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FOOTBALL.
Victorians V. Melbourne.
! On Saturday afternoon, August; 11, the Exhi
bition Grounds were the scene of the first
intercolonial football contest which has taken
place in this colony. At the commencement of
the present season a challenge was sent by the
Committee of the South Australian Football
Association to the Secretary of the Melbourne
Football Association,the desire being to arrange
for amatch to takeplaceeither in Melbourne or in
Adelaide. It was proposed that amatch between
combined teams of both colonies should take
place in Melbourne, but a ground difficulty
having arisen that match fell through. The
Adelaide Club then made arrangements to play
a match with 20 of St. Kilda on the Adelaide
Oval on Saturday, August 18, and for the St.
Kilda men to meet the same number of South
Australian-born players (picked by the Asso
ciation) on the same oval on the Monday fol
lowing. After the preliminaries for these
contests had - been settled, another local
Club, the Victorians, made overtures to the
Melbourne Club, the result being that twenty
two of their players arrived by the South Aus
tralian on Thursday, the 9th inst., and met
their opponents on the Exhibition Ground last
Saturday. Some unpleasantness has been
caused by the Victorians fixing their matches
. on; dates prior to the Adelaide v. St. Kilda
fixture,- and uncomplimentary things have been
said which we need not further allude to here.
The great interest taken in an intercolonial ~
match by the public was strongly exhibited
on: Saturday, there being upwards of
2,100 people present, including hundreds of.
well dressed ladies. Before a quarter to
3 o'clock, the time when play began.'
the grounds presented a most animated
appearance, „ the arena . being surrounded
by lines of spectators five or six deep,
and many obtaining seats on the cattle pens
and other coigns of vantage. The sun was
shining brightly, and a light cool breeze ren
dered the atmosphere all that could be desired
by the players and the onlookers. The forces;
on arriving from their headquarters, the Impe
rial Hotel, and entering the ring, were greeted -
with considerable applause by the spectators,';
whilst the-lively strainj-of the Concordia Band
helped to give a hearty welcome to the Mel
bourne Club. The following are the nameBof
those who tok part in the contest:—Victorians
—G. Downs (Captain), H. Barry, C. Warren,^
J, Sharp, W. Stratton, W. Knill, G. Murray, W.
Lammey, B. J. Furnell, J. Davis, W. Davis, F.
Fiveaeh, H. Allen, W. Osborne, J. Atkinson, F.
Culley, T. Hall, G. Kingsford, C. Longson, A.
, Miller.. Melbournes— Aitken, Anthony, Baker,
Cookei Goldsmith, Houston, Longden, McKie
(Vice*Captain), Moffatt, Suhard, Seward,
Munro» Downes, H.-, Damrock, Jenvey, Cam
ming, Beeve, Jas. Byrae (Captain), Gilchrist,
Sandilands.
Play commenced shortly before 3. The Vies,
won the toss and kicked off towards the east
ward goal, with the wind somewhat in their
favor. It soon became apparent that the Dark
Beds (Melbourne) were by far the stronger
team, as in less than five minutes they drove the
■ball right up to Within 40 yards of; their oppo
nents' goal, where Downes (Melbourne) got a
free kick, but amidst the loud applause and
groans of the onlookers failed to put it through,
as the ball was caught by Baker, another
Melbournite, who marked it, and on appeal
being , made to _ the umpire he declared
" dead ball." The ball was again kicked
off by the dark yellows (Vies.), but
only to be immediately driven back
again by the Beds, who for the remainder
of the half time penned their adversaries from
onejside of their goal to the other, frequently
sending the ball behind the posts, but never
managing to score. After a short interval, at
half time, the ball was again thrown out, and
no sooner was it down than it was sent flying
towards the Dark Yellows stronghold. The
local men, however, made a most spirited de
fence. Excited by the' plaudits of the
crowd and the cries of their respective
Captainsy botli teams made desperate efforts
to secure a victory, and, notwithstanding
some heavy falls, the men again and again
; rallied to the encounter. This state of things
continued for some 20 minutes, during which
the.Dark Bed's lost many a good chance at
scoringj several free kicks being kicked in an
indirect manner. At last the Victorians turned
the tide, and in a most determined style ran
the ball up to near the Melbourne goal. The
cheers of the spectators were then londer than
ever, but they soon became suppressed, as the
ball was kicked behind instead of through the
goal. On it again being kicked off, the Mel- .
bourne's, who seemed to have been a. little
surprised at . the . plucky, rush made by
their opponents, were more on. the alert V
than before, and soon .collared the ballj
placing the Victorians' goal in imminent
danger. After. the ball. had been played
some time in the" , neighborhood of
the Victorian' goal, 'a good' attempt, for
a score was made by one of the Dark Beds from
a mark, but without successj as the ball was
struck back by the Victoria^ goal-keeper. Al
most on the instant of the ball touching the
ground H. Downs, by a running kick sent it
flying between the posts, scoring the first
goal for the Melbourne team, amidst a
good deal of cheering. The game was re
sumed,-but time being called within five
miuntes afterwards,, no farther scores were ob
tained, which left the Dark Beds victorious by
one goal to nil. It will be seen that the
play was very onesided, the heavier team
having the beBt of it; bat the. Melbournes
lost several excellent chances of scoring by
failing to kick well from the marks. The
Melbourne men state, however, that they have
been accustomed to play with a small ball (No.
2), whilst the bsdl used on Saturday was .mush
larger (No. 6). One thing was noticeable with
some of the best of the Melbourne players, that
they always sent the ball towards their oppo
nents' goal either by a dexterous side-kick,
or sometimes by the player kicking the
ball to the rear over his own head. They
were very expert, too, in giving each other
marks from snort kicks, and passing the ball
in a scrimmage. There was Borne good kicking
on both sides, bnt the trees in the centre of the
ground and around the margin materially
interfered with the play, the hall being
many times intercepted by the branches of
the old gums. The Victorians were very
active, particularly in running and catching,
and on the whole played a losing'-'game
pluckily. Of the Melbourne players the best
men appeared to be Binney, Moffatt, Longden,
Sewall, and the captain (Byrne); and of the
Victorians, Kingsford, H. Allan, Barry, Warren,
and Downs (captain). The game was car
ried on without accident, and with the
utmost good feeling between the teams, except'
in one instance where, daring a slight dispute,
one of the Melbourne men was seen to pat him
self into a fighting attitude. We believe he had
been taken to task for repeatedly, and was
thought maliciously, rushing and upsetting a
lighter man in the opposite team. The excite
ment of the game may be pleaded as an excuse,
but such conduct is unpardonable, and should
not he countenanced if fair play is to he upheld
in connection with the game of football. Daring
the afternoon His Excellency the Acting Go
vernor paid a visit to the gronnd,his appearance
being signalised by tliree hearty cheers from
tlie players. • At half time the Captains of
the Clubs were, at His Excellency's request,
introduced to him. Mr. Harry Hngbes
officiated as field umpire in a most satisfactory
manner, his duties being arduous and- un
enviable. Mr. J. H. Lyons and Mr. Charles
Lush were the goal umpires. This afternoon
the Melbourne team play a combined team of
South Australia, when it remains to he seen
whether they will carry the palm of victory
with them, as the combined team will be
represented by a far stronger body of players
than the VictorianB.
$