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THE AÜSTrULlAN GAME.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
Br FOBWABD.
THE "ONE-EYED" JOSSER.
Many years ago wheo at school I WES
presented with a bat and ball for services
rendered as secretary to my cricket club.
I The bat became the club's property in the
I following match and a month later the cover
' was knocked off the ball, and the elegant
silver mounting (with an inscription) which
adorned the ball and generally told its tale,
has long since gone the way of the willow
and tine leather. Those were youthful days,
when things were little prized. Nowadays
one'gets few presents of that sort, bat
plenty of kicks, metaphorically speaking.
' However, it . is a source of considerable
satisfaction to the proprietors of this jour-
nal, and to myself in particular, of course,
to know that these notes have been so much
appreciated that Hanley, O'Dell, Cullen and
other well-known supporters of the West
Perth Club are now engaged in prepar-
ing an illuminated address in my honor,
setting forth my very many "one-eyed"
virtues and generally getting even for
sins of omission and commission, in con-
nection with the West Perth F.C. Hanley,
O'Dell, and Cullen have not yet confided in
me tile text of the address, bat it is sure to
be in fitting terms for one deemed to be (and
with more than usual reason perhaps) "one
eyed." Now, the "one-eyed" supporter of
any game is à creature of varying degree.
He may be only "one-eyed," or he may be
very much so. In the eyes of some men
every follower of any club, but their own. is
"one-eyed." ~ Now, Ï know one "honored"
ex-player, honored, as far as his own club is
concerned, for his many services to that club
and the game as well, but mostly to his club.
This man would repel with scorn the accu-
sation that he is 'one eyed', yet he is credited
with having accepted ¿he position of delegate
on behalf of a doubtful bookmaker tb en-
deavor to square the leading player of an
opposing team to play stiif so that the
bookmaker might with the greater cer-
tainty bet on the match. This is known to
many members of the club, still they honor
bim ss one to be trusted, and the book-
maker who endeavored to do the stiffening
is honored also. Neither of these men
would be called "one-eyed" perhaps by some
people, although 1 think the two referred to
had "one eye" on the mun chance-their
own personal .betterment. " Before writing
further let me say that I do not refer to
Alex..Cordon. He is a bookmaker, and a
staunch supporter of the West Perth Club,
but I do not think for one moment, that he
has ever assisted or even suggested the
stiffening process in any game. Gordon
might throw in a crown or two to help a
player until he got work, but I do not think
he is the roan who would endeavor to ruin
the game by the stiffening process for his
own or other people's benefit. X am
very well aware that my latest
offence in the minds of the West Perth
fellows was contained in my notes on the
"PhUlis-WilmshursD incident in the Perth v.
East Fremantle game, when the latter
player returned his togs to the Perth Club.
My opinion was generally voted on that
occasion as "spleen" against Wilmshurst for
leaving the Perth Club. It was simply an
opinion based on my knowledge of both
players. I bad a conversation with Wilms-
hurst on Wednesday afternoon, and in tair
ness to him I give his version. Wilmshurst.
said he was not overexerting himself, and
Phillips said "Buck in." He said, "I'm not
going to kill myself in a match like this."
Phillips replied, "You little squib, for two
pins I would order you oft the field."
Wilmshurst said, "You need not do that-, I
will do it myself, as there are emly two or
three minutes to go to half-time." "I then
went in," said Wilmshurst, ""took my togs off
and handed them in. It's the first tune that
I have ever been "spoken to in that way
during my five years of senior football."
Willie further stated that many people had
read the remarks on the incident as indicat-
ing that he was a blackguard on the fit-Id.
That is not so, nor was there any intention
to so insinuate. The word "squib" was
often used by Wilmshurst, not by Phillips,
in my hearing, hence my opinion. Well,
what else could you expect from a "one
eyed" josser? "One-eyed"! Yes, I hope
to be always "one-eyed*' for keeping the
game pore and above board, and if I have a
leaning towards the Perth, Sabia io, and
like clubs, it is oily because they are and
have been all along an amateur team.
T'ween seasons the Perth dab got an appli-
cation from one of its players foran advance
to help a relative across from Victoria. Two
members of the committee declared
straight out that if that sort of thing
was commenced they would retire - from
the club and from the game altogether.
This, may seem like straining a principle,
but it is the principle on which the club has
always worked. The fact that the dab has
always been able to paddle along without
the following of the bookmaking element is
fair evidence that they have played the
game fair and square, and have maintained
their principle at all hazards. When Mor-
phett and Wümshurst had relamed to their
old club, Fischer, the ex-secretary of' the
Perth dub, declared that "whether they
finished top or bottom the Perth dob would
play for the sport of the game"; and as long
as they do this they will always have the
sympathy of the SUNDAY TUCKS."
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