Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 26 August 1935, page 13


RICHMOND TIGHTENS GRIP ON THE FOUR

LEAGUE PLACES UNCHANGED

COLL1NGWOOD-MELBOURNE DRAW North Melbourne and Hawthorn Win

lligii-llicrs In South Melbourne fr.imc. Humphries (S.M.), Kiwis (Gcclnnfrl, Hillls (S.M.), anil riiinkell (Geelong:).

One result ol' the League football matches on Saturday was that Richmond, by defeating Fitzroy, tightened its grip on fourth place, while St. Kilda, its rival for that position, and a gallant loser at Carlton, dropped to fifth place on points, instead of on percentages only. The first four positions remain unchanged.

South Melbourne displayed a brilliant return to form to overwhelm Geelong, but Collingwood, with a drawn 1 game against Melbourne, failed to consolidate its second

place. Its lead over Carlton is only two points, so Mel-bourne, in addition to strengthening South's hold on first place, has improved Carlton's chances oí wresting second position from Collingwood.

Apart from Melbourne's last-kick draw with Colling-wood, the sensation of the day was North Melbourne's victory at Footscray-its first win since it defeated St. Kilda in August, 1933. Thus was North compensated for its unlucky defeat by South a week earlier.

Dunn (Callion) and a St, Kild.i

for ii ard il.se for a mark.

Collingwood s thaw with Melbourne marked the second occasion this season on which a League team has played in two drawn games rootsciay chew with Gcelonc and Cailton Collingwood with 1 itzroy and Melbourne Incidentally 79 points wcie scored by cich team in the Tootscraj Carlton and Collingwood Mel bourne ties On Saturday It was Col

ringwood s turn to suffer bj the last kio« of the day Picviously Collingwood had di awn with Fitzroy and had defeated South Melbourne and Richmond bj a goal kicked right on or after the final

bell.

Baggott, Melbourne's boyish full-for-

ward kicked the vital goal as the bell rang. That goal made a big difference to three of the first four teams. It weak-enedl Colllngwood's chance of taking the lead from South, but it did much more in leaving Carlton with better prospects of gaining second place at the end of the first round and thereby enjoying the double chance in the second round.

It was not the first time that Colline, wood and Melbourne had play ti a draw In a semi final match in 1928 Melbourne came from behind to tie with Colling wood In the play off it again got within four points of Collingwood which went on to win the premiership easily

Carlton has to meet North Melbourne and Footscray and two wins would give it iB points Collingwood s opponents w11' be rootuLiay and St Kilda and should it lose to St Kilda n the final day of the homi and home matches it would take third place behind Carlton South Mel bourne has to meet Fltnoy and Rich mond and In view of its form on Situi

das and the fact that its list of Injuries is diminishing îapldly it should be at full strength for tin. return match against Richmond to be played at Albeit Paik Richmond s other match Is against Essen

don and although Essendon always gives Richmond a good match the premiers of last year should gain full points on their own ground

Carlton s prospects of finishing In fiont of Collingwood depend not so much upon Carlton s ability to win its matches against North and Footscray as upon Un ability of Colline,wood to follow up a win from rootsenv bj holding the danicious St Kilda leim at ba\ on SUiudaj we k As for St Kilda its chance e.f ousting Riehmond from the foin look foi loin it picsent but the bittle between them eould lnst until tho final day of the first round in the unlikely event of an Essen don victory over Rithmond-and a win for St Kilda over Melbourne on Sittir

day Then everything would depend upon the matches between Richmond and South and between St Kilda and Col-lingwood on September 7

Should Richmond and St Kilda as I he result of their matches at the end of this week be level again on points when thej to out to oppose South and Col

llngvvood respectively on the final day of the firot round both games would ittliitcl (iioimous attendances for theie would lie not onlj the possibility of one of them settling the Issue with a vlctorj but of both being defeated and (he foin In plate being decided on the percentage basis

South Melbourne with only two matches left is in the happy position of holding a lead of four points on the premiership table and it looks like maintaining its place Nevertheless two wins by Col

lingwood and one by South would bring them level and the honour of first round leadership would rest on percentages

Iieninindei of the season Actually, howevei each man will íeceive £1 for play-ing The support«s' committee promised thal sum if the team defeated Essendon which it did Even the pool est of kick-ing could not deny the gallant team which has leal ned to keep on smiling In the face of icpcatcd disappointments, its thiid suc-cess foi the senson Spinks capped a splendid performance by kicking the win-ning goal after much escllcment In the dressing-rooms afterward the men cheered the news that North Melbourne, Hawthorns only victim this season-it de-feated that team twice-had biokcn the ice

Among the first to congratúlate Haw-thorn were Mcssts W. B Brew (delegate) and W E Newton (treasurci), of Essen-don ' Vou ate n wonderful lot of sports," Mr New ton told the men, ' to play as amateurs foi the sake of the club If it will make them play as j ou chaps plnjed In the last quartei to-d»y I think we will have to get our men to tuin amateurs, too You have had a well-deserved victoij "