West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 17 August 1936, page 7


STRONG IN KEY POSITIONS. East Fremantle Not Fully Extended. East Fremantle and South Fremantle were represented by almost their best sides at the Fremantle Oval on Saturday, when East Fremantle won a disappointing match by 2.9. It was probably the poorest display of football at Fremantle this season, even the winner's form being unimpressive. South Fremantle was extremely weak in all key positions, but particularly at full-back and full-forward. It made little use of the wind in the first and third quarters, when it barely held its own. With the wind in the second term, East Fremantle won the match. Its victory was made easier by the failure of the South Fremantle backs to keep their positions and the ball in front of them. Some of East Fremantle's- goals were kicked by unmolested forwards. Both clubs' infringed the rules more than usual, and as a result the game lacked flow. The only quarter which could by any stretch of imagination be termed exciting was the last, when each club kicked four goals, but South Fremantle was never able to bridge the gap. The teams were:EAST FREMANTLE.-Backs: N. Doig, Kenny, Skeahan. Half-backs: Fordham. C. Janrvi, Munro. Centres: Migro, Hutchinson, Seubert. Half-forwards: C. Doig, Daniell McGlinn. Forwards: W. James, C. Doig, W. Doig. Ruck: Martiensen, Donegan. Truscott (rover). Nineteenth man:' Lyons (did not play). SOUTH FREJfANTLE -Backs: Renfrery Brown, M. Hayward. Half-backs: White, Edgar. Sack. Centres: J. Mills, Whitaker, Lewington. Half-forwards: G. Metherell, Jasper, Matthews. Forwards: E. Hayward, A. Metherell, Ditchburn. Buck: Beard, Richardson, J. Doig (rover). Nine. teenth man: Smith (replaced White at halftime). UMPIRE.--V. Sparrow. South Fremantle, aided by the breeze, handled the ball more than its opponent until play settled down. Playing on individual lines, it made little headway, Jasper being its only player to score a goal until the quarter was well advanced. Both sides played poorly, and only in patches was co-ordinated play in evidence, and then usually by East Fremantle. Hutchinson proved too elusive for Whitaker at the centre, and it was through him and C. Doig that. East Fremantle attacked with success. G. Doig, showing a penchant for the left foot on the turn, cleverly goaled for East Fremantle and a further long shot by the same player brought the maximum. South Fremantle was being -well served by E. and M. Hayward, but, despite their efforts and a solid defence by Edgar, W. Doig scored a goal. South Fremantle took a hand then and two excellent shots by Mathews and J. Doig yielded goals, which enabled South Fremantle to lead by the barest of margins at quarter-time -3.3 to 3.2. Edgar and Beard were defending well but with poor support, and Daniell soon goaled. South Fremantle found in Hutchinson at centre a real barrier, and seldom was it able to cross over. Blunders were being perpetrated by the South Fremantle backs, a bad kick-in by the goal-keeper presenting G. Doig with a gift goal Just as East Fremantle appeared to be running to a big lead its play became less purposeful. It was still playine the freer game and contrived to handle the. ball first, but its combination failed to extend as far as the full forward line. South Fremantle was handicapped by having Mathews and G. Metherell injured. On recovering, G. Metherell scored the side's only behind for the term. The half-time scores being:-East .Fremantle, 7.9; South Fremantle, 3.4.On On resumption, - East Fremantle was well supported by W. Doig, Donegan and McGlinn, but nothing tangible resulted from its attacks. Hutchinson was still the mainspring of East Fremantle's action. A perfect set of exchanges through Brown (in goal), Mills, Lewington .and Smith-deserved more than the point scored by G. Metherell, whose perfect pass immediately afterwards was fully converted by Mathews-the first goal of the term after 17 minutes' play. At times, Beard was marking well for South Fremantle, 'while its best player, Lewington, was doing well on a wing. South Fremantle was persistent enough, but it still had to find team-work. Before the last change-over A. Metherell snapped a goal for South Fremantle and this left the scores:-East Fremantle, 7.12; South Fremantle, 5.7. Within a minute A. Metherell raised South Fremantle's hopes with an accurate shot, but again the fumbling among its backs let G. Doig through to have a walk-up shot. Martiensen, too, goaled at his leisure, the result of a wanderlust on the part of some of the South Fremantle backs. Lewington, now moved against Hutchinson, was prominent, while no one on the South Fremantle side was playing as cleverly as Smith, who never failed to connect with his club-mates. South Fremantle, although it scored goal for goal with its opponents, was never near enough to cause East Fremantle much anxiety. The term, which was the best and most even of -the match, redeemed much of the mediocre football of the earlier quarters, and ended with the scores as follows: FREMANTLE .. 11.17 (83pts.) SOUTH FREMANTLE .. 9. 8 (62pts.) Scorers.-East Fremantle.--. Doig, 4.2; W. Doig, 3.1; Martlensen, 2.1; Truscott, 1.5; Daniell, 1.1; C. Doig and McGIinn, 03 each; and W. James, 0.1. South Fremantle: A. Metherell. 4.2; Mathews, 2.2; Smith, Jasper and J. Doig, 1.0 each; M. Hayward and G. Metherell, 0.2 each. Hutchinson was easily East Fremantle's best player, being consistently good at the centre against all comers. Kenny, in goal, and N. Doig were the most serviceable of the backs. In attack, Daniell, G. Doig and W. Doig played major parts, with Martiensen and Donegan the best of a workmanlike, if not brilliant, ruck. South Fremantle was best served by Lewington, who gave a great account of himself on the wing. Playing only in the last half, W. Smith was of the utmost service, and was one of the few on the side whose disposal was accurate and really helpful. Others who did fairly well were A. and G. Metherell, Beard, Mathews, Edgar and Back.