from the St. Kilda champion. That was in 1918. He played as a follower. The following year he was in the games against South Australia and already spoken of as a coming champion.

In 1921 Fitzmaurice was transferred by the bank to Sydney. Immediately he became one of a "gang" of Australian rules players who set about improving the standard of the game in Sydney. They decided to start a new team. Introducing the proposal at a meeting of the League, Des. Beard, former St. Kilda player, said, "Not only will we start a new team, but we'll win the premiership." There was a general laugh at that, and, as a mild rebuke against overconfidence, the chairman said, "Well, that is nice to know; my team has been trying to win a premiership for 15 years."

That put the newcomers on a spot. Behind Beard, in addition to Fitzmaurice, were Paddy Shea, Gerald Rush and Gerald Ryan. There could be no going back on Beard, so they won the premiership for North Sydney in the first year of the club. Experiences in Sydney had determined Fitzmaurlce on one course. He was no longer going to play in the ruck. "I began to realise that if I wanted a long innings at the game I had to desert the ruck work and settle down as a place man" he tells. "A ruck man, taking all the hard knocks the game offers, has a very limited life. I wanted something more than knocks, so I decided to specialize as a centre half- back. I did not play ruck regularly on my return to Essendon in 1922. I went into their side as centre half- back, and stayed there'. "On occasions I have played centre half-forward, and with North Melbourne played full-forward."

.

A happy transfer from Sydney back to Melbourne allowed Fitzmaurice to resume with Essendon the first season they went from East Melbourne to their home ground at Essendon. Immediately they prospered. A steady influx of players of the right type had strengthened the ide, and it was soon apparent that with the transfer of Syd Barker, George Rawle, and Charlie Hardy - the crack North Melbourne ruck - Essendon were in the premiership reckoning. They missed the flag the first year, but in the following year they had what Fitzmaurice describes as the best balanced football combination he ever saw in action.

The Perfect Team

THERE were eight men over 6 feet. There was a squad of small men known as Essendon's famous mosquito fleet. Between the two was a solid phalanx of sturdily-built men of medium height and build. "It was the perfect team," says Tom. "There were men for any job—giants, midgets who were scouts, clever and evasive, and, in between, fast-moving good, marking types, rugged and tenacious.

We were well led by Syd. Barker. "They won the premiership of 1923, and repeated the dose in 1924. Then took place the much-discussed match between Essendon and the Association premiers, Footscray. The match was listed for the championship of the State. Footscray won comfortably.

Tom walked into the room after that game and handed in his uniform. He openly criticised the showing of some Essendon men and declared that he would never play with the side again.

The following year be transferred to Geelong. Geelong won the premiership that year - the first premiership for 40 years.

It was that famous grand final against Collingwood about which I recalled some incidents when writing on Bert Chadwick. The following year Geelong were In the finals again but his old team, Essendon, knocked them out. He remained at Geelong till the end of 1929 season. Football once became heavy going to Fitzmaurice. He had a knee injury—not an unexpected thing, considering his mighty leaps and his great height and weight. He thought his career was finished. One day he was in the fish market where another Essendon player, Jenkins, had a stall. He was limping around when Jenkins said "Come over and see Fred Wren. He'll fix you up!

“At another stall they found Fred Wren, who is now registered as a masseur at Footscray and a man who has done many a crippled footballer a good turn by healing an obstinate injury. Tom had had the best advice, and was almost resigned to the fate of a "kronk knee" for the rest of his life. He was, therefore, somewhat chary when Wren said that he could fix the Injury. He asked many questions but finally consented to let Wren treat the knee. "He fiddled around with the knee for some time." Tom tells, "Then he said, 'It's fixed—now go out and try it with a football.' "I got up rather unconvinced, I fear, but the knee felt better; so I did go out there and kick a football I thought the slightest pain or weakness, Fred Wren put me back in the game". Tom says that he was rather an indifferent kick—mainly because of this recurring knee injury. However, with the knee healed he spent three months mastering his kicking and finally became an accurate kick. In 1930 he was playing coach of Mortlake. Then followed two years at Yarraville, where again the team was in the finals. He spent four years with North Melbourne — three of them as centre-forward. He was with Brunswick for a few weeks, and then transferred to Penguin, Tasmania. There followed years with Manuka in the Canberra League, during which the team won the title. Tom retired in 1939, at the- age of 41. During his senior career, he was never reported.

Always Temperate

WHAT kept him fit enough to remain so long in football? "I always looked after myself and was very temperate in all things," he says. I never knocked myself about." Such a travelled player must have seen champions in his day — who was his star player? Without a second's hesitation, Tom answered: " 'Snowy' Hamilton, the South Australia. He stood alone, a real top-notcher — a regular 'bottler. 'I never saw his equal. I have seen him play like a champion at centre half-forward, centre half-back, in the centre; I have seen him play on the wing and rove - all in interstate company. Just imagine a record like that. For his inches he was a marvellous mark. Fast? He could run a 'hundred' in evens. He had everything — balance, speed, the heart of a lion, and skill above the ordinary. "If you were to ask me who was the best big man I ever met I would pick another South Australian—Tom Leahy —and he couldn't kick over a chalk line. Yet he gave his rovers a rocking chair ride, and held the best ruckmen of his day impotent against him. "Of the centre half-forwards I met, Horrie Clover and Jack Collins always made me hustle. Horrie did the straight stuff perfectly, but that Collins fellow just couldn't be cornered. He had more pace, and in turning and evading you more talent, that Horrie, who was more a wonderful mark and kick.

"I was always taken with the play of Haydn Bunton. I know he was not a good kick, and he became rather too much of an individualist, but he was a super-footballer all the same. If he had been disciplined to teamwork, the game would not have had a better. But football was not the only sport at which Tom succeeded. He won the Victorian high jump championship, and the same year was second in the shot putt. He played an average game of cricket, rowed with the Essendon Rowing Club, and was a tough nut at handball.

Now he contents himself with golf. He plays a round before breakfast every morning just to keep his muscles in trim. He is bar manager at the Prince of Wales Hotel, St.Kllda. There was another side to the Fitzmaurice talent. He had a glorious baritone voice, and at one stage was almost persuaded to study singing as a career. He confesses with a smile that he competed against Marjorie Lawrence at The Geelong Comunn-Na-Fienne.

ROB McGREGOR

A Carlton Champion

Sept 13, 1941- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181712624

From the start of this series of football personalities I have wanted to include an appreciation of one of our greatest players who, because of the example he set on the field, was one of the men who really matter in the history of the game. Sat is Rod McGregor — Carlton's champion centre man of another day.

My difficulty was frankly this: For some years Rod has been a member of The Globe football staff, where his talent as a writer has not passed unnoticed by the football public.

As such, Rod had become one of the family. And' it did not seem quite the thing to write' appreciations about ourselves—so to speak. However, that difficulty has been removed in the best manner possible.

Out of the blue one morning this week a letter arrived from Dr. James N. Shelton. It was an unsolicited appreciation of Rod McGregor's football, his character, and his place in the game.

Surely here was the greatest compliment that could be said any player—that a medical man in the midst of his life should make the time to write so full an appreciation of McGregor as did Dr. Shelton

IN the annals of Victorian football the name of Rod McGregor is imperishable. At the outset of his brilliant career even before the zenith of his powers, he was the accomplished pivot of the famous Carlton side of 1906-7-8

What more need be said then that he was the scintillating centre-link in the most famous centre-line of all time. Bruce, McGregor and Kennedy The trio which graced the all-conquer Blues.

Why was it so all-conquering? Well the best explanation, I think, is as follows, The Blues had the great for fortune of possessing, as coach, the famous Jack Worrall.

Worrall always to his credit unwavering and steadfast to his own ideas, pronounced the dictum (which nowaday would shock many football fans) that a good big man is better than a good little man every time. On these lines he gathered and coached to perfection in football- sense a team of veritable giants.

Thus we find Worrall's Carlton artillery composed of Marchbank, Fred Jinks, Norman Hackenschmidt Clarke, Payne, Ford, Mallee Johnson, Hammond, Harvey Kelly, yet he was not so ______to ignore the potential talent with more medium-statured players, such as Rod McGregor, presenting and their standing ability was therefore a strength In this regard he showed a lot of genius as actually. Rod was big in stature alone, a centre-player with confidence. Tall enough, slim in the waist but solid in hips and buttocks, he was endowed by nature in such a way as to be capable of withstanding the inevitable knocks yet with slim-wasted figure he had an elusiveness which made him a positive nightmare to opponents. And what opponents! The field of Rod's adversaries included none less than Harry Cordner (Uni), Jock McHale (Coll), Joe Slater (Geel), Lal McLennan (Fitz), Billy Stewart (Ess), Billy Schmidt (Rich), J. ("Ginger ") Stewart (St. K.). and Dick Mullaly (S.M.). What a field! Of It I am oft reminded by the real "field" in a famous Linlithgow Stakes at Flemington on Oaks Day, a field which included, in the classic w.f.a.. The Hawk. Heroic, Manfred, Pilliwinkie, The Night Patrol (winner), etc.

Well, if Rod McGregor., as "winner," responded to Lord Stradbroke's horse, would any of the above- named famous opposing centres be offended to be dubbed "the mere Heroic Or Manfred"? I do not think so.

No Less a Champion

CONTINUING the analogy, there are, naturally, "horses for courses." and if, on solitary occasions, "Wee" McGregor, as he was known to Blues supporters, he had to strike his colors to, say, Harry Cordner or Joe Slater, he was none the less a champion.

In my schoolboy enthusiasm of nose days, though never a Carlton supporter. I often pictured the dilemma of opposing half-backs. Well might they have said:

"If I kick along the wing I will see George Bruce tantalise my teammate by that habit of his of grounding the ball, then dancing around him to kick down the centre, Rod McGregor will assuredly annoy any man with that deadly elusiveness with which he worms and backs out of a crush before they know where he was.

“The unfortunate half-back was thus between the Charybdis of wing play and the Scylla of a centre drive.

I fancy Rod learned that clever backing-out move from the wily "Joker" Hall. I have never seen It to such perfection since, despite great later centres such as , MeI Morris. Colin Martyn. Alan Hopkins and Alan La Fontaine.

However, having cleverly backed out it became a case of what Rod then did with the ball. With deadly precision, a la Percy Parratt, he delivered with unique still-arm action, a perfect stab pass to the half- forwards imagine the delight of present-day (incorrigibly wandering) footballers, if their half-forwards, be they Griggs, Baggot or Wrout, etc, had a Rod McGregor or Percy Parratt to stab pass to them.

Oh! for the arts now seemingly almost lost, of the play of those times the deadly passing of McGregor. Parratt, Ricketts (S.M.). George Haines and Alex Eason (Geel), the magnificent place taking of Dave McNamam (StK) Billy Dolphin (S.M.). "Cocky" Strang (SM) father of Gordon and Doug, of later Richmond fame), Harvey Kelly (Carl), and Martin Ratz (Uni) the glorious punt kicking of Leo Seward (uni). Frank Caine (Carlt) and later Gordon Rattray (Fitz)

If present-day half-forwards were in motion, by arm or gesture, or other_____ their intention to have a punt shot from distances which were sitters to Seward. Caine and Rattray, The crowd would probably laugh deliriously at their optimism!

In accelerated pace-crazy play, plus meddlesome tinkering with the rule have we advanced.

Meanwhile, the score-board proclaims the flattering tribute of something like 2.27 to 19.20. While the play itself positively screams for a Percy Parratt, Rod McGregor, a “Dokie” McKenzie or more La Fontaines to slow the tempo to a medium comparable with brainy calculating play.

In Rod McGregor's Carlton premiership days a "battle of giants" between Carlton and South might see the Blues emerge victorious with say 9-10 to 8-12, and with a South half-back line of Grimshaw, Son Thomas and Scobie to get past to do it!

Well-Sustained Skill

HOW well Rod McGregor sustained, over the years, his magnificent centre line play is exemplified by one match alone. In 1919 approximately 14 years after he first starred —he played centre for the Blues in the match of the season, played at Princes Oval between Carlton and Collingwood. before a crowd of 45,000. In that match, the outstanding players were both Carltonians—Harry Furnell (now Lieut Col. with the A.I.F. abroad), and Rod McGregor.

Furnell in what was virtually a League debut, that day created furore—almost pandemonium—in the Blues' grandstand by his magnificent half-forward play.

Yet he would be the first to admit the assistance he received from the deadly precision of his brilliant centre. Rod McGregor, a true champion and an ornament to the game.

When tempers were frayed, maelstrom of trouble brewing, that always rather serious expression of Rod's became still more serious, as with knit brow, he surveyed the scene as if to say "Get on with the game." No doubt he loved the game he adorned so much that he resented any "undignified" interruption.

They say that genius betokens "an infinite capacity for talking pains." on which definition alone Rod McGregor was a football genius. Of such stuff are made Bobby Jones and Cotton of golf: . of cricket; and Rod McGregor, of football!

With such concentration did his centre play uplift what may generally be acknowledged as the greatest League side of all time — the Carlton side of 1906-7-8.

Champions in football often prove in practice, difficult for a young, aspiring player to emulate. A classic instance of this truth was that super-champion, Cazaly, who was simply a law unto himself.

With the list of famous centres the same principle usually applies. For instance, there was only one Billy Schmidt, who frequently played as though intoxicated into rashness by his very brilliance.

The non-stop "mark and run" play of brilliant centres, like Mel Morris of Richmond premier teams and the [bustling brilliant Cargie Greeves of Geelong: may have been difficult for a young player to copy.

But among all the brilliant centres we have seen, from the days of the famous Dick Condon to the present young -- player ' had, in Dick Condon to the present , a young player had, in Rod McGregor a perfect model to follow, both in play and in unimpeachable conduct on the field.

Background Of Rod McGregor

ON a certain Eight Hours Day some time back a young player , with Essendon Town casually dropped into the shop of "Joker" Hall near Victoria Market. They were soon busy talking football when "Joker," who always had something more at the back of his skull than mere talk, said "Rod. Carlton are short for their' practice this afternoon—like a game?"

Those were the days when a youngster would walk there and back to get a game—how different it is today, and Rod was half-way to Carlton with no more thought than that there was a game of football and he was in the team.

Joker was ahead of him to John Worrall, secretary and coach, of the Blues.

This fellow is the rover you want he told officials. So Rod went out, had his game, and was on his way out of the dressing rooms when Worrall arrested him with "When can you get your clearance?" That was soon fixed.

But before this had its proper place in the background of this great player much had transpired,

McGregor's school days and early associations with the game were spent at Daylesford, largely in admiring the local football giants. One of these, Alf (Bruiser) Wood, a great player for Melbourne in the late nineties, was the hero of every local youth with football aspirations. He was a splendid drop-kick with either foot, and McGregor himself tells that he first got the idea of using right and left foot by watching Alf in action.

No doubt the desire to emulate such a prominent personality had something to do with it. He states that practically every player of note in the district was a good drop-kick.

Punting was looked on as a sign of weakness, and as the greatest Imitators in the world, the boys naturally, followed their elders. It was from such a beginning that delivery of the ball by drop kicking was to stand him in such good stead in later life.

His career actually began when he came to Melbourne early in the present century and lived at North Melbourne, close to Royal Park. The park at that time was teeming with junior teams of high quality, and as most of is associates round Hotham Hill were connected with Brougham Street Methodists, he soon gravitated to that team and had his first competitive football in the Metropolitan Churches competition.

With nothing to offer except an unbounded enthusiasm for the game, he had all the misgivings of a beginner, but the sponsors of that competition were very helpful. They exercised strong discipline, kept the game clean and encouraged young players no end.

In those days they went to the ground dressed over and under, with threepence for the umpire, and hung coat and pants on a fence or nearby tree.

Strangely enough McGregor never remembers losing anything. It wasn't cricket to pinch a player's pants while he was playing, although after the game he had to look after himself.

Game's Greatest Feeder

HE Metropolitan' Churches' competition was the greatest feeder to senior clubs before or since. To mention a few of the clubs and players In the northern sector where Mac was most associated we find

ST. LUKE'S, Fltzroy—Percy Trotter, Les Mlllis, Lou Barker.

ST. JUDE'S, Carlton—Ted and Jim Kennedy, Prank Hince, Alex Barlow, Jack and Vln Gardiner.

BROUGHAM STREET. North Melbourne—McGregor, Em Cameron and later Fred Baring for the League, and half the North Melbourne side.

SPENSLEV STREET, Clifton Hill- Bill Walker and the Hammonds (Charlie and Jack).

PARKVILLE PRES.—Alex Lang, Les Beck, Doug Gillespie.

Players of this quality gave an edge to the competition that kept the play at a high standard and produced players ready made to step straight into senior ranks in such class there was no middle course. You went up or down and, fortunately for Mac, he went up.

Three years of this and an invitation came from the "Same Old" to go and have a try-out at East Melbourne. After a month's training and four practice matches a place could not be found, so he drifted back to the Park. But not for long. A couple of mates in Vic. Hambridge and Billy Payne (Ess Town) persuaded him to come along with them and get some coaching under "Joker" Hall, in what was then the Essendon Town team. Here he fell among a great set of chaps who played tor love, won about once in every six tries, but thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

This was in' 1904’ and during that year he tells us that he was properly tested out by a coach who permitted no slacking. "Joker" didn't care how they came—biff, small, good-looking or ugly, but he did like them intelligent. He addled round in that quaint style of his until he found the responsive chord in a player, and then he called the tune.

As a coach, Mac classes "Joker" as the greatest student of the individual that ever handled a team and the most sympathetic. Before this he had played football, but here he learned that it could be an art. He feels that he never could have gone so far in the game without the insight into its problems gathered from the teachings of Joker Hall.

Dave McNamara Won Fame with His Boot

Sept 20, 1941- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181713085

At Yarrawonga on January 22, 1887, was born David John McNamara the man who put the "kick" into Australian Football. He kicked a football 97 yards—it was measured in the presence of 10 players and officials at St. Hilda. He secured every position in the St. Kilda club—president, committeeman, selector, captain, and captain-coach. He played football until he was 45 and had playing under him his own son. A grand record, undoubtedly, but one thing always eluded him - do what he would. He worked and worked to do it, but never succeeded. He failed by three yards to kick a football 100 yards—his greatest ambition.

Fancy kicking a football 100 yards or having the nerve to try. Fancy the interest that would be caused when in next Saturday's Grand Final if we could say: "Dave McNamara having kicked a football 97 yards will endeavour to kick 100 yards." How many men could throw a cricket ball 100 yards?

McNamara, because of his prodigious kicking, became a world figure in sport.

THE first day McNamara played with his StKilda he took a mark a long way out near the boundary line. When he started digging to form the mound to “place” the ball somebody over the fence yelled at him “Go back to your farm, you country bumpkin, and dig yourself a burrow”.

The kick was 70 yards out, but Dave knew his capabilities. He drove the goal home and then turned to his astounded critic and said “not bad for the rabbit burrow, eh?”

There were nine children in the McNamara family, eight boys and a girl. They were of a well-known family of stock and station auctioneers.

As a lad Dave was always something overgrown, tall almost to a fault. He played football with his brothers and could always kick and mark better than the others.

His brother, known as Boosey, after having successfully played at Xavier College in 1891-92, went back to Cobram and took with him the idea of finger-tip marking. Before then the marking had always been done on the chest. Boosey, was also a splendid place kick. Dave, attracted by the ability of his brother, determined to become an expert fingertip mark and a champion place kick. He succeeded beyond his boyish dreams.

At 15 he started his senior football career with Numurkah. He finished playing in the league at 37. He played amateur football with his son at Ormond at 45.

Had to work Hard

McNamara had to work hard for his success in kicking. As a lad he placed the ball on a tin and practiced to drive his toe of his left boot accurately right into the spot on the ball where the four seams met. He found that the most important thing about kicking was not the position of the kicking foot, so much as where you placed and pointed the foot on which you stood and balanced.

A left-footer, Dave found that it was essential that the right foot should be placed accurately beside the ball, pointing directly at the place where the ball was to be driven. Gradually the height of the ball from the ground was reduced. A tobacco tin was used. All the time that long distance driving swing follow through was being perfected. When finally the tin was discarded altogether, Dave placed the ball on a heap of dirt, still exposing the end of the ball where the seam met, to receive his boot.

TO build up more easily his little pile of dirt, he had a thin steel plate fitted into the heel of his boot. He used this heel to drag the turf against the side of his other book.

Dave says that for accuracy the place kick is unrivalled.

Against Geelong, at StKilda, in 1922 he had 12 kicks for goal. They were all place kicks and some of them up to and more than 70 yards. He had got ten goals, hit the post once and one behind.

What forward today could produce such a record? Most of the men kicking today have ten shots for 4.6 What would Carlton have given for a man who could kick 10.2 from 12 kicks against Melbourne on Saturday, when their forwards got something like a goal from half a dozen shots?

What would Collingwood have done with 10.2 from 12 shots this season when their young side battled up and almost won a place in the four, despite indifferent forward work?

Accuracy is one think the game has lost. Men do not take the time to steady before kicking. In the scrambling inaccuracy, the place kick because of its deliberate preliminaries, has been shunned. The player how thinks himself equal to a place kick is derided by the crowds.

Would these same crowds deride McNamara as he walled up his mound of turf as he carefully tilted the ball measuring his run and then, turning drove his left foot squarely into the ball and sent it sailing, a goal from 70-80 yards out?

Great High Kicker

Who would have the last laugh? Here surely would be accomplishment beyond the ordinary success undreamed of today. Yet they laugh and jeer at the means adopted to bring about such accuracy and such success by the greatest kick ay code of football produced.

McNamara got…. 107 goals from centre half forward in a season 18 goals in a day from Centre half forward All with the place-kick

Dave rightly says, laugh and jeer, away success like that next time you see a player taking a place kick. When he entered the league, McNamara stood 6ft 3½ in his socks. Three seasons later he was the heaviest member of the carnival team at 14.2. In his final playing days in football he weighed 15 stone.

His reach – fingertip to fingertip was 6ft 9

But most remarkable about the physical accomplishments of McNamara was and still is his high kicking ability. In his heyday, Dave could hold his arm at full length above his head and kick his fingers. Today at 54 he can still kick a stick held at the height of a full span of his hand above his head.

Illustrating his prowess, Dave walked across to a 6ft 6in doorway without even the least exertion from a linoleum covered floor, he kicked the top of the doorway, just to show he had not dropped back any. A good story is told of Dave’s high kicking. He was in a hotel with a touring team, when the district’s famous high kicker, with a few drinks on board, placed a £5 note on the counter and challenged anyone to a kick higher than he.

Dave took him up, but refused to kick for the fiver, suggesting that drinks for the crowd would be more appropriate.

The district champion took off his coat and kicked his highest.

“Is that your best?” Dave asked. He looked around the bar for a mark considerably higher than the district’s best and then, without taking off his coat, or even buttoning it, stretched out his long leg and tapped the object. The drinks were on the district champ.

Every day McNamara spends considerable time doing his own curriculum of physical jerks. He does a series of high kicks, swings down, bumping his buttocks on his heels. Then proceeds with that old and honoured test of bending forward and touching the ground in front of him with the tops of his fingers. Dave goes one better, he touches the ground with the heels of his hands.

It was while he was doing his daily high kicks at Daylesford that the photograph published here was snapped by another visitor. Dave did not know it was being taken. He says that it is better like that, for when one is snapped without knowing self-consciousness does not come into the matter.

American Request

I said that McNamara’s kicking had been recognised worldwide. It is only a year or so back that an American University asked for details of McNamara’s kicking technique. They were sent the photograph published with this article, for no description of his technique could be as convincing nor as demonstrative.

When the last South African rugby team was passing through Victoria they called at The Globe Offie to see the action pictures of McNamara kicking. Some of them obtained copies to take away and study.

Perhaps the most remarkable instance of McNamara’s reputation comes from Paris. When Fred Meeley, of Essendon, was passing through that sad city, he saw an illustrated French paper, this self-same photograph bearing this caption.

“M.Mac Namara, de Melbourne, qe a remporte le Championnat de ball kicking avec une distance de 84 metres.”

Years of study in the art of kicking bought to McNamara a very intimate knowledge of footballs. He says that many balls played with in League games are not at all in the interests of good kicking. There is a mistaken idea that the ball must be new to serve the best interests of a game. Nothing of the kind, says Dave.

It must be a ball thoroughly broken in If it is to be kicked well. Too many balls have a dead spot at either end where the inflation is insufficient to give the ends proper resilience.

I have seen Dave before a match at StKilda kneeling on a kneading the ends of the ball to break out the stiffness of newness.

For years he experimented with the weights of footballs, but found that he could kick best a ball weighing exactly 16½ oz.

South Lost Him

McNamara joined StKilda in 1905, when Curly Jones persuaded him to leave the country. South had been in with their bid before that, but as only five matches remained to be played South officials decided that they would not alter their team for the remaining matches of 1905, and wanted Dave to wait until 1906.

StKilda hopped in right away. So with five matches to go for 1905 he joined Saints. In all he played 11 seasons with them.

He was captain of Saints at the age of 20. He served as committeeman, selector, and finally as president. He was coach of the side on several occasions and held this position when the side was so successful in 1913 finishing runner up to Fitzroy.

He remained at StKilda until 1909, when half way through the season he was persuaded to transfer to Essendon Association. He remained at Essendon for four years, and during the last two seasons, with 81 goals in 1911 and 107 in 1912, he broke the individual goal tallies for a season in Australian football.

In 1913 he tried to transfer back to the league, but his permit was held up, and that is the reason he was not a playing member of the 1913 side, He played 72 games in the Association and in one game kicked 18 goals from centre half forward.

About this time the centre forwards of the league and Association were getting somewhere between 50 and 60 goals in a season.

McNamara obtained his goals from Centre half forward, and often form 70 to 80 yards out. Fancy such a man playing in the grand final this year!

His 107 goals in 1912 stood as a record individual tally for a centre half forward until , Camberwell, broke it this year (1941).

He reappeared with StKilda in 1914. Then football at StKilda was suspended because of war until 1918. In 1921 he had a leg broken in a Fitzroy match, and the injury cost him in all nearly a season’s play.

In 1919 Dave retired. He felt he had had enough, but it was not long before club officials were pegging away at him, and persuaded him to return. Consequently he remained in league football until he was 37.

He was born left footed and left handed, but like many another left handed child, through the persistence of adults in trying to make him use his right hand, he became almost as competent with his right hand and foot as with the left. However, it was with his left foot that he created all his records.

Kicked 97- Yards

WHAT distances did he kick? There is a marked difference between distances kicked and accurately measured, and distances kicked under championship conditions. Actually. Dave kicked a ball 97 yards and it was accurately measured, but, that is not his best official kick.

In 1909, at StKilda, he kicked 84.vds. 2ft, 5in.—a kick that has never been beaten by anyone but hlmself. At the 1913 Launceston Show he kicked 86yds. 1ft., which is his best official kick.

In an exhibition kick at St. Kilda he kicked 93 yards, and at the 1914 carnival at Sydney won the only all- Australian long kicking championship held. Every State was represented.

Dave says that the place kick will always carry longer than either the drop or the punt as it leaves the boot the ball kicked properly torpedoes for a considerable distance before starting to whirl, as the drop kick does.

He makes the rather radical statement that a strong wind behind him little or no use to a kicker. He says that a strong wind has a tendency to force the ball down on to the ground and is a hard wind in which to get sufficient carry on the ball. A light breeze; is the best wind to assist, a kicker! Many people think that McNamara was always a forward. That is not so. Because of his huge frame and his tremendous reach he became a champion follower and the rover that collected the hit-out from Dave had an easy passage.

For a big man he moves fast. He has the impulsiveness of the Irish and yet the cold determination of the Scot

Kicking Decline

Looking back on the game, McNamara says he sees a steady decline in two things, the kicking and with it accuracy in kicking; also in the ruck work. In regards to the ruck work, he doubts whether there is as good an average physique as previously. There are far too many medium sized men in the rucks these days.

There are few, if any rucks that know how to play the old throw-in from the boundary, which is the present rule. Most rucks simply hit the ball towards the boundary line, for it to "go" out" again and is thrown in with a wearying repetition.

When men knew how to play the rule, rovers had definite understandings with their ruck men and often took the bell as they ran past the back or the side of the pack. Today there is hardly a rover in the game that does not wait for the hit-out flat-footed.

For this McNamara blames the coaches, most of whom never saw the throw-in played as it should be. These men have grown up under the rule which awarded a free kick against the side forcing the ball out.

He says high scoring today is due to faulty defence work. —"Why the average defender today." he said plays the game for the forward, no against him. Secondly, he runs across goal, short-passes and plays the centre rather than the wings—the very things the forward wants him to do.

"High scoring was produced by the free kick for forcing the ball out of bounds. Players shunned the boundary line and packs wrestled up and down the centre of the ground. Defenders joined in these scrimmages, which were reminiscent of rugby scrums. Now that there is every opportunity to exploit the open spaces in defence few defenders know how to do it.

"Kicking is a lost art, particularly the stab-kick. There not half-a-dozen men in the same who know the real meaning of accurate passing, passing such as Parratt and McGregor showed us.

If every man in the side wasn't an accurate pass, 16 in every 18 were and wouldn't have been played unless they were. Look back Dick Taylor was the last, of really great stab-kicks and he's been out of the game for 10 years.

"There are men today who can pass a ball 15 or 20 yards with a punt, not too many of them either who can stab-pass even that distance. But where are these men who can stab a ball chest high to a forward s it was done immediately before and after the war?

Let the centre men of those days get a foot to the ball and it was all over. Today only La Fontaine imitates the really great centre men. "There is too much uncertainty, too much haste and not enough care half boiled footballers are considered champions. Forwards are talked about when they get three goals out of 10 shots. There is no polishing up of strengths and insufficient correction of weakness.

GAME NOT FASTER

I hear men say that the game is faster today, bunkum! There is no faster football than getting the ball and kicking accurately over 40 yards and there is not a team in the game today that can do it Racing about as if in a stampede doesn’t produce fast football. You can kick a ball faster and further than you can run with it. Today progress of the game is delayed while men on either side are racing about picking out opponents with passes that were meant for team- mates. That isn't fast football and never will be. It is just wasted effort.

"Look over a field today and tell me how many men are in their correct position. Most of them are bunched up racing about and scragging each other. Science and the accuracy have been lost in every section of the field.

There are few great specialists in defence or forward play today. Men don't kick well because' they will not watch the ball and will not follow through. They don’t open out the game and make room to kick

"I am not, an old-timer with a grouch against the game, but I believe in speaking straight. If you don’t tell the truth about what is happening it will never, be realised,

McNamara says the best ruck man he ever played against was Henry Young. The best teams were the 1906-7-8 Carlton teams. They were physically above anything he has seen before or since. Every man was a champion and a specialist in his job.

Football was not Dave's only sport, He ran the 100 yards in 10 ½ sec. He jumped 5ft 10 ½ in. he rowed: won a starling championship - at the Brighton Gun Club.

But perhaps his most notable achievement outside football was to win the billiards championship of the Victorian Club. Walter Lindrum says, this is the toughest billiards handicap in Australia.

As a trainer McNamara has had some outstanding successes.

ALBERT CHADWICK Bert Chadwick

Sept 23, 1941- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181711307

WITH the re-birth of Melbourne there arose a band of players more than outstanding 'in their time…men who laid the foundations of the present neatness of the Demons.

Among these — they were Anzacs almost to a man - no man saved a greater part than Albert Chadwick. captain and coach of the team from 924 till 1927, and a champion half-back and follower. Chadwick was a born leader — not the aggressive type, yet none the less determined; A man of quiet characteristics, sincerely steadfast; a man whom others instinctively trusted.

Today he is Squadron Leader Albert Chadwick - deputy director of R.A.A.F. recruiting. In early days, Melbourne were called the “gentlemans" team. They played as amateurs. But for a great many years they were the Burlington Bertie of the League, a gentleman, by instinct and precept, but without the wherewithal to be convincing. In Melbourne's case, it was football wherewithal.

Melbourne were the butt of the Leagues more powerful clubs. Great individual players, they surely had. But the team always tailed off, almost to insignificance. They took more hidings then they won matches for almost twenty years.

In fact, in 1919, they did not win a solitary game. Can the present-day boy who knows Melbourne as a formidable power in football, see a Melbourne as a formidable power in football, see a Melbourne team losing every match in a season?

Just Blew It

SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE. It was. A new had generation of players was gathered, among them Bert Chadwick. Yet the strange thing about the Gathering of Chadwick is that he wasn’t gathered at all. Melbourne didn't know Chadwick till ' Chadwick' made himself known to Melbourne. He just blew in and asked if he could have a try. The amazing thing about the career of Bert Chadwick is that until he returned from the war, in 1919, he had not been able to afford the time to play football m in Victoria.

As a young man his nose was always down. Studying or working at his profession. He enlisted at a tender age and saw service abroad for several years.

It was while abroad with the A.I.F. that he became keen on football. He was attracted to the unit team, and finally elected captain of what he describes "a fine little team that was only once defeated."

When he returned in 1919, he went to the Prahran ground, where he was invited to play. He played something approaching a dozen games with them at centre half-forward, and following and was leading goal-kicker for the team at the end of the season. He then transferred to Sydney, where he was engaged at Cockatoo Island dockyard.

He was back in Melbourne for the start of the 1320 season, and went to Melbourne — an uninvited player, which means that the Melbourne scouts knew nothing of him. He went to the Melbourne ground with only his natural football ability to save him from wearing out his welcome.

Strange how from the cavalcade of players that are sought by clubs from one length of the Commonwealth to the other so few make the grade. Stranger, too, how every club has had the good fortune to pick up a champion simply because he had the gumption and initiative to force his cause right under the eyes of the selectors.

After playing in three practice matches Chadwick was selected for the first game. He won interstate honours in his first season. There were 14 returned soldiers in the 1920 Melbourne team, among them two other champions — Bob Corbett and "Brum" Streeter. Streeter was a sound back pocket player. To bring him within the memory of the younger generation, he was something after the pattern of Alan Everett, who was captain coach of Geelong last season and now with Preston.

Corbett was a brilliant player a real dasher. In 1914 Melbourne combined with the University, and for the first time, since they were premiers in 1900, made the finals. However, with war declared, they closed down till 1919, when, on resumption, they were completely undistinguished, not getting a win.

The season of Chadwick's advent, 1920—was phenomenal in that they began by winning the first few matches in great vein. Then they slumped. So through 1921, 22 and 23. They began in great heart—they finished nowhere. In 1924 Chadwick took charge of the team, and from that day their fortunes began to look up. Champion players in Warne- Smith and Wittman joined and added just that touch of brilliance needed.

In The Finals

CAME 1925 and Melbourne were in the finals. They defeated the leading team, Geelong, in the semi- final. Then they faced Collingwood in the final, the winner to meet Geelong in the grand final.

That final evoked very keen discussion and the methods of some Players were questioned by Melbourne followers. Certainly opinions were divided but the fact remains as far as this story is concerned, that - Melbourne finished the day with several men injured. Three of them, Dunbar, Taylor and Davie, were cripples from the first half. Melbourne, put up the fight but were beaten.

The "following week's grand final was even more sensational. The game had no sooner started than a Collingwood man who had been in the discussions of the previous week was the recipient of a severe handling and was useless for the rest of the game. Geelong apparently had determined that they would leave no point open to discussion, as Melbourne had done. They met whatever force was offering with force and won comfortably.

Then came 1926. Melbourne had a premiership team ready. The famous Taylor-Whittman combination worked better. Colin Deane was playing telling football in the ruck. Ivor Warne-Smith stood out as the best all-rounder of the year.

In fact every Melbourne man was in excellent tr their captain and coach – Bert Chadwick. It was a stroke of irony that the man who had worked hardest for the machine’s success was in the worst position to drive it as the final stimulation.

Chadwick had received a crippling thigh injury — one of those deep seated injuries that only rest, and time can heal. He missed six games and came back two games before the semi. No one realized the position better than Chadwick. He wanted to drop out. Then it was that the loyalty of his team was shown. They insisted that he play in the semi-final. Fate threw Collingwood In their path again. This time, after an even first half Melbourne went for them like a premiership team should and defeated them.

Collingwood had the double chance. They had to be beaten in the Grand final for Melbourne to take the flag. Essendon had accounted for Geelong, and Melbourne and Essendon, two fast moving teams, faced up for the final.

It was a horrible day for football, with a typical northerly buster' upsetting judgment everywhere.

I doubt whether any match had a more sensational incident than this, right at the half-time interval, Bob Corbett. Melbourne centre, shot the ball across to Whittman, who was just in front of the press box, then in the old smokers' stand. Wittman seemed to finesse as he wended his way to goal

The timekeepers were counting off the final seconds of the quarter. Would he kick the ball? Even the Melbourne players seemed to realise the urgency of the matter. Corbett stood there, his back half turned urging Wittman to kick.

Terrific Knock

THEN, as the kick sailed on, the bell sounded. Corbett was just on the fringe of the players circling the play, and it is safe to say that few of the thousands present missed the incident, when he went down from a terrific knock. The ground seemed to explode. Corbett was out! Melbourne players ran from everywhere crowding after an Essendon player. Essendon men stood around this player but the Melbourne fellows barred their way to the dressing rooms.

For a few moments it seemed as if Melbourne would take the law into their own hands and deal out retribution there and then cool heads took hold of the situation and with both teams menacing each other they finally reached their rooms, Melbourne took the field without Corbett after the interval. Word was telegraphed on the grape vine that Bob had a broken jaw and was unconscious. There were no replacements and Melbourne had to face the game with seventeen men.

It was then that the understanding of this team proved itself. Warne-Smith took over Corbett's place in the centre, a very worthy substitute. But, there was no one to take over Warne-Smith’s place in the ruck. Chadwick, although not up to scratch that day with Hughie Dunbar and Colin Deane, did a giant's work.

They not only carried on the ruck work but they cunningly dropped out to pick up Essendon’s extra man. Actually they worked on a chain system. One ruck man took his place on the ball while one each of the other two hung around the defence and forward lines respectively, running into the ruck, according to where the ball was.

They were playing the rule allowing a free kick for forcing the ball out of bounds those days. Melbourne would have been still more severely handicapped under the present rule, where the ball is thrown in after crossing the boundary line.

A striking instance of Chadwick’s shrewdness was evident in one move in particular. Late in the last quarter Essendon made a definitive advance and Melbourne seemed certain to lose their advantage.

Suddenly two arms flew high for a mark again, and yet again within two minutes three glorious marks had checked the ravaging Dons. The owner of the arms was half-back Bob Johnson, sent to the half back line, a transfer that undoubtedly saved the side.

But there was a still a more dramatic interlude: Corbett learned that the game was in a desperate position and got on to the ground in a semiconscious condition, his head swathed in bandages.

I always felt that unfortunate as it was for a man so injured to appear again on the field, the sight of the bandaged Corbett game Melbourne fresh courage to fight on and win. His entry could not have been better timed, for at that moment the game was undergoing a phase that was distinctly in Essendon's favour. But Melbourne were saved by a few points.

Collingwood came up for the grand final. Warne-Smith was in the centre again. It was a hard grim fight in the first half with Melbourne playing slightly better football but about three goals down.

After the Interval the Melbourne ruck with Deane and Chadwick in the van, began a dominance that stifled any Collingwood comeback. Warne-Smith was magnificent in his co-operation with the famous Taylor-Whittman combination. No sooner did he get the ball than Taylor was streaking for the open spaces. Taylor gathered it and Wittman was away with Moyes behind him filling in or dropping out according to requirements.

As a variation of the theme, Melbourne would swing the game down the centre through Bob Johnson, who, with towering marks and accurate kicks withdrew the attention from Taylor- Wittman. Then, expeditions through Johnson they would swing wide to Taylor and Whittman would be moving away in that characteristic fashion that was so disconcerting and equally disheartening to opponents.

Melbourne were too many for the Magpies, and won their first premiership since 1900.

Wanted to Retire

CHADWICK wanted to retire at the end of 1926, but Melbourne would have none of it. Another successful season followed and again sensation attended the team. Facing Collingwood once again in the second round, the team played a tie. Collingwood won the replay by a few points. Melbourne dropped out Collingwood won the title.

In 1928 Chadwick agreed to play again, but asked to be relieved from was captaincy. He was vice-captain to Warne-Smith. In his last appearance for the Demons he played what was possibly the greatest game for them. He was finished with football, or so he thought, and, had rung down the curtain on a right note

During the summer, however, Hawthorn came to him. He was living in the Hawthorn district. The team had had a particularly lean time since its advent in the League, and sought Chadwick’s advice. He was asked to take over the side for a season.

Finally he decided to play with Hawthorn for the season, acting as captain-coach in an honorary capacity. He had another very successful season. Hawthorn began to win matches, a welcome change from the negative seasons the club had suffered. Support was won, and an overdraft was wiped off.

Then Chadwick put away his football boots, appearing only once more in a veterans' carnival for the Children's Hospital organized by the Globe.

But he wasn't finished with football. When the League decided that the best way to control appointments of umpires to league games was through an Independent Umpires Board, Bert was made a foundation member.

Apart from his innings in League football, Chadwick had quite a career in interstate football. An interstate team was then not subject to the restriction of two men from a team as today. Men were chosen on their ability; it was therefore, a feather in his cap to be chosen In his first League season.

He 'was vice-captain of the famous Victorian team that won the 1924 carnival at Hobart. He considers the match against West Australia the greatest in which he ever played.

He was captain of the 1927 carnival team. Few men have led the state on more occasions incidentally if there was a hat to be won for the best player in the game — given on an independent vote — Bert seldom went bareheaded, and there were champions in every State side those days too. No man has a higher appreciation of Chadwick than Andrew Manzie, secretary of Melbourne for several years.

I know of no stouter fellow that football has developed than Chadwick he was a man in everything he did says Mr Manzie. "I well remember opening the letter he wrote asking for leave to join in Melbourne's practices. I thought to myself, 'I don't suppose he is any good. I viewed him as just, another ambitious youngster trying to make League football.

"Yet there was a neatness about the handwriting and a courtesy about the way the letter was written that had me instinctively curious to see him. When he showed us his football we were amazed at our good fortune.

“Came 1924 and we thought Bert was the best man to lead the team. A club rule said that the captain must also be coach. He did not seek the distinction. We asked him to accept it. From the moment he took charge. However he showed us how capable he really was. We noted how the other players instinctively took to his leadership how by his outstanding character he made them his friends.

“I have a very warm spot for Bert Chadwick. He was one of the most outstanding men I had the pleasure of handling in almost a lifetime spent as a football official. Nothing delights me more these days than to meet Bert, and had to fight hard for every success he gained, and he has made a real success of his life. He is a fine example for any young player.

His Best Mark

CHADWICK believes that arguments as to the best player in the game has produced are mostly futile. He thinks that every generation has its outstanding men and since they cannot be matched what can be proved conclusively?

For example he says that he never saw a finer high mark than Bob Johnson, who played with Melbourne when he did. “I marked against the best men of the day situated as I was at centre half back, and I got my share, “he said”, “but I never once remembered marking over Bob either at practice or in practice games. I never saw anyone else do it either, if Johnson had an equal chance at the ball.

He points out that if he were asked to name the most telling player ill the Melbourne side of those days he would nominate Hugh Dunbar, who, he says, many would overlook. "You had to be a player with Dunbar to realize his great worth as a ruck-man. He was fast, and in a full-chested way knocked holes through the opposition while giving nothing away to his rovers and his other ruck man, "Chadwick points out. He holds a high opinion of the qualities of "Bunny" Wittman — a champion wing half forward of his day.

“Wittman had a peculiar wheeling turn that looked tantalizingly slow” he said. He wanted room to work in, but was fast as a flash.

Dick Taylor, who fed Whittman, spun like a top on a threepenny piece-a distinct contrast. He was as fine a stab-kick as we have had, and seemed instinctively to know just where Wittman wanted the ball. As Taylor was always wing or center he made innumerable chances for Wittman. On their day no team ever had a greater 'match-winning combination".

Of present day players no one takes his eye like , Melbourne full forward. "Smith is undoubtedly one of the best we have seen," he says. "He is a forward machine in himself with his clever handball, shepherding and 'heady tactics. He is entirely unselfish and has the happy knack of making everyone around him play well. The, manner Discussing in which he develops an attack is brilliance itself. He is also neat and effective in everything he does.

Discussing his own methods in training and coaching a team, Chadwick believes that a team should train as it intends to play, but that some form of field exercises to improve the ability of the men is needed. Must Give Everything

FOR instance, he knows, as every other good football coach .knows how imperative it is for a player to be able to kick with either foot. He therefore set the players circling clockwise one night insisting that the ball be passed with the left foot and on the other night circling anti-clockwise and passing with the right foot. No man, he says, must allowed to slouch at training, but must give everything he has, stretching out and sprinting for the ball. '

Forwards need target practice. At Melbourne when every player was thoroughly warmed up two games of keeping-off were arranged. Players had been issued with club guernseys and oddments alternately. Sides were arranged, and while Chadwick took charge of one game at one end of the ground, a leading player, mostly Warne-Smith, took charge of the other game.

Man cannot crowd more than 24 hours into a day, and some of that, according to nature's demands, must be given to sleep. It would be easy to say of a man as involved in football as-was Chadwick: here is a man who has devoted his life to football at the exclusion of all else. How wrong that would be.

Chadwick,-never allowed football to absorb his life. He rose steadily in the Shell Company until he became manager of the lubricants' department, when opportunity called again. He was appointed Controller of Sales for the Metropolitan Gas Company—one of the most responsible positions in the company. He acted as director and captain of the Riversdale Golf Club.

Came the war and with it another call on Chadwick. As Squadron Leader Chadwick he is deputy director of recruiting for the R.A.A.F.

Few footballers have combined telling ability on the field, leadership and gentlemanly example with business and public, success in such an efficient way as Bert Chadwick.

Surely here is an example to any youngster a man who rose to lead his team to a League flag; a man who led his State for several' years, yet never lost sight of the necessity of making a success of his Work-a- day life.