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FOOTBALL NOTES.
BY MARKWELL.
BALLARAT DEFEAT THE LEAGUE.
Collingwood's visit to the South Austra-
lian capital necessitated a -week's break in
the series of V.F.L. matches, and in order
to fill in the lime profitably fixtures were
made with Bendigo and Ballarat, the lead-
ing provincial football centres. The game
Bendigo was played on the Wednesday
last week, and proved a much tamer en
counter than had been anticipated, the
goaIs failing most signally in every branch
of the play, and permitting their visitors
win as they pleased. In the engagement
with Ballarat the experience was altogether
diferent. This match was played last
Saturday at Fitzroy, and attracted quite a
large body of oulookers, the number of
whom would probably have been multiplied
had it been expected that the visitors would
... to so great advantage. Some diffi-
culty was experienced at the last moment
when the league executive in finding substi-
tutes for Aylwin, Vautin, Anderson, M'Cal
lum, Hy. Young, M'Culloch, and Wright,
the original selection, and it was well-
half-past 3 before the team was com-
pleted The men who filled the gaps were
iks, Cleary, M'Speerin, Reid, E. Walton,
O'Grady, and the twenty by whom the
league was represented was after all more
... tolerably strong. Ballarat's twenty,
enough scarcely the strongest that could;
have been selected, included most of the
ing players of South Ballarat, Ballarat
Imperial, and Ballarat, the three clubs that
represent constitute the local association,
The team had travelled to the metropolis
in the early morning train, and they had
met at Snencer-street and cordially
welcomed by delegates of the V.F.L.
As soon as the game began it was seen
that the bulk of the league players were :
supposed to underrate the skill of their op
ponents, and to take things easy. A very
few minutes sufliced, however, to prove that
Ballarat men knew how to play the
game, and were determined to take adva-
tage of every opportunity. They commenced
thing right away, and had rattled up 19
points ere the leaguers awoke to the serious-
ness of the situation. They played a really
first-class game, fast, clever, and resolute; ,
and they were particularly expert in assist-
ing one another. The metropolitans, even
if they had begun to realise the weight
of the task they had in hand, played a dis
.... ed, individual game, and up to half-
time had considerably the worst of the deal.
During the interval Sutton, the league
commander, made material changes in the
position of his forces in the hope of ef-
fecting a recovery, but the alterations, as
and as the team, worked badly, and the
last quarter proved more disastrous than
earlier of the two that had preceded it.
The game was practically over before the
change of ends, for although the home
company made desperate efforts to reduce
adversaries' lead, and really appeared
this time to be gaining upon thein, the
.... they adopted was the unsound one
crowding upon the ball, and what they
had in forcing the attack they lost in
retening their defences. I have fre-
quently heard it said, and more than once
the experienced captains of teams, that
from one side crowds upon the ball the
other side must adopt a like course or be
... out of existence. Such. was not the
experience of the players during
the final quarter.- Their cool-headed leader
of them all the time religiously in their
.... , and whilst the leaguers were scram-
bling over one another in the middle of the
measure of the and the forwards of the
... were absolute master of the situa-
tion. Ballarat victory was as meritorious
as was decisive, and should have the
.... of arising the enthusiasm of their .....
Individually as well as collectively Bal-
larat men carried off honours of the
... No one on the league side shaped so
remarkably as Treweek, The Imperial flier,
and the skill in the air was as remarkable
as his masterful pace in getting to and
out with the ball. I do not remember to
have seen him thwarted on a single occa-
sion during the engagement. In defence
of both for solidity and brilliancy,
...., Vickers, Richardson, and Ryan were
... to beat, and the opposite end of the
..... one could have wished for nothing
more than the combination of concerted
...... and individual accuracy of Wan-
...... Robertson, Powell, and Sellls. Their
....men, Brosnan and Clune, formed an
appropriately brilliant setting for their
own centre man, James ; and their ruck
very capably manned by Kittis (who
played about the hardest game on the ground). M'Grath, Wright, and Boothroyd. M'Kenzie, the veteran "Imp," not only marshalled his forces admirably, but played a most effective hand that led the way
in expert passing and it was easy to discern
whence the team as a whole derived all
the fine points in their play. Years since
Geo, M'Kenzie might have commanded a
high figure and a prominent position in al-
most any metropolitan team; but, except
ing for one short period, he has preferred
to remainat home, and the stamp of his
excellence has been, and is, imprinted upon
the great body of Ballarat footballers.
For the defeated team nothing but praise
is to be awarded to D. Adamson, for his
fine marking and equally good kicking, in
defence of goal. M'Michael came next in
usefulness on the half-back line, and Pontin
shone out well enough at intervals. D.
Moriarty played the soundest and most
valuable game on the wing and of the team;
and Shaw, centre; Moysey. Clean-, and
Windley roving and forward; M. Speerin,
N. Waugh, and Rankin following; and
O'Grady, back as well as forward, were all
individually prominent. Sutton worked
hard himself, and exhausted his eloquence
upon his men in exhorting them to keep
their places; but his oratory went un-
heeded. In the end his constancy at his
own post was but poorly rewarded, for he
was left absolutely unaided to defend his
goal against a little host of antagonists,
who simply overwhelmed him, and sailed
straight for the opening. M'Cay umpired
the game with his customary great ability.
At the conclusion of the match both teams
were entertained by the Fitzroy Cricket
Club, and Mr. Alex. Renfrew, mayor of the
city, proposed the health of the Ballarat
Association and their victorious represen-
tatives. Captain M'Kenzie and Mr. A.
Berry, the manager, responded with what,
under the circumstances, might be termed
great modesty, Mr. M'Kenzie contenting
himself with stating that a return match,
at Ballarat, would find them more strongly
equipped, and Mr. Berry expressing a hope
that the season might not be permitted to
close without the league premiers testing
their abilities against the topmost of the
Ballarat clubs. Such a trial of strength
would, he thought, prove highly attractive
wherever ft might be played; and he, as
well as many more, both in Ballarat and in
Melbourne, would be glad to have the pro-
ceeds devoted to charity. Professional foot-
ballers have long since been starved out of
Ballarat.
SEASIDE STRUGGLE.
Mr. D. Hunter and his fellow club mates
at Port Melbourne would be delighted if
league matches could be suspended many
times during the season, because every such
suspension would spell increase of patron-
age at association games, and, in particular,
at games played on the Port Melbourne
ground. The exciting character of the pre-
vious meeting between the rival seaports
would in itself have rendered last week's
return engagement sufficiently attractive
to command the attendance of strong bodies
of the respective local supporters; but the
fact that no football was being played upon
the neighbouring South Melbourne ground
had the effect of magnifying the attendance
into what must have been a record for the
season's association engagements. Happily,
too, the big crowd were treated to a really
fine game, and one in which keen interest
was sustained all through. The final bout
was undoubtedly the most exciting that
has for years been witnessed at Port Mel-
bourne, and created in the veins of on-
lookers a pleasant tingling that has scarcely
yet subsided. Ports had the misfortune to
be again without the assistance of their very
capable forward, Rowan; and 10 minutes
after the start their wing-man, M'Gee, was
disabled. In spite of these drawbacks,
however, they succeeded in getting the
better of their visitors during three-fourths
of the game. Williamstown had the call in
the third term, and secured a substantial
lead, but, though they fought gallantly to
the finish, they were unable to cope with
the heroic and well-sustained onslaughts of
the Portsmen, who were rewarded in the
end with a meritorious, though exceedingly
narrow, victory.
A most praiseworthy performance on
behalf of Port Melbourne was that of de-
fender Henderson, who. in his first year's
senior football, has made for himself quite
an enviable reputation. In staving off
Williamstown advances powerful aid was
given by the sturdy and self-sacrificing
Freame, and Ryan, who played his first
game for the year, also lent very valuable
assistance in the garrison. Johnston dis-,
tinguished himself, as he usually does, in
all departments, and M'Gregor, in the cen-
tre; Hickey, on the wing; Fitzpatrick, fol-
lowing and forward; and Daly and Shan-
non, forward, were one and all highly cre-
ditable participators in the glory of the
occasion. Riley played a great game on
the half-back line for Williamstown; and
Warren, Worroll, and Fagan on the ball;
Hall back, and Guthrie forward were like-
wise' deserving members. Umpire Carris :
used his whistle much too freely during the
match, and his decisions were at times er-
ratic and inconsistent.
RICHMOND'S DOUBLE LOSS.
To encounter defeat is, unfortunately, no
uncommon experience for Richmond, and
they might be trusted to sustain their latest
disaster at Footscray with equanimity, were
it not associated with a loss that is irre-
parable. Their trusty chief, Dick Kelly,,
rbought his career as a footballer to a close
in the Footscray engagement, the fulfilling
of a still more important engagement ne-
cessitating his retirement from the field.
He has this week committed matrimony,
which, as De Mauprat says in the play,
"requires the courage of a lion." Dick's
courfage was never under proof, and he will
probably bring into use, for the ordering of
his domestic affairs, the tact he developed
as a leader of football teams. Whilst con-
doling with Richmond on account of their
huge loss, I must offer my congratulations
to their departed captain, and wish him
all possible happiness and success. He has,
during the past eight years been an orna-
ment to the game, and his retirement
through the occasion of it be ever so happy, is necessarily tinged with regret.
Footscray's victory over tehir Richmond visitors was rendered fairly secure during
the second term, when, with overwhelming
dahses their forces swept the field re-
peatedly, and acquired so great a lead that Richmond, who struggled gamely, and had rather the best of affairs even after, were
not able to overhaul them. A team that
can finish as Richmond has finished in every match they have played this year
ought to occupy every lowest place on the
list. They are capable of better things
than they have yet accomplished, and will
by far the greatest stumbling-block. De-
fender Clarke kept up his end most capably,
and treated the crowd to many a spirited
dash, in the stemming of which Footscray
had all their work cut out. Backhouse
and Bahen, on the centre line, were both
in rattling form; and Elder and Kelly, for-
ward, and Hayes and Brennan, back and
on the ball, gave sterling help. Of Foots-
cray's company, the stars on this occasion
were-Evans, Dean, and Armstrong, follow-
ing; and Molyneux, Dick, Clayton, M'Car-
roll, and Dickens, in places.
NORTH'S REVENGE.
When, a few weeks back, Brunswick de-
feated North Melbourne, the latter, though
they took their defeat like sportsmen, did
not hesitate to tell their friends in private
that they should not have been beaten. Last
week they made up their minds to throw
nothing away, not even their chances for
goals (an extravagance they had been
guilty of in the previous match), and the
result was that Brunswick had only a very
poor say during three-quarters of the game.
For one quarter, the second, Brunswick ap-
peared to the best advantage, but they had
clearly shot their bolt before the final
change was made, for they wound up
much more tamely than is their wont. They
have a great player in M. O'Loughlin, who
in his place amid-field always marks magni-
ficently, and who has rarely been beaten
in a man-to-man encounter since the season
opened. Against North he was the soundest
performer on the side, and Johnston follow
ing, M'Cormick and Mudge back, Filer for-
ward, and Sampson roving were the pick of
-the remainder. North's best men-H. Laun-
der, Torpey, and Grierson about the ball,
O'Loughlin and W. Carlton forward, Quil-
ligan, Rolent, and Montgomerie on the
centre line, and E. Launder, Stuckey, and
Caldwell in defence. All visiting teams
complain of the rough state of the Bruns-
wick ground, and I understand that the
complaints are warranted. Mr. Dedman,
the club's delegate, assured the association
last week that it would not be long before
a change would be effected. The local car-
nival had, he said, proved a success, and
the funds in hand were to be spent upon the
ground. There was also every likelihood
that the local council would afford the club
tangible assistance towards fencing and
fixing up the enclosure.
COLLIN WOOD AT ADELAIDE.
There was a great attendance-the largest
on record for an intercolonial match in
Adelaide-at the Oval on Saturday to wit-
ness the test game between the premiers of
the two colonies. For three quarters there
was nothing to choose between the twen-
ties; but towards the close the superior
staying powers of Collingwood were mani-
fisted, and South Adelaide were in the end
rather badly beaten. The totals were: -
8 goals 5 behinds to Collingwood, and 6
goals 4 behinds to the home team. An un-
fortunate injury to Clift, the famous South
Adelaide centre, partially disabled him,
and greatly handicapped the team after the
first change of ends. The play throughout
was decidedly rough, and the umpire
(Coffey), who was not at his best, received
but little consideration from some members
of the visiting team.
On the Monday following Collingwood
had to tackle Norwood, and a great game,
resulting almost in a tie, ensued. Nor-
wood have always shown up well against
Victorian teams, and on this occasion their
play was a treat to onlookers. To be sure,
the severity of Collingwood's tussle two
days before with South Adelaide had its
effect upon their play in this match, and the
fact that they went so close to beating Nor-
wood was, under the circumstances, nighly
creditable. As a matter of fact, they ought
in the end to have won, for just one minute
before time Monaghan had a deliberate
shot for goal at easy range, and missed. In
contrast with the previous game, this was
all that could be desired. It was entirely
free from roughness; it was fast, clever, and
open, and the marking and kicking shown
on either side were admirable. At the final
change Norwood led by a couple of goals,
but they had evidently played themselves
out, for in the last quarter Collingwood
were masters of the situation, and they
must have won had the play been pro-
longed another few minutes. The totals
were:-Norwood, 7 goals 9 behinds; Col
lingwood, 7 goals 8 behinds.
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