Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

LACROSSE.
EXD OF THE T.A CROSS F REASON".
—A Retrospect.—
[By Cauadip.]
The fifteenth season of association la
crosse was concluded on Saturday, so far
as senior matches are concerned, and for
the seventh time in their history the Uni
versity (Hub gained the premiership. Sturt
and .Holdfast Bay share the honour's of
second place, but in the table given below
the Unley team are credited with being the
runners-up, because of their better goal
throwing record. In reveiwing the past'
season the first question to be asked is,
"Has electorate lacrosse been a success?"
It. was tried for the first time, with the
University Club exempt from the electoral
conditions, for special reasons. The scheme
liad many opponents, some of whom talked
sentimental rubbis-h about breaking up old
club ties, and for that, reason scuttled out
of the sport. However, every unbiased
person must admit, even with only one sea
son's experience, that the electorate scheme
has been a success. It is true that the club
not bound by- residential qualifications has
secured the premiership, but the issue was
in doubt until a week ago, and the stu
dents did not have the walkover that was
predicted for them. From the opening set
of matches until the final series there was a
delightful uncertainty about the result of
nearly every match that was played. The
premiers were beaten once by Sturt, the
runners-up; Sturt were defeated twice by
Holdfast Bay, who are level with them In
points; Holdfast Bay were vanquished once
bv the team next on the score sheet, East
Torrens; North Adelaide, who corue next,,
drew with East Torrens; and Woodvilie, at
the bottom of. the list, drew with North
Adelnide. . Could greater equality be ex- ,
pec-ted in the first experience of electorate
lacrosse? The weakest club was Woodvflle,
who draw 'their players from the poorest'
lacrosse . district • in add around Adelaide;.
Mr. Hughes'fe enthusiasm-has largely kept;
I them together, and it may be necessary to!
relax the divisional conditions a' little; in
i their favour next year in order to retain
the club in senior ranks It will be seen
ft-om the following table that the scoring
was nucommoniy heavy;—
PKSIOh ASSOCIATION,
CluU
thtlwrfly , . 4
SlttN
Holdfast flay , «
East Tatrrttt , ,
North Adelaide < t - .
Woodvilla 10
The figures that follow
oiiml goal ill rowers for the
show the nrifl*
again we find l'hli Newlnnd at the head
of (he liet—a position he has held for eight
out of the nine seasons he has bees playing
the game. Last yenr was the exception,
and Tie was lending then until illness pre*
vented him from faking (he field for nearly
half the season. The following Is his re
markable record:—1894, 38 goals; 1893, 41}
1890, 48; 1897. 33; 1398, 33; 1899, 31; 1900.
30; JPOl, 11; 1903, 47, this makes n total
of 304 goals—a performance which is aba
lately unapprtmcked by any player, past
or present, in .Australia,
GOALTtmoWEHS.
P. M. Netvland (U.) . tl A. Preagfave (8.) , • 14
U. P. Ward (U.) . , 42
h. Uurtplirls (8.) , . 28
W. S. Crosby (11.11.) 21
A. TliompBoti (Tf.fl.) 23
Q. He Mole (8.) . . 22
V. Bishop (S.) ... 10
V. L. Gardiner (U.) . 16
S. Fleming (U.) , . , 14
II. ft. New)and (K.T.) 10
P. Jeffrey (H.B.) , , 10
A. Newman rii.fl.) , to
J. rietcber (W.) . . 0
G. Lord (E.T.) . , 4 9
A. Mann (S.) , . , . ff
The season jnst concluded is the most
satisfactory in the history of the Associa
tion with regard to interstate honours. The
results of the Melbourne and Sydney tout
are too fresh in the minds of the lacrosse
public to call for extended reference here.
Victoria—slowly but surely gaining in
strength—was beaten twice by 8 goals to
It ana 7 goals to 5, and New South Wales
received the crushing defeat of 20 goals to
nil. which stands as the Australian record.
Adelaide's lacrosse reputation was further
enhanced by the defeat at tiie hands of
the second senior twelve and Holdfast Bay,
of the Jamestown Club, who piay otnet
country teams year after year without a
loss.
Season. Premiers. Jl.unners-up.
1888 . . Xort.li Adelaide .... Adelaide
1889 . . North Adelaide . . , . Adelaide
1890 . , University . . , . Adelaide
1891 . , University . , , . Iroquois
18.92 . . Iroquois . , . , University
1893 . . Iroquois ( , , , University
1894 . . University «... North Adelaide
1 . . University «... North Adelaide
1S96 . . University .... North Adelaide
L897 . . North Adelaide .... University
1698 . . University » , , . North Adelaide
1899 . . Iroquois . , , . University
1900 . . Iroquois .... University
1901 . , Iroquois , , , . University
1002 . . University , . , . Sturt
The most enthusiastic supporter of the
Canadian pastime cannot fairly claim that
lacrosse has grown in popular favour this
season. There is no doubt that when the
electorate scheme is more firmly established
greater interest will be taken in the doings
of the teams than the people of the various
districts have shown this season. Why it
hangs fire it is hard to say. A traveller who
passed through Canada wrote that "lacressa
is more lively than cricket, and more pic
turesque than football." A writer in
The London Daily Express say.-;:—"Why la
crosse should be denied the popularity ac
corded to cricket and football is difficult, if
not impossible, to explain. It is a fine
fame to play, ana a good one to witness.
t is much older than football, and pro
bably more ancient than cricket." The
South Australian Association never goes
out of its way to popularize the pastime.
It has got into a groove, and moves along
as it has been doing for 15 years. It never
attempts to get matches played on high days
and holidays _where people congre
gate, and rules the srport with a weak hand.
Kules are made, but are disregarded, and
the penalties provided are never enforced,
while generally the association is out of
touch with the players. The delegates
meet after business and talk until daylight
fails. They would never think of lighting
the gas. Individual clubs have taken the
game on to three enclosed grounds, to which
admission is chaL'ged. The association
looks on, but never dreams of following
suit. The annual meeting is held after
the Football Association lias picked out all
the best dates during the winter. Nubody
would ever accuse the Cricket Association
of having a desire to foster lacrosse. It i
grants the use of the Adelaide Oval readily j
enough for interstate matches, when the re- |
ceipts always amount to a respectable sum.
but its substantial slice olf the "gate
leaves the Lacrosse Association with just
about enough to banquet the visiting team
and pay the advertising bill for the season.
It is' said that a visit from a Canadian
team would stir up public interest in the
game. It is understood that Mjr. Wardilj,
manager of the Australian Eleven, conduct
ed negotiations with the manager of the
Toronto team, which recently swept
through England and Ireland without a
defeat; but nothing definite will bo
known on the subject until his
return to Melbourne. The Toronto La
crosse Association numbers 1,100 members
and the tour of the old country paid for
itself, so large were the gates. This re
sult is not likely to be attained in Aus
tralia, and seeing that the game in Canaaa
is largely a professional pastime the finau
rial side of the question would be the lirst
consideration.
As for the Junior Association its record
this season is almost too pitiful for word.?.
It ought to change its name to the Junior
Forfeits Association. So far this year, with
two Saturdays to go to complete the pro
gramme, no fewer than 14 matches have
been surrendered without the teams tak
ing the field. This body is made up of a
bewildering array of 11 and C teams, and
the grading of the combinations is such that
three of the clubs play themselves twice
a season—the 13 team is pitted against the
C team. This idiotic process, combined
with tne facts tliat_ the Deaf Mutes Club
were excluded, leaving an odd number of
teams im th<^ association, and that many
of the forfeited matches have been adver
tised to take place, has laid the conduct of
the junior body open to much criticism.
The premiership there is practically assured
for the Sturt B team.
$