Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), Monday 10 August 1903, page 7


LACROSSE RETROSPECT.

1 -'A SEASON OP RECORDS.

fBy Canadia.l -

The sixteenth ' season of assodalion la:rosbe ended on Saturday, with results satisfactory to the most expectant (supporter -f tlie Canadian game. The Jun;or Asso

ciation teams arc etill fighting out a twograde premiership, and at tiie end of the month will have a cirnival with a combined northern team; but senior players like to finish well within the cold season. Lacrosse is too strenuous a game to be played even on the fringe of summer. The past season may be regarded as a triumph for tho electorate system, which Las now been tried for two years. Membership of all the clubs in tlie association, except University, ig now regulated by residential qualificaUons. University are allowed to select from graduates, undergraduates, and past and present law students, and opponents of the' electorate system argued that this wide choice, would invariably make the premiership a gift for University. However, it has. taken the Sturt Electorate Club only two yews .to prove the fallacy of this contention. ,Runners-up last year, they have this season inscribed their name on the. premiership list with an unbeaten record, having thrown the fine average of 14.3 goala a match' for 10 games. Their firsV. junior team lias met with equal success, and^ not a little credit is due to the Sturt Cricket Club for, the encouragement it has given to the Canadian game, while ab the same time trying to make a - namo for itself in football ranks. This has been 1 remarkable season' for records. Theie nre five, notable. performances, which will take a tot of beating. ... . Record No. 1.— Highest score in any Australian match 32 goals to 3, thrown- by East Tcrrens B against Port Adelaide B, at Victo'ria Park on July 18, beating the 23 goals to nil , scored by North Adelaide B at the expense of ,East .Torrens C on July i, and the 26 goals to nil thrown bv South Australia, against New South. Wales in M02, ,,,- :--. ...' ... . ; Record , No. 2.-r-Higlie8t individual score in one South Australian senior match, 14 goals, thrown by P. M. Newland, out of 21 scored, by University, against East Tortptir'. i atvila nt: AtpHinnin nn .Tulv ll.'Thn

Australian record in this respect belongs to R. Biggs, of New South Wales, who got 18 out of 21 goals which North Sydney, secured against) B-urwood in 1902. Record No. 3.— Highest number of goals earned by one club during the 1G years of association lacrosse in South' Australia— 143 Koals'by Sturt. Tlie previous best total ma 117. thrown twice by University (in 1895 and 1896). Record No; 4.— Highest total thrown by uiy (touth Australian player during one ieason— 7C goals, by L. Humphris (Sturt). Record No. 5.— Only occasion on which both teams in a South Australian senior match have scored double figores-^Sturt 13 goals, University 10, on the Unley Oval, August 1. The positions of the dubs are as follows:— ' SENIOR ASSOCIATION. 1

I'! duu- I ° g I 1 1 1 h £ *3 n o u t. Sturt ? 10 10 ? -US '31 20 University .. ..-. ? 10 S 2.-121 52 IS East Torrens '.. .. -10 4 I 2 »V2 09 10 Holdfast' Bay .. - .. 10 3 7 — S3 105 fl Xorth AdeUide „?.;. .. 10 2 8 - 51 77 4 Port Adelaide .. .. ^ ... 10 1 7 2 43 109 4 ?The strong feature of Adelaide lacrosse during the past season hus been the strength of the forward lines in nearly all the clubs. That accounts for the prolific scoring that lias taken place every Saturday. There 'were 33 matches on tlie senior programme, and the winning teams readied double figures in 21 of those games, and in live other contests missed that distinction by only one goal. ? As showing the advance of the forward game, it may be said that during the whole of the 1801 and 1902 seasons double figures were scored on only one occasion. In 1901 'winning, teams threw 111 goals to 45; this year winning teams have scored 390 goals to 132— a remarkable comparison which proves that the homes are now much stronger than the backs and the uoalkeei)ers. In 10 premiership games this year Sturt made only one single-figure score, and that was 9 goals. The bulk of their scoring was done by Humphris, Mann, Bishop, nnd Presgrave, and the tally of the lastnaincd would have been much better but for the fact that he was played in goal on several occasions. Sturt threw ? 22 to 10 against University, 35 to 5 against East Torrena, 39 to' 2 against Holili'ast Bay, 23 to S against North Adelaide, 24 to '6 against Port Adelaide, and 8 to 12 against) Victoria, The runners-up for the premiership this year arc University, who lost two matches during the season, both to Sturt. The students started the year witlh a comparatively weak team, and the 9 to nil which tlie Unlcy men scored against them on May 23 was the worst defeat they had experienced for many yeara. Their team was greatly improved towards the end _ of the season, but a backward movement in premiership honours was inevitable from the start, especially when it was known that Julian Ayerd would no longer be in goal.- The contemplated retirement of P. M. Newland from the game will leave thein with an irreparable loss next season, but it is to be hoDed that the captain will once more

take.up the hickory. l.acrossc wouiu namly be the same' without him. University have been seven times premiers and seven times runners-up. Third on the scaring sheet arc East Tqrrens, whose record w exactly the same as it was at the end of last yearwon 3, lost 5, drawn 2. It is notable that three out of four matches played 'by East Torrens and Port Adelaide during tlie past ' two years have ended in draws. The EJst Torrens are a coming team, and have gone up one step by ousting Holdfast Bay from third placa. The Boys started indifferently owing to the loss of several bf their best men, but pulled themselves together, and have finifhsd the season ahead of _two other club-— not a bad position considering the comparatively limited area from which they are allowed to draw their players. North Adelaide and Port -Adelaide are bracketed at the bottom of the. list, .with the figures somewhat in favour of the Norths. The latter had bad luck throughout, losing several of their games by only one goal. The fact tint their record of 'goals thrown against' is the third best in the list indicates a splendid defence. The club Ms bad some remarkable lips and downs, .for from premiers iu 1897 nnd nmners-up in 1898 it has come' down to t!io bottom of the list. The fine traditions of the club should encourage the members to make a good recovery next year. The Port Adelaides sprang out of;, the old Woodvilles, and tlie te.im having come into the association to stay it lias plenty of material capable of raisins it up from the. font of the premiership list. Tha Ports, in common witb Sturt, East Torrens, and Holdfast Bay, now have'tlip use of an oyal for their home matches. During the season lacrosse was seen on five ovals to which admission fees were' charged— Adelaide, Unity, Norwood, Port Adelaide, and Glcnelg. The premiership list since the besinninz of the association is:—

Season. ?I'rcmieis. ItunncR-iiu. 1S8S-.. North Adelaide Adelaide , 1SS9 „ North Adelaide Adelaide 1S00 .. University Adelaide 1S91 .. University _ Troquois 1892 „ lroquoia University 1S03 „ Iroquois - University 1S&4 .. University Korth Adelaide 1S03 .. University North Adelaide 1S9R .. University -North Adelaide 1S07 .. North Adelaide University 189S .. University North Adelaide ISM .. Iroquois University 1000 .. Iroquois University 1901 .. Inxniois Univmity 1902 .. University Sturt ? 1803 .. Sturt University In the list of principal goaUhrcvers which follows all mutches in .which senior players have taken part are reckoned. The trip ? to Petersburg, Jamestown, and I'ort Pirie w?is undertaken by a fairly representative team, and as florae of the players i'orniinn it did not take part in tlie interstate matches the opportunities the leading ulayers had for scoring were practically balanced. P. M. Newland has at last to give wav to another .at the head if the goal records. During the ten'vears lie has been playiug the game be has headed the list eifiht times. He fell out from this distinction in 1901 through pot having played for half the season on accouut »f illness. During the decade i'e has .elptd himself to 358 eoak.

— Goalthrowers.— ? ( U. Humuliris (£) . 70 O. Ixwd (EX). . . 1S-I'. 31. Kewland (U.) 52 It T. Ward (U.) . 13/ A, llann (S.) . ; . 48 U. Naughlon tl'.A.) IS i C. K. Thomas (S.A.) 30 A. Needles (T\A.) . 12' A. 1'ri-prave (&) . 2S A. Jlallaai (E.T.) . 12: U. I,. Gardiner (U.). 23 S. K. Mdxmnon (U.) ID V. HLslion (S.) . . '» E. (.liapple (U.) . . *-? «. ,s. Crosby (ll.a) 21 A. Kcwtnan (11.110 . 91 f. (!epp (11T.) , «1 p. Jalfa-y (H.H.) . -J A. Clayton (U.) . 10 t\ Parker (a) . . -J The interetale doings were again satisf.ictmy to .South Australia, us tlie 13 to 3 victory gained at the expense of Victoria w»s-_ ciiual to tho previous best performance against that slate, which Ls tlio only one of lhe groui) that can make a reasonably clos-e contest with South Australia. During I lie year lacrosse has liceu well established in Queensland and Tasmania, so that all the btatc* of tlm Coiiiinonivcaitli and New, Zealand now play the game. New South Wales did not keep iUs engagements on tho Adelaide Oval, and it appeal's that we can: expect moie enthusiasm from Western Australia, wJicic tlie association has contributed £100 towards the expenses of the iSouth Au.-tralhn team, which will leave for Pcrtli on August 13. No event during the season Ins more convincingly indicated the progress that lacrosse is making than the long tour about to be undertaken, except it be the- excellent attendances that marked the two interstate matches, on lhe Adelaide Oval. Tbe jrmue has made um.sidei-iible headway in tie coiratiy, the Port Pirie teams having been formed into nn association, while we find Jamestown and ISrokcii Hill exchanging visite. .Something niigiit have been done to introduce lacrossu into the colleges, as w;is sufrgoatotl at a recent dinner, but for tlie manner in which the association's cheque was 'knocked down.' No review of tbe past season would be complete without) a reference tothe businesslike and enthusiastic manner in which tho secretary (Mr. W. S. Hughes) has carried out his duties. His services areworth, much to the game.