West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Monday 28 August 1939, page 15


PERTH'S- GREAT FINISH. South Fremantle Beaten. Rallying in great spirit in the closing minutes of a hard, gruelling game played under poor conditions, Perth snatched victory from South Fremantle at the W.A.C.A. ground oh Saturday. It was an excellent game, despite miserable weather, a slushy playing field and a wet,j slippery ball, and Perth achieved a notable success in finishing better than the fast, vigorous Fremantle team. South Fremantle's play in the ruck, in defence and in handling and kicking the wet ball was good but it might have won had it been more accurate in front of goal. Perth was steadier under pressure than it had been in recent games. The teams were:PERTH.-Backs: Fitzgerald. Robertson, Love. Half-backs: Hilsz, Bailey, RundeL Centres: L Ransom. Puddey. Lewis. Halfforwards: Hatton. Henfry. McKenzie. Forwards: Grigg, Gook. Hetherington. Ruck: Williams, Oliphant. Keightley (rover). Nineteenth man: McCarthy (did not play). SOUTH FREMANTLE--Back: Renfrey. Higham, J. Mills. Hall-backs: Dodd, D. Dolg. HaskelL Centres: C. Lewington, Jenkins, N. Lewington. Half-forwards: Mathews, R. Toll, Burkett. Forwards: Gorn. Chandler, Hart. Ruck: A. Richardson, Relly, Truscott (foyer). Nineteenth man: Poole (replaced Richardson. ill, in third quarter). UMPIRE: G. Owens. Chandler won the toss and chose to kick with the wind, but Perth forced the pace and registered the first score. South Fremantle was careless in forcing the ball on to the "awkward" wing. Perth, with ilssz and Ransom prominent, was the better team but it faltered badly near the goal where its leading was ineffective. Truscott "soccered" a goal for South Fremantle but for about ten minutes the players struggled ineffectively on the rain-sodden ground. The cricket pitches and the western goal base were muddy puddles. Working slowly but surely along the right wing, Perth kept in attack Grigg goaled for Perth. South Premantle had been well held during the quarter and was only six points ahead at the close of the quarter with 1.7 to 1.1. Robertson went to goalsneak and Gook to half-forward at the start of the second quarter. In the first minute of play Hetherington goaled and Robertson scored another a minute later. Then Perth's play fell away; it, too, seemed incapable of getting the ball on to the 'scoring wing. Robertson moved to centre halfforward and Gook returned to goalsneak. The South Fremantle backs, notably Renfrey did great work and the ruck was sound but Ransom's dashing play on the wing held Perth tbgether until Gook (once with a magnificent kick) goaled twice to give the team a lead of 20 points at half-time when the scores were:-Perth, 6.4; South Fremantle, 2.8. South Fremantle hit the post twice in the first two minutes of the third quarter. Perth's kicking became wi.d; the South Fremantle ruck gained command (despite Oliphant's sound play) and

within a few minutes Perth led by only five points. South Fremantle worked and handled the greasy ball well. But for inaccurate kicking-it had kicked 14 behinds in 18 shots--it might have been well in front. Perth players were penalised for deliberate kicking out of bounds. It was easily South Fremantle's quarter and it regained the lead in the closing minutes. Three-quarter time scores were:-South Fremantle, 6.15; Perth, 6.6. South Fremantle's ruck made a brilliant effort at the start of the last quarter which resulted in an invaluable goal. Reilly had swung the game in favour of the Fremantle team. But Perth fought back, with Oliphant, Hetherington and Grigg striving hard to win back ruck supremacy. Goals by Williams and Oliphant left South Fremantle only a point in front. Then McKenzie, with a prodigious punt, goaled to put Perth ahead with 11 minutes to play. Jenkins went on to the ball. It was a hard, fierce fight with Perth working the ball to the goal with rugged, heart-breaking thrusts. It led by five points six minutes from time: then hammered back two attacks. A point put it six points ahead three minutes from time. 0ook kicked another point and the game was safefor Perth. Final scores were:PERTH .... .. .. .. 9.11 (65 pts). SOUTH FREMANTLE .. 7.15 (57 pts). Scorers.-Perth: ,Gook, 22; Williams, 2.0; McKenzie, 1.2; Hetherington, 1.1;! Oliphant, 1.1; Grigg, 1.0; Robertson, 1.0; Henfrey, 0.2; Keightley, 0.1; Ransom, 0.1. One behind forced. South Fremantle: Truscott, 3.0; Gorn, 2.3: Reilly, 1.0; Chandler, 1.4; Toll, 0.3; Burkett;. 0.1; Mills, 0.1. Three behinds forced. With effective dashing play on a wing Ransom shared with the rover Grigg the honour of being Perth's best player. Grigg's tireless roving irks a vital factor in forcing the play when South Fremantle faltered. Oliphant did fine work on the ball in every quarter and particularly in the last, winning rally. -lsz, Bailey and Fitzgerald played splendidly in defence, with Robertson sound and sure in goal. Puddey, Gook, Love and Hatton were prominent and McKenzie and Hetherington were valuable members of the team. At half-back and in ruck Haskell was South Fremantle's best'player. He played strongly throughout and was fast, sure and effective. In a back pocket Renfrey played flawlessly. Reilly was outstanding in the ruck and Truscott roved cleverly. Jenkins was frequently prominent at centre and D. Doig was a sound halfback. Chandler and A. Richardson (until he retired from the match) were under notice at times.