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ATHLETIC SPORTS.
FOOTBALL CHATTER.
Br FAIRPLAY.
It is becoming quite an institution, quite
the proper thing to do, to go and gee a Carlton
and Melbourne match. There was as much
excitement over the one on Saturday as if,
instead of Carlton having won four games in
succession they had all been drawn. Nothing
was spoken of during the week, in foot-
ball circles, except the relative chances of
each club. The Carlton were known to be
very strong, and flushed with victory. The
Melbourne, it was said, had been strengthened
by several good recruits, making them
stronger than they were last year. Their'
previous losses, too, had in no way damped
their ardour, and it was certain they would
toe the scratch as sanguine as ever. The .
merits of individual players were discussed
in a way that would have led one to believe
something more important than an ordinary
club match was on the tapis. As the week
wore on, with the rain reining every day, the
chances of a fine Saturday became more and
more doubtful; but in the morning of that
day it cleared np overhead, leaving the
ground, however, very wet, and in some parts
ankle deep in mud. Long before the time
for commencing, the principal thoroughfares
leading to the Royal-park were thronged.
Nothing else was on worth seeing in com-
parison. Fully 10,000 people were present,
who saw out the match, standing in mud the
whole time. The goal ends of the ground
had been roped off, but this was of no avail,
as before the ball was kicked off, the spec-
tators were inside, and on the side boundaries
two or three yards in front to start with. To
keep a large excitable crowd of this nature
in order the police authorities, after repeated
application from the Carlton club, were able
to send the large number of two constables !
The game commenced at 3 o'clock; Gold-
smith, the Melbourne captain, winning the
toss, played towards the University end,
with a slight wind in his favour. Guy, the
Carlton skipper, kicked off. Forward,
Carlton! To your places, Melbourne was the
cry, and the fight began. The ball, at the
start, was taken well down into the vicinity
of the Carlton goal. The defenders sent it
back to Gardiner, playing on the wing, in the
middle. He made a nice run, and landed the
ball into Goldie's hands, who wasted no time
with it. The ball was worried about for a
bit in the middle of the ground, then was
nicely marked by M'Gill, from him kicked
to Newing, and by the- latter put into
: Dedman's hands on the way, almost in a line
with the goal-posts. He kicked, the ball was
forced from its proximity to goal, when Carr,
who played all through this match in grand
style, got hold of it. He passed it on to
Williams, who, dodging his adversaries very
neatly, landed the hall fairly between the
posts, right into the goal-keeper's hands.
The goal-keeper could barely get away with
it, as he was at once rushed by the sneaks, till
Guy and his able assistants came to the
rescue. By sheer hard work the danger was
averted, and Lacey, who was in fine form,
; still further improved the Carlton position by
propelling the ball on to Newing. -Newing
sent the ball into the midst of a crowd of
players, about 20 yards in front. As the ball
rose. Nudd kicked it on the top, and it went
through the posts an undoubted goal, as the
yells of triumph of the Carlton supporters'
proclaimed. Only half the hour gone by.
The Garlton kept the same places; one or
two changes were made in the Melbourne
placing, evidently with the design of a grand
burst; then once more was the ball des-
patched on its errand. It was no time reach-
ing the Carlton end, where Towle put it
behind uncommonly; close to the posts.
Better luck next time was the cry of con-
solation: Guy kicked off: The Melbourne,
too impetuous, let the ball get by the centre;
Lacey sent it well on to M'Gill's hands, who
marked it about 60 yards from goal. The
ground was altogether too slippery-and soft
for any accurate kicking, so his attempt went
very wide of the mark. The ball was started
again; more determined rushes, and despite
the excellent play of Gardiner and Robinson;
in the centre it was again close up Carlton-
wards. Longden, for- Melbourne, at this
stage rendered material assistance, running
and dodging very neatly. Twice in succession
the ball was sent very close to goal.but
although kicked behind, it did not go through
the posts.
At 1 o'clock sides were changed. A little
time was wasted in vain, endeavour to get
back to their places the crowd; who had
much encroached on the ground. There was
no mistake about it—now came the real tug
of war. The' ball was thrown up by the
central umpire; by sheer force was taken
down towards the lower end of the ground
where it was kicked on the hop by Goldie,
going just outside. instead of , as Melbourne
fondly hoped, inside the post. Guy and
Monie were very much pushed defending
goal, but both, Gay, especially so, played in
grand style. Carr, for Melbourne, was
everywhere working very hard and being
well assisted by his side, the ball was
kept more to the one end Of the ground
than was pleasant for Carlton. M'Gibbon,
now and again would make one of his peculiar
serviceable runs, helping the ball away from
the posts. If, however, it did reach up to the
centre. Bell, who came out in somewhat of
his old form, would send it back again by one
of his long kicks, time after time putting the,
ball close in front of goal. Lacey was still
outshining by his efforts all on his side, but
was, nevertheless, the cause of his side nearly
losing a goal, as several times a free kick was
given against him for infringing the rules.
Freeman got a nice mark well in front of goal
off a grand kick from Silllett, playing in the
centre of the ground. This sent up the ex-
citement to fever heat ,as his straight kick-
ing powers were well known. The direction
of the kick was good, but no firm footing was
there, and the ball fell short. Now the
Carlton, finding matters getting unpleasantly
warm, rallied up, and by a well-sustained
effort got the ball to the Melbourne end,
where M'Gill was again to the fore, his mark-
ing being splendid. For fully 10 minutes this
bail was kept at that end, being the only
time during the second half that it was so.
Then away again it went, on and on, till
Bennie, the hardest worker of the two teams,
got a mark in front. Instead of trying one of
his well-known punts, he was seized with an
idea that he could kick goal with a place
kick. He did not, but the ball was forced
behind. Another kick off; in went big Wal-
lace, Blanchard, and the other Carlton
heavy weights, determined to get their
goal clear. But they could not keep it
up. The Carlton efforts were flagging:
time was anxiously looked for. The ball was very frequently out of bounds, principally
owing to the people having encroached 20 yards or 30 yards on either Side. As time was
approaching, both sides went in a docker.
'The Melbourne came on, rally after rally
making the game a very warm one in front o£
the Carlton goal. Attempts were made to
ward off the attack by getting the ball away
up the left wing ; but although Williams and
Landy O'Brien, on this side, worked hard,
the ball rarely passed Hammil and Johnson, who were doing good service to their place
It seemed only a question of time to make
the game, at least a draw, but this did
not happen. When everyone was about
as excited as could be, and getting hoarse
from yelling, the umpire called time, and the
game was over. Result, another victory to
Carlton by one goal. Mr. J. Conway was
central umpire, giving general satisfaction.,
From the number of' free-kicks given in the
centre of the game, it was evident that
whenever appealed to, he was determined
that the game should be played according to
the rules.
Close by where the above match was played,
in the Royal-park, the North Melbourne
played the East Melbourne, and were vic-
torious by one goal, which was kicked for
them by Gillman.
At Ballarat, the Ballrat and Albion clubs
met. The Ballarat only played with 16 men,
land had to commence the game against a
strong wind. A goal was kicked for the
Albions by Graham. The match came to an
abrupt and rather ludicrous termination, as
the ball burst, and there was none other to
go on with.
Many inquiries have been ofttimes made
as to where copies of the rules of football can
be obtained. Mr. Donaldson, printer. Eliza-
beth-street, has printed them in a neat form,
with a list of all matches for the season 1875,
making it altogether a very handy book of re
ference.
Both the St. Kilda and University clubs,
already finding themselves in difficulties with
regard to getting sufficient players, held a
meeting and came to a sensible conclusion.
Instead of continuing each on its own
account, turning out a weak team, they have
joined and now form one united club. The
name of the new club has not yet been fixed
on.
At the Church of England Grammar School
a pleasant meeting was held on Wednesday
afternoon between the old boys and the
present scholars. They played a match on
the play ground, in which the youngsters
proved themselves too good, as they obtained
four goals. It is intended to make this an
annual match.
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