West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 14 May 1934, page 11


BRILLIANT HIGH MARKING.

Victoria Park Beats East Perth.

Displaying speed, balance and remarkable surciiess in the air, Victoria Park was easily superior to East Perth, at Perth Oval on Saturday. Victoria Park

played good toulball and was- top strong for East Perth. In all departments Victoria Park revealpii strength and particularly in defence did it play well. One ?ton Id not wish for more brilliant highmarking than that of Victoria Park, ami adopting a long-kicking game, it played to its strength l-v keeping the ball high. Its small men carried out their tasks efficiently and quick changes in the ruck enabled the followers to keep up the pressure to the end. East Perth was probably feeling the effects of its strenuous match against West Perth on Mondaj last, but its leading players in key positions were badly beaten. ,A deficiency in pace caused disorganisation and very sel dom did the players swing into system atic movements. They failed also to spoil Victoria Park's high-marking, trying vainly to mark with them instead ot inocking the ball out. Lucas's return to his best form was one of the secrets of Victoria Park's success, especially in the early stages, and A. Brown gave an excellent exhibition in goal. Victoria Park's final advantage of 16 points did not indicate truly the side's supremacy. The teams were: — VICTORIA PARK.— Backs: Crooks, A. Brown, \V. Fitztfciald. Half-backs: P. Fitzgerald. Shepherd, Hungerford. Centres: H. Davey, Keightley, Ransom. Half-forwards: HetheriiiRton, Wilson, Lyons. Forwards: Robson. (Jook, A. Grijfu. First ruck: O'Callajrhan, G: Davey, Lucas (rover). Second ruck: W. Fitzgerald, Robson, A. Grig? (rover). Nineteenth man: Cooper (replaced HmiKerford after half time). EAST PERTH.— Backs: Wood. Baker. Kinc. Half-backs: Bennett, Oswald, Matron. Centres:Garnaut, Miller, Guhl. Half-forwards: Booth, Cronin. Crow. Forwards: Orr, Lockyer, Sweeney. First ruck: Little, Dempster, Screaigh (rover). Second ruck: Booth. Wood. Orr (rover). Nineteenth man: Brownrigp (replaced Screaiuh in last quarter). UMPIRE. T. Oliver. In the first quarter Victoria Park had kicked five goals before East Perth made a successful attack. .East Perth was not able- to take advantage of Little's fine knocking out from the ruck and its forwards were no match for the opposing backs, among whom Brown and P. Fitzgerald were outstanding. Victoria Park played fast football and Lucas proved an elusive forward. Victoria Park scored its goals with great. ease, particularly when the East Perth full-backs showed laxity. Five minutes before the bell East Perth scored a goal and the scores were then: — Victoria Park, 7.1; East Perth, 2.5. East Perth increased, its speed a little in the next term and its backs for a time watched the forwards more closely. Two goals to Lucas increased Victoria Park's lead. Cronin was shaping better but Brown repeatedly broke down East Perth attacks. Guhl was playing nippily on the wing but P. Fitzgerald was too strong on that side. Towards the end of the 'quarter - East Perth's followers began to work more effectively and the addition of goals made the ^scores 9.3 to 4.9 in Victoria Park's favour. The high-marking ability of Victoria Park's forwards, Gook and Wilson, was a big factor in /the third quarter. East Perth tried to recover by short passing, but the pace was pot there and the kicking was not accurate. Fanning out nicely, Victoria Park's forwards did well, and the team as a whole responded when the play became vigorous. At three-quarter time Victoria Park led— 11111 to 5.15. ?In less than a minute Baker, who had been broueht from gpal to full forward, kicked a goal for East Perth. When the backs came through with commendable dash Victoria Park was temporarily beaten, but still the forwards were. over-shadowed. There, was very Jittle scoring and Victoria Park still fought hard! With 10 minutes to go Crow. scored a goal, for East Perth, but the side could not make a sustained rally. The final scores were: — VICTORIA PARK ... 11.16 (82pt$.) EAST PERTH .. .. 8.18 (66pts.) Goal-kickers.— Victoria Park: Lucas (7), Gook (3) and O'Callaghan. East Perth: Lockyer (3), Sweeney (2), Screaigh, Baker and Crow. A. Brown, Victoria Park's young goalkeeper, was the outstanding player of the match.. He marked with uncanny certainty', kicked off excellently and displayed, fine judgment in moving out to the ball. Lockyer, Crow and Baker were triedagainst' him in turn. Only one or two of the other Victoria Park players did not do well. O'Callaghan was in' great form and Lucas was brilliant throughout. P. Fitzgerald was very solid and Shepherd effectively checked Cronin. Gook and Wilson_ (who had hurt his leg) were prominent in attack. The centre line wao good. Until half time, when he had to stop playing owing to a leg injury, Hungerford was strong in defence. East Perth's side did not contain many strong players. Probably R. Bennett was the best, being sound at half-back. Wood struck form in his first match of the season. Little, Guhl, Matson, Screaigh, Orr. and Oswald were good but mostly inconsistent. An injury to his nose caused Screaigh to leave the field in the lasi quarter.