Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 22 May 1911, page 5


FITZROY SCORE HEAVILY

ST. KILDA'S WEAKNESS.

Decided as was the victory gained by Fitzroy over St. Kilda at Fitzroy. It was not as complete as the scores. 10 goals 24 behinds (84 points) to 4 goals 6 behinds (30 points) would suggest. St. Kilda's principal weakness lay in the inability of their forward men to score from the opportunities that presented themselves during the game. Fitz-roy's backs formed a stonewall which the best forward would have found it difficult to surmount, but St. Kilda's lack of concerted effort in front of their opponent's goals robbed them of many a favourable. It was a scrambling game for the most part, with occasional bright flashes of passing. in which M'Lennan, Reardon, Parratt, and Lamont showed out well. M'Lennan, the Fitz-roy skipper, tried hard to make the game more open and fast by kicking the ball from his place in the centre away from the ever-accumulating crowd of players. St. Kilda greatly felt the loss of Thomas, their fine rover, and of Gant, who are recovering from injuries, and they took in Brown, of Caulfield, Hanley, of Fortross, M'Kenzie, of Mooroopna, and O'Connor, of Richmond. Fitzroy

tried Furnies, of the Fitzroy juniors, and Clarke, a big man from Mount Lyell, who might shape better in the ruck than he did half-forward. C. Kiernan celebrated his reappearance by kicking four goals.

Fitzroy were always well in the lead, and the

8,000 spectators who assembled appeared to regard the match as a good thing for the maroons form the start. Rahilly around the love of crowd for record-breaking by hitting the post four times. He spoiled his record by posting the ball through the posts twice without touching either pole. Lever, of St. Kilda, kicked in 22 times, and on each oc- cassion the ball sailed well into the centre of the ground. Reardon's work roving for Fitzroy was well done . He showed good judgment, and some smart handball. His only fault was that he at

times hit the ball when he could have much more

effectively kicked it Buist's play on the wing was swift and accurate. He was a good man for Brown of St Kilda to meet in his first senior match, but the junior promises well. Lambert, Pattison, and Marchbank did good solid work on tho back lines. Walker took more than his fair share of hard marks in the ruck, and Rahilly was as useful following at he was forward.

St Kilda's defenders were kept hard at work, and Stainer, Graham, Dangerfield, and Ryan and of course, Lever, in goal, were all at times con-spicuous for some good deed which saved their side for the moment and broke the chain of marks of which either Reardon or M'Lennan was the first link, with Parratt invariably the second link. M'Keane, on the first appearance, have in- dications while roving that he will become a useful player. Eicke's play forward was patchy. Baird worked hard and took hard knocks smiling. Wood-cock bore the brunt of the day in the ruck, and Stephens pleased his supporters by an occasional spurt on the wing. Noseda was a judicious umpire.