Lists (None yet)

Login to create lists

Tagged (None yet)

Add Tags

Comments (None yet)

Add New Comment

No corrections yet

I THE "BURLEY" BALL.

i _ i

- I

A Noted Achievement, j

fHE first ball used in Australian foot-

ball was the English Rugby ball, and it was not until 1904 that the "Sherrin" and 'Tordham," two Victorian balls, were introduced. As they were of smaller pattern, and better adapted to the game, these two balls immediately became popular. Then, in 1906, Mr. J. L. Burley produced his "Western" football in this State. Although league delegates were not enthusiastic about this bau. Mr. J. Capp, who was then secretary and dele- gate of the East Fremantle dub, offered to nave ¿he ball tried out and to report to the league. In a match between East Fremantle and West Perth, played on the Fremantle Oval, on June 14, 1906, the first "Burley" football was used.

The ball came in for severe criticism from the Press, and .from Tom Wilson, captain of East Fremantle. However, after they bad used it for practice, East Fremantle were so impressed with the service it gave that they ordered a fur- ther supply, with slight modifications in sise. These were so successful that East Fremantle changed to "Burley** balls ex- clusively. Perth and West Perth then followed suit, and, by the time the semi- finals and finals arrived, there were only two clubs which bad not changed to the new bau. As these two were out of the finals, naturally the "Burley" ball was used for these matches.

That season firmly established the "Burley'' ban. Since then this football has had active advocates in the Western Australian üeague, and its delegates to the Australasian council, it bas at- tained an eminence shared only with the '-Sherrin.*' Since 1906 it has been used in a number of carnivals with great sue-1 cess, while in this, state lt has been used j in all finals and interstate games since: that year.

On the left is the ball used In «he 1921 carnival; in the centre is the type used in the grand final last season; and on the right is the new ball for this

season.

Zoom

plus
thumb
minus
left
thumb
right
up
thumb
down