Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 4 August 1913, page 12


A FRANTIC FINISH.

ST. KILDA BEATS CARLTON. WON ON THE LAST KICK.

NOTES BY OBSERVER.

In spite of the heavy wind, the promise

of rain squalls and a day generally unplea-sant, there were over 15,000 people on the St. Kilda ground on Saturday to see the match

between Carlton and St. Kilda. Everything

pointed to a desperate game, because Carl-

ton were only two points in the lead for fourth place in the final fours, and there are only three rounds to go. Every expec-tation formed as to the match was realised. It furnished a most earnest contest, both sides trying their hardest, and with the fluctuations of fortune that kept the big crowd stirred with excitement from start to finish. Then, to crown all, came such a finish as one rarely sees. It is enough to say that St. Kilda won the match by one point with the last kick of the day, taken after the final bell had rung. Carlton have had peculiar fortune this season in the close finishes. They drew with South Mel-

bourne, and were beaten by Collingwood by a point, discovered after the match,

when it was believed to be a draw.

All the excitement centred in the closing

stages of the game. The wind blew almost directly across the ground, but at the start slightly favoured the Fitzroy street goal,

and St. Kilda won the toss. Sellars, from a difficult angle got the first goal. They cracked on the pace, Lynch and Jory doing well for St. Kilda, Haughton and Dick for the blues. Through this quarter it was noticeable that Carlton were steadily coming on, but St. Kilda's defence was generally pretty sound. The rushes of the blues were always quicker than those of St. Kilda, because, instead of fiddling with short passes in an uncertain wind, they kicked, and kicked far. Wells landed it in front, Baud marked and scored their first goal. Nothing eventful followed for some time, and just as a heavy rain squall came up, which at one time looked like spoiling the match, Valen-tine dashed out of the pack, curved into position, and scored Carlton's second goal with a fine left-foot shot. St. Kilda had the better of the play through that quarter, but were able to obtain no substantial lead, and it was near the end of the quarter be-fore Collins scored their second goal.

When the rain came up the wind shifted a little further to the south, and St. Kilda probably benefited slightly by it. That benefit was not at once manifest, for Baud, Challis, and Gibbons took the ball around the wing, and after some hard fighting in front of St. Kilda's posts Gardiner kicked Carlton's third goal with a hurried shot off the ground. Then St. Kilda opened a de-termined attack, Schmidt, Bowden, Cum-berland, and Sellars all showing rattling form in turn, but there was one serious fault in St. Kilda's play, and it continued right to the end of the match. Too many of them cling persistently to the ball. It must have been rather painful to the onlookers to find their men doing clever things, getting possession, and then losing everything for the sake of that extra couple of yards' run.

Early in the second quarter they opened out a rally which looked like running away. After O'Donnell and Marchbank had kept them off for a time, Sellars squirmed out of the crush, taking the risks at almost every stride, and kicked third goal for St. Kilda. Baud and Challis gave Gardiner a long shot for Carlton, but only a behind resulted. Then in the close

handball again Desailly played it out to Schmidt, who kicked fourth goal. Marchbank was again called for his best, but St. Kilda were playing with great vim. Desailly again passed it, this time to Millhouse, and he scored St. Kilda's

fifth goal. They kept up the attack deter-minedly, Millhouse playing a great game, and exchanges between Ellis, Woodcock, and Sellars gave them their sixth goal. Just at the end of the quarter MacDonald and Gibbons gave Moran a chance to score a be-hind, Carlton's only success for a long time. At half-time St. Kilda had a good position, with scores of 6-5 to 3-1.

From that point the struggle commenced. With rare pluck, undaunted energy, and a long game, that was always superior to that of St. Kilda, Carlton started to make up their leeway. Carlton played on, never wavering for an instant. Gibbons and Valentine gave Baud a chance to score their fifth goal, but almost immediately, out

of a crush, Schmidt snapped the seventh goal for their opponents. Then Carlton got a very soft goal indeed. A tangle-up found

three of their players within feet of the goal, the ball between them, and the nearest St. Kilda man yards away. Gardiner

coolly tipped it through. Sharp helped Moran to a chance, but he missed; then Baud and Sharp served Gardiner with the opportunity to kick sixth goal, and the St. Kilda crowd became significantly silent. It was the minority who cheered when Baud, from a beautiful left-foot shot, scored Carl-ton's seventh goal. Goals were even then, St. Kilda had still 5 points advantage on

the behinds. Carlton's kicking was far superior to that of the other side, especially their shots within range, where little went astray. The quarter finished with St. Kilda 6 points ahead—a single goal in the

difference.

The final was a great struggle. It com-menced with a clever dribbling run by Eicke, but Carlton had St. Kilda on the defence, where Ellis served them well. When Bow-den, Angwin, and Cumberland got the ball between them, and the big ruck man passed it to his rover, Millhouse, eighth goal fol-

lowed, and St. Kilda were cheering wildly. Immediately afterwards Woodcock gave Schmidt a chance in front, but he missed it. Next time it was Cumberland, who gave Schmidt the chance for another miss. At that stage the St. Kilda rally ended, and Carlton revived. Clancy passed it to the front, and Wells, with a very deliberate place-shot, kicked eighth goal for Carlton. Their wing play was very fine—it always gave them an advantage. Challis and A. McDonald, who was playing fine football at that stage, gave Gardiner a long try, but only a behind. Clancy immediately reme-died the mistake, for, with a dash in from the wing and a fine shot, he got Carlton's ninth goal. The pendulum was swinging, for almost immediately Sellars again work-ing out of the crush and narrowly escaping capture, kicked ninth goal for St. Kilda. Another of Clancy's great dashes in from the flank was followed by tenth for Carl-ton, and the position became very tense in-

deed. St. Kilda were leading then by 7 points. Marchbank had received a heavy blow on the face in a crush. It knocked him out for a bit, then, looking very white where he was not red, for he was simply

covered with blood, he staggered into the battle again. The crisis in the game came with only a few minutes to go. Haughton

placed the ball right in front. Dick had gone up there to help the forwards, and he marked in good position, kicked true, and put Carlton 5 points ahead, with only about three minutes to play, but those minutes were full of excitement. St. Kilda made a last desperate rush, and a bad sling within kicking distance of goal gave Collins a free kick with only seconds to go. He hesitated a moment, then quickly passed the ball to Schmidt, and it was no sooner in that player's arms than the bell rang. Schmidt had his shot, placed it high and fairly between the posts, and the whole St. Kilda ground went frantic with excitement. They poured over the fence in hundreds,

cheering wildly and a hundred arms carried Schmidt in triumph to the pavilion. No

such excitement has attended a League game this season. It was not possible to have made a closer finish with one side winning.

St. Kilda have a team of dashers, but they have not learned to get the best from their pace, and, in the right hands, I feel convinced they would be a team of cham-pions in a very little time. Wholly on the evidence of this match, in which they scored so remarkable a victory, I still think Carlton will head them for the final fours. The finest player in St. Kilda colours on the day was undoubtedly Millhouse. Cum-berland's work was not conspicuous. Ellis

was a useful man all through in defence,

Schmidt played brilliantly at times and

made many irritating mistakes. Collins, Woodcock, and Sellars were valuable chiefly amongst the forwards, and Hattam, Lever, and Dangerfield defended fairly well, but nearly everyone on the side did something notable at one time or another during the match. Two outstand-

ing men in Carlton colours were Baud and

Clancy, and they played very much the same kind of football—always quick, always clever, and with good judgment. McDonald, O'Donnell, Green, Challis, and Dick were all prominent in a game of games.

Scores:—

St. Kilda .. .. .. | 2-2 | 6-5 | 7-8 | 10-10 | 70

Carlton .. .. .. | 2-0 | 3-1 | 7-2 | 11-3 | 69

[Reports of other matches will be found

on page 10.]