Episode No: 11 Title: 1907 Answering the Call Date Written: 10/10/20 Length Words: 6,494 Date Recorded: 16/10/20 Length Time est at 125 WPM: 52m Date Uploaded: 17/10/20 Length Time when recorded: Intro Music Welcome Hello and welcome to Grand Final History. I am Kieran Magee and in this episode we go back to 1907, the eleventh season of the VFL where Carlton would be looking to build on the success of their first VFL premiership, Fitzroy would be looking to redeem their status as the powerhouse club of the league and the other six clubs would be looking to make their bid for glory Background 1907 saw some developments that would become part of our every days lives. In May the merger of 6 Melbourne based breweries led to the formation of Carlton and United Breweries, who would be sponsors of the league and many clubs over the years. And many supporters would drink some of their products at games as well. There were also the first telephone connections between Melbourne and Sydney as technology began to play its part in connecting the states. The VFL were also making changes to their rules in February. The Challenge option was updated so that the Minor Premiers would be defined at the end of the Sectional Round. The Results of the Semi Final or Final would not alter the status of the team that had won the right to Challenge by topping the ladder after the home and away games and the sectional games. Also the Semi Finals would now be played on separate Saturdays. Allowing for bigger crowds, and a bigger gate taking with both games being played at the MCG, The match between the Second and fourth clubs to be played on the first weekend and first and third clubs to be payed on the second week of Semi finals.1 Hence why we refer to First and Second Semi Finals. In March Mr Henry Harrison, co founder of Australian Rules and vice president of the VFL was speaking at a dinner put on by the Wednesday Football league. There were two points of interest. The first, in what many people would consider a breach of league policy over many seasons, was the confession by Henry Harrison that the League had made mistakes in the past and that they were only human. Clearly this precedent has not become the norm and I am not sure how many time we will hear the league admitting to mistakes in future episodes but I will try to keep track. The other news at the dinner was much more aligned with league policy over many years, building up enthusiasm for the international expansion of the Australian Game. Copies of the rules had been sent to the President of the United states and all the leading colleges in North America with the result that replies favourable to the introduction of the 1 of 13 Grand Final History 1907 ANswering the Call.odt 17/10/20 game had been received. As well as there was news of the formation of clubs in Canada, South Africa and London. Now while I may be a bit sceptical given similar news had been reported in previous years including the 1904 Annual Report, this time Mr Harrison had some independent support The London Daily Mail was quoted in support of the Australian game. It said “'If Australia wishes to do some real good for English sport, she should rather send two teams of men who play the Australian game, which, in the opinion of many English and American players, as well as by far the greater majority of Australians, is the fastest, prettiest, most scientific and least brutal of all varieties of football. It would be no exaggeration, to say that after such a visit there would be more teams playing the Australian game in a very short time than those playing under the Rugby code at present." 3 International expansion is still a work in progress If you were under the impression that crime and fraud is something that is a problem of modern times then I can assure you that the league had to address these problems in its early years too. 1907 saw the introductions a new Membership Cards that had the seasons fixture printed on them and could be clipped by the gatekeeper when entering the game. The previous system of different slips of coloured paper had proven to easy to substitute in the rush to get through the gates at a game.4 Trouble was brewing in the VFA who had decided they would no longer allow clubs to play practice matches against league teams, with the threat of suspending any offending clubs. The VFA thought the league would take any opportunity to stop them making progress as evidenced in the previous season by the VFL rearranging their fixture to put an important game on the same day as the Association’s State game against South Australia. However Richmond had already planned such practice matches. And they pointed out they made as much money from a Practice game against a league team as they did in a normal seasons match. As well as the benefit of competing against the best clubs to improve performance. A compromise was arranged between the VFA and Richmond where 4 of the 5 planned games against League teams were cancelled but a match against Geelong could proceed. Geelong having already arranged fro a special train to travel up to Punt Road. While the immediate threat to the VFA was addressed the Richmond Football club would be making its move in the following season. 5, 6, 7 One potentially significant update from the leagues AGM was the news that the league’s finance committee had been expanded from three to eight and they had the right to see and examine, whenever they chose, the accounts and vouchers of any club. Each club was represented on the committee which should have provided opportunity for scrutiny. But as Markwell wrote, given the persistent rumours about players getting paid, the club delegates to the league must know of it and the new finance committee with all its increased powers is the hollowest of shams.9 The issue of professionalism was to surface again before the season’s start. The Permits Committee that had the responsibility of deciding if a player could transfer between clubs and was seen as one of the barriers to players moving clubs for the sole reason of getting paid. If the Committee blocked the move and the player could be out of the game for thee years. Melbourne had decided to get a coach to help their climb up the ladder. But their 2 of 13 Grand Final History 1907 ANswering the Call.odt 17/10/20 candidate Bill Monagle was not permitted to have any role at the club. It was alleged in 1904 and 1905 that he was a professional, the allegation was that he had asked Essendon for 50 pounds to play for them and refused a permit to play. Because of that earlier finding he was not allowed to be a coach for Melbourne. Even though he had given up a business in Northcote and on securing this position he had married. There was talk of getting barristers to challenge the league on court as this was an infringement of the rights of private individuals. But Monagle was not keen on taking action and the Melbourne Football club was not willing to push the issue so nothing came of it. But He did not get the job he was promised and Melbourne were without a coach. 10 Follower in the Leader was not happy. Calling the attempts to convince the public that the game was legitimately an amateur sport had gone to far to be tolerated. In Bill Monagle’s case he was without a job as Melbourne had terminated hi position as ground keeper now that he could not also be the team’s coach. Follower wondered what would happen if each club's delegate had to swear a statutory oath that none of their players were getting paid for their services.13 The tension regarding player payments and the faux amateurism was clearly growing. The Season The season opened on Saturday April 27, a week earlier than usual. This was not a good thing according to Follower writing the Leader. The legitimate opening day for the season should have been the first Saturday in May. The footballers were beginning to impose themselves on the Cricket season. There were even suggestions that each game should be allowed 6 months each but, according to Follower this would be absurd. “To assimilate an Australian summer and winter in length of duration is to go against all laws of nature” and a well appointed cricket ground should have a month of recuperation between the close of the football season and the start of cricket. His article pointed out that footballers had done well with 5 months for football and 7 for cricket and then a reminiscing of when footballers paid for their own boots and cab fares to the game and the players of today should let well enough alone and not spoil things. The money generated by football was beginning to tell in the allocation of playing time on the grounds shared between Cricket and Football clubs.8 Follower also made note again of the double dealing of officials and players when it came to so called amateurism. Follower had no problem with professional sportsmen being paid, this was common in cricket, golf but bemoaned the meanness of a chap who posed as amateur while sneaking his hand out for payment.