Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954), Sunday 30 April 1939, page 15


BERT GOOK'S ORGY OF GOAL-KICKING

Perth Too Good For West Perth

ALBERT GOOK kicked 16 goals ai I^ervifle yesterday, and

Perth gave West Perth a 99 points hiding. The final scores were 22.17 to 7.8.

Perth overwhelmed their opponents almost from the start, and led by a big margin at every quarter. In only one term-the third-did the cardinals show any sustained opposition.

Perth's massive victory was a complete surprise, for, following upon their sturdy game against Subiaco a week ago, West Perth were expected to do well yesterday

and possibly inflict defeat upon <. the city men.

West Perth's form was too bad to be true, and, providing the spirit of their . young players is not adversely Affected by defeat, they may give proof of this before the season has proceeded far.

The experience of years shows that teams overbalanced with young players are unreliable

Perth won everywhere, although their wing« did not have the same degree of supremacy that other di-visions possessed.

Back men. In Fitzgerald and Robert-son, were in brilliant form; Puddey did well at centre; and up forward Bantry and Gook were brilliant.

Gook's exhibition was exception» ally noteworthy, lt is probable that

B. Gook.

E. Tyson.

his 16 floats could have been in» creased had he extended himself until the end.

West Perth.-Back: I*. V. Waist Dickson, Bunting. Half-back: Jeavons Tetley. Sampson. Centre: Bridges Caddy. Heal. Half-forwards: Shuttle worth. Davies, Cornelius. Forward Brady, Tyson, Baker. Followers O'Keefe. Rainoldl. Campbell. 19th Screaigh.

Perth.-Back: Fitzgerald. .Roberteor Saunders. Half-back: Hatton. Balles Hiltz. Centre: Davey. Henfry. Puddey Half-forward: Ranson. Hetherington RundeU. Forward: McKenzie, Goo« Grlgg. Followers: Oliphant. Hoddle ton, Kelghtley. 19th: Dewar.

Umpire: V. Sparrow.

There was nothing conclusive abou tho early football. Aided largely bj Real, who was holding his own wit! Davey on the wing. West Perth bax most of the play, but were repulse* by the solid defence of Robertson whose condition indicated that he was în better form than at any other perioc

since coming Crom Victoria,

Perth overcame West's aggres-siveness and went on to score goals from Davey and Gook.

Walsh and Dickson had a torrid time fending off further assaults that were assisted by snappv half-forward play. Tetley waa the best of the western half-backs, who generally were beaten.

In the centre Henfry was beating .Caddy and Perth's high fliers, with Robertson, Fitzgerald, Henfry and Gook doing particularly well, were a telling factor in Perth's growing

supremacy. .1 Brady and Gook scored goals at their respective ends and Perth narrowly missed the inner opening on a number

of occasions.

Perth went to a 27-point lead with further goals from McKenzie and Gook, success that was largely paved by Bailey and Henfry.

West were utterly failing to match it with Perth, failing for want of pace and cohesion.

Perth were playing the long kicking game and better In the air and faster on the ground they made matters very

one-sided.

The rediegs* lead was Increased by goals from Gook (a good one) and Grlgg before the quarter ended.

FIRST QUARTER. Perth-7.5.

West Perth-1-2.

Neither team could lay claim to polish in its play in the early stages of the second term, but West Perth held the opposition better than formerly and soon had . goal from Tyson.

There was tenacityv in plenty of Western attacks, but little sense of direction or anticipation. Often Perth defenders calmly came through to mark quite unmolested.

Robertson (goalkeeper) held his good form of the first quarter and Perth, going easily, ultimately broke away to widen the breach with another two goals from Gook.

Gook kicked his seventh goal a little later, and with the quarter only half

gone Perth led 10.8 to 2.4. (

West had re-organised their back line by putting Walsh in goal. Jeavons in a back pocket and Dickson on a half-back wing, but as the scores in-dicated, all changes were incapable of stemming Perth.

Puddey*s play improved' as the

game progressed until he became j

one of the rediegs' best. | A major weakness in West's isolated attacks was high passing, which suited tall men like Robertson and Fitzgerald admirably and gave Tyson little

chance.

* For a reason that waa not obvious, Henfry went half-forward during the quarter, Puddey came to centre and Hilts went on the wing.

Nevertheless, Perth went ahead quite merrily under its altered placings and scored more goals from Gook and Henfry, while Brady's lone six-pointer was West Perth's only big success.

HALF TIME. Perth-13.11.

West Perth-3.5.

Baker's clever spoiling of Robertson enabled West Perth to goal several minutes after the start, but Haddleton's marking led to a breaking-.up of what looked like a West awakening.

However, Dickson returned the compliment at the other end, and for some time West returned to a serious but mostly ineffective at-

tack.

Shuttleworth gave some reward to West's hard work by accepting a pass

from Tyson bi front of goal and kick-ing full points. Shuttleworth kicked the ball right ont of the ground.

It may nave been Perth's big lead that led to a loss of some of their eat ly zip, but whatever the cause they were now certainly playing second Oddie to the Westerners, who picked up their third goal for the quarter from Camp-

bell.

For the first time tn the gamo Perth's ruck, despite Haddleton's strong play, was being beaten; Shuttleworth and Campbell were the men responsible.

West Perth's period of ascendancy was marred by weak forward work that did not do the team justice.

Partit gradually recovered poise, Keightley and Oliphant worked into better form than they had earlier displayed, and Gook continued on to kick his tenth goal.

0*Keefe struck a high note for Wests and repeatedly bis thrilling marks, taken high over the heads of the oppo-sition, turned the tide when all -seemed

lost.

THIRD QUARTER. j

. Perth-15.18.

West Perth-7.8.

Gook's record In the first three min-utes was three marks, three kicks, and three scores-rtwo goals and a single.

Perth's ruck was now at its best and gave the Westerners little respite. Wests had to rely upon a hard-worked defence division, but manfully as Jea-vons and company battled they were unequal to prevent Perth piling on the

agony.

Mott interest remained in how many goals Gook would kick, and to do the tall fellow justice he did not rely upon favoritism from team mates to «mass his big tally.

Not only did Gook mark and kick well, but bis ground play was good.

West Perth failed to score during the" quarter, although a number of times the wingmen. Bridges and Heal, worked cleverly to present opportuni-

ties.

FINAL

Perth-22.17 (149pts.)

West Perth-7.8 (5Opt».)

GOALKICKERS.

Perth: Gook 16. Henfry 2, G rigg. Hetherington, McKenzie, Davey.

West Perth: Tyson ft. Brady 2, Campbell, Shuttleworth.

BEST PLAYERS.

Perth: In a team that had many good players and not one bad one, Perth had the player of the match in A. Gook, whose 16 goals were the re-sult of forward play that was brilliant in its every detail- Second only to Gook was EL Henfry, whose entry into league ranks is a most auspicious one. Henfry did excellently at centre, and later at centre half-forward was equal -

! ly good. P. Fitzgerald's work in a

back pocket was o ver whelming to his marksmen, and In the first half A. Rob-ertson had no superior on the ground. Robertson's marking and dash were features of the game. Puddey, Heth-erington, Haddleton, and Balley were others in form that was above the

average.

West Perth: There is no more popu-lar man in the game than EL ("Chec-ker'.')' O'Keefe, and all were delighted with the courageous, efficient exhibi-tion that this West Perth mas pro-vided In a losing fight. He was best for his team. P Heal and B. Bridges did good work on the wings, and M. Jeavons was solid in ' defence. C. Compbell pulled his weight as a ruck-man, but with the exception of EX Ty-son, who battled gamely if not very successfully, few of the others were conspicuous for any consistent period.

_________