West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 13 September 1937, page 16


THIRD TIE OF SEASON. East Fremantle's Fine Recovery. Making a remarkable recovery in the last ten minutes of the final quarter at Perth oval on. Saturday,. East Fremantle managed to tie with East. Perth, Which had figured in two drawn games earlier this season. Up to that stage the most rabid East Fremantle supporter .could not have had hopes of success. A burst in the first seven minutes of the game had been followed by a long period of East Perth supremacy. Even when East Fremantle scored six behinds in a row in the third quarter, East Perth did not look at all worried, and the ease with which it scored goals, systematically and swiftly, made East Fremantle's scoring efforts look laborious by contrast. Cronin, at the centre, presented a difcult problem to Ea4 FPpiantes Whose ruck ,en

were often hopelessly behind the play. East Perth was waiting serenely for the final bell, when East Fremantle made its sudden rush. East Fremantle became allpowerful in the ruck, its forwards improved considerably in pace and energy, and before lonig East Perth was on the defensive. It strengthened its .back lines, but play became cramped and East Fremantle, attacking desperately, made a back line of its centre line and kept the ball among the forwards. Half a minute from the end a goal levelled the scores and the game ended in a tie.- In the last ten minutes East Perth pould not score. Following were the teams:EAST FRLEMANTlE.--Back: N. poig. J. Clark, Skeahan. Half-backs: Foidham, King'. bury, C. Doi. Centres: Seubert, Hutchinson, Migro. Half-forwards: Kdlminster, Daniell, MIGlinn. Forwards: James, G. Dolg, Donegan. Ruck: Wendt, Martiensen, Truascot (rover). Nineteenth man: Briggs (replacd Mlminster, injured finger, in last- quarter). EAST PERTH.-Backa: Shaw, Crow, Thomas. Hllf-backs: Campbell, Iockyer, Withell Centres: D. Miller, Cronin, Hall Haif-fotwarda: Broom, Muaeman, H. .Smit. Forwards: Fogarty, Rowland, Parry. .uck: B. Ryan, Dook,. H.Seaigh (rover). Nineteenth man: Dolan (did not play). UMPIRE.--G. Owens.. For a brief period at the stait of the game East Perth had a man uinning loose and the side was superior in- passing and teamwork only to break down repeatedly at half-forward. While Migro and Hutchinson won across the centre line and with Daniell beating Lockyer, East Fremantle was able to score three. goals in seven minutes before East Perth goaled. Then came a general improvement in the East Perth team; its marking-'was good, its system nice, and it was much faster than East Fremantle. Four goals were added in quick succession, with Smith and Rowland strong in- attack. East Premantle changed Fordham and Clark.

about, but East Perth's ruck was too strong, and at quarter-time East Perth led with 6.3 to 4.4. East Premantle showed a burst of speed garly in the second quarter, and its back lines were strong. Seubert, Wendt and Truscott were prominent, and helped to compensate for team-mates' slowness in picking up and kicking the ball. Martiensen went down in a collision iith Daniell but recovered quickly. East -Fremantle reduced the-leeway, but made hard work of it in comparison with East Perth's methods of scoring. Thomas was brilliant in East Perth's defence, and towards the end of the quarter the East Premantle followers were lagging behind the play. At half-time the scores were in East Perth's favour-9.5 to 7.6. Two goals were added in quick time by East Perth,. .ihose "short-passing game momentarily upset East'ematle. Then Pordham and Xingsbury reached top form in defence only to see wretched forward play for six behinds ina row before Wendt.scored a good goal. The East Perth backs had become uncertain in their kicking. Cronin was opehing up the play admirably, with Esmith. a sure colleague at half-forward, but; East Premantle's full-backs were solid. Play became rugged as East Fremantle attacked persistently, but unsuccessfully. At the bell East Perth led with 12.5 to 9.13. C. Doig had been given the task of watching Cronin.East East Perth played Rowland as a spare man on the centre line for a few minutes at the start of the last quarter, and in quick time the side added two goals. Skeahan was moved up to -the centre line and Rowland then went back to his usual position. East Fremantle pressed hard, and two goals came from freekicks. Cronin was in great form, and Screaigh kicked two goals with ease, and East Perth. looked certain to win. Then James began to use his weight to advantage, and Briggs (the nineteenth man) was fast at half-forward. The East Perth backs, however, were unrivalled in the air, and another goal was scored by Scresigh. East Fremantle changed' its men about and East Perth packed its defence. Nine minutes before the end Mkrtiensen goaled, and Wendt's goal reduced the -deficit to ten points. James and McGlinn were dominating the ruck and East Premantle had the upper hand. Three behinds and a poster left the teams only six points apart with five minutes to go. East Perth's backs were fighting hard, but in the cramped, vigorous play had to kick hurriedly and East Fremantle had a strong line of defence across the centre. East Fremantle's shooting was inaccurate, but G. Doig marked in front, and his goal left the scores level half a minute from time. Skeahan saved and Donegan and Wendt marked well before the .bell. Final scores: FREMANTLE 15.19 (109pts.) EAST PERTH .... .. 17.7 (109pts.) Scorers:-East Premantle: G. DoLg, 7.5; Truscott, 3.3; Martiensen, 2.3; Wendt, 2.2; Daniell, 1.1; Hutchinson, McGlinn and Donegan, 0.1 each (two behinds forced). East Perth; Rowland, 5.2; Screaigh, 4.0; Parry, 3.1; Fogarty, 2.1: Dook, 2.0; Mussman, 1.0; Smith, B. Ryan and Broom, 0.1 each. East Perth's outstanding player was again Cronin, in spite of the fact that he began slowly and was unable to check East Fremantle's onslaught in the late stages of the game. He was a sure connecting link between defenders and forwards, and East- Fremantle found it difficult to quieten him. Of the back men, Thomas was the best. For the first three quarters he repeatedly blocked East Fremantle's moves along the right wing, and in the last quarter was prominent until play was concentrated in the other pocket. Withell gave a good display at half-back, where Campbell was dashing and sure. Smith for most of the game was exceptionally strong at half-forward, marking, handling and kicking the ball in fine style. Miller, uncertain at the start, worked up to good form on the wing. Broom was a valuable follower, and Parry's roving was clever. Crow did many fine things in goal, and Lcckyer marked and lkicked well, though he lacked dash in delivering the ball Rowland's play in attack was high-class, and the best of the others were Screaigh and B. Ryan. Mussman was useful in spasms. Probably East Fremantle's best player throughout the game was Wendt, who worked hard in the ruck, was useful in attack, and marked brilliantly. His kicking could be criticised, but there were few on the .side who were above criticism in this respect. On the wing Seubert was seldom beaten, and his pace was most helpful to the side, particularly when it was labouring. Fordham, when shifted into goal, struck good form, and Sbe marked brilliantly at critical times. Kingsbury was another who distinguished himself in defence, especially when he stayed close to Mussman. Donegan was useful in the ruck, and tried hard to the end. Skeahan, when he realised his mistake in throwing the ball well out when tackled by an opponent, was a strong defender, while McGlinn deserves credit for his valuable effort, in the last quarter mainly. C. Doig played a fair game in defence, and Hutchinson was prominent early, and in the last term, when he had a roving

commission. Martlensen battled hard, and his best w6rk was done in the first half and in the closing stages. James and Clark struck form in the last term. Daniell started promisingly, but his form was patchy from then on. Migro was useful bn the wing, and Truscott had flashes of brilliance, especially in the last term. Briggs shaped well when he came on fresh in the last term, and G. Doig's seven goals were valuable.