Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 8 July 1912, page 12


INTERSTATE FOOTBALL.

VICTORIA V. SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

THE HOME TEAM WIN.

NOTES BY OBSERVER.

On a cold grey day, with driving clouds from the north and threats of rain, the re-presentative teams of Victoria and South

Australia met on the Melbourne Cricket-ground on Saturday. Although exceedingly well sheltered by buildings, there was still enough wind to make the ball play strange tricks, and, consequently, the game was at first neither so good nor so open as one would have expected though there was any amount of breezy football in rushes by either side that took the ball the length of the ground. There were about 20,000 people watching the play, and gate amounted

to £374.

The South Australians had the wind in commencing, and right from the start were pressing the attack. Renfrey, Millhouse,

and Coagear were very active. Lenne's first kick-off for Victoria was a tremendous effort. It seemed to carry half the length of the ground, and brought a burst of cheers from the crowd. In spite of efforts by Cameron and Sewart the visitors got within range again, Tredrea, by nice play, passing it on to Hosking, and Conlin scored the first goal for South Australia. Soon afterwards Schmidt rushed it down and Wells pick ing up the ball close in front,scored the Victorians first goal.After a grand stuggle in front of the Victorian goal SDchmidt was again dashing in on the Soutj Aus tralia goal when Oakley whipped across him cleverly carried the ball with him.

The next South Australian approach was by clever passing along the wing which ended in a running shot for Hosking. Hosking missed , his shot just going outside and before that pressure was cased Ashley tipped it through from a scramble,

making second goal for the visitors.Tom Leahy brought off a fine soaring mark in a crush and as the South Australians were

forcing home, Busbridge who thus early in the game had his hand badly injured by an

accidental kick brought it out again.In a Victorian dash Gibb playing well on the wing passed to Valentine equally pro--minent forwards and lodged it with

Brereton who just got outside the goal with alon runt. Another Victorian rush ended with Heinz of Geelong taking a sharp shot from the angle , which just missed.The Victorians were brushing up considerably .

Sewart,Cameron, Thomas, and Caldwell, all playing beautiful handball about midfield,

pressed it home where smart exchanges between Slater,Schmidt and Brereton ended in a second goal from a low, skim ming kick. Tom Leahy'Hoskinigand little Mahony late of Richmond made another dash at the Victorian posts but Busbridge and Cameron were in the way.Swift pass ing between Valentine,James and Schmidt ended in a melee in front and third goal for Victoria.Still it was nothing but the faultiness of their forwards that left South Australia behinds for keen,Ashley and Hosking were prominent in the next series of passes though a hurried shot brought only a bad miss. At quarter time the tries had been about equal and Victoria led by

5 points

For their second ruck South Austrslia had Cllinan ,Ashley and Mohony against James,Grigg and Heinz for Victoria. Ren-

frecy. Oliver and Congear were conspicuous in a fine dash andthe effort ended with a free kick to Renfrey and thirdgoal to Aouth Australia. From that stage the Victorians played their best.One of their rushes ended with a pass from James to Brereton, and he with a low kick got fourth goal.

Klose on the one side and Thomas and Heinz on the other distinguished them

selves and a Victorian rally ended with a pass to Grigg who snapped the fifth goal. Oakley, B Leahy anf Heiurichs were pro minent South Australians while for the Victorians Caldwell on the windg began to back up the fine play of Gibb on the other flank.Another terrific struggle ion front of the South Australian goal endedin Cameron snapping the sixth.

Slater came out at this stage in some

very fine efforts. He took an easy mark a splendid long shot and got the seventh goal for Victoria at the stage seemed to be

running away with the match.No man on the visiting side was doing such hard work as Renfrey.He went forwards when they were attacking back when they had to de-fend and at either end seemed to have in

stinet for getting into the right place.For

a moment south Australia opened it out;

Mahony,Leahy and Oliver picked each

other with absolute accuracy at long range; but nothing came of a splendid dash. The Victorians were more successful.Cameron sent it to James who calmly handed it on to Schmidt and he just squeezed the ball

through for eighth goal. Another series of passes between James and Valentine ended with a mark to Brereton and ninth goal to the Victorians. at half time the match already seemed over as the home team had 9-6 to their opponents 4-4and the south

Australians were apparently over matched .

In the third quarter the home team were still attacking.Cameron and Brereton gave

Schmidt another try, which hit the goal post but when Caldwell who was very sure and fast on the wing passed it to Brereton,he immediately scored tenth goal. It seemed to wake up the other side. Con

lin drove it within range and from another struggle backs and forwards in the kick of it. Mahony tipped the ball through the

goal making fifth for his side. Thjen came

an exhibition of clever passing.Klose and Mahony giving it to Congear, who by a very fine bit of play kicked sixth goal.

In some fine battling Thomas,Busbridge, and Schmidt were prominent on the one side.Low, Keen and B. Leahy on the other . It was the last named who finally passed the ball to Hosking and his shot got their seventh goal.In an instant the Victorians had dashed it to the other end.Busbridge

and Schmidt playing to Slater. who with a magnificent kick scored the Victorians

eleventh goal .An equally fine dash from the other side failed only at the goal, where Millhouse missed. In the next effort Brake,

grigg,Cameron, Sewart and Schmidt the passing being and sure got the ball to Brereton, who scored their twelfth goal from a running shol. The South Austra lians still failed only at the shooting dis tance for Oliver, Congear and Renfrey gave Hosking a chance which went close but only behinds.A fine dash by Valentine was just as effectively answered by Hein-richs and finally South Australia got it close up and Hosking squeezed the ball through for eight goal. Some very clever

work by the Victorians seemed certain to score but Taylor cheeked it right in goal.

At the last change of ends the victorians led by over four goals; but the match was not yet over.The south Australians threw themselves into the final stage with splen did spirit and for a while had complete possession of the ball,Klos, Renfrey,Mill house, Low Heinrichs and B and T Leahy playing very finely. A pass from Congear to Hosking but the shot was again out side.A bad kick off by Leans however

gave Congear another chance and he got aneasy goal. Tredrea's skilful dodging and fine back play at this stage were one of the feat features of the game. The crowd became really excited for the first time when it was realised that the South Aus tralia were finishing well and rather more than holding their own , the men who shone for them at that period being Congear, Oliver, Tom Leahy and Tredrea who was always in the right place about the defence line. Just when his help was needed Grigg developed his best form about the centre, but the defence of the other side was ex-ceedingly sound. Had their forward play at

all matched it the Victorians might have gone done. In a South Australian dash. Renfrey got their tenth goal and the side were loudly cheered. Thomas the finest of the Victorian defenders drove it far scro the centre line and Brereton that hurried shot which missed. Before that assault was beaten off, Heins picked up smartly and scored thirteenth goal while Grigg was mainly instrumental in giving Brereton a chance to get the fourteenth. That was the last scoring effort and a fine match especially in its later stages ended in a victory for Victoria by 14-13 to 10-10.

There was not much between the teams and I think the Victorians were rather batter served by the day than their oppo nents who hardly realised the same stan dard of brilliant open play that they showed

in Adelaide last year, though about clever

men of the same combination were in this

side. Nearly every man of the Victorian team did good things at one stage or another but amongst their defenders there was no one to equal Thomas,Cameron was probably the best player on the side. He rarely if ever made a mistake .On the wings Gibb in the earlier stages and Cald-well after half time played sure and bril liant football. Slater with his side height

and strength was a tremendous factor where they played him . There were three men in the team who played exacting the same kind of foot ball fast dashing and constant. These three were Valentine,

Schmidt and Heins.James and Brake both did line work in the ruck and Brere-ton though he was being pretty well watched at the finish got six goals for Vic toria while Schmidt Heins and slater

scored two each.

On the South Australians side there was no man who did such Constant and Yaluable work as Renfrey. He is not quick from the start but is always watchful and picked his spot with great certainly. Klese in the later stages of the game especially, did game fine work onthe centre line. where how--ever the side were generally begin klese's clever......... defence were always worth

watching and I think he had Renfrey were about the two best in the colours. Hein--richs was always useful.The brothers Leahy both played excellent football. Keen was very promjinent at the first but fell away later when the experienced Tredrea

»who has played over 100 club matches in a stretch without missing a game was really at the top of his form .Oliver was another man who came on wonderfuly at the finish. Elder had a pleasant task as umpire for as invariably happens in interstate games, it was played in a fine sporting spirit.

Scores:--

First Quarter -- Victoria, 3---2: South Aus-tralia, 2--3 . Half time Victoria 9--6: South Australi 4--4. Third Quarter ---Vic toria12--9: South Australia 8--7. Final

Victoria 14--13=97 points ; South Aus tralia 10--10=70 points.