(late, breaking) Round 21, 2017

Our journey this year is almost at an end and whether you’re working out if your team has a mathematical chance of playing finals or have already painted your front fence in team colours – we couldn’t help but reflect upon retirements (see ABC’s ranking of the 2017 retirees).

 

This makes us hark back to 1914, when our University team ‘retired’ from the league (Exit University, Argus 17 October 1914, p22). As would be expected from academics, Professor Baldwin Spencer said that there had been ‘careful consideration’ but the ‘only course for the club was to withdraw’ from the league. While there were some good players, it was ‘beyond’ the University to ‘maintain a high standard’ of play, and also examinations came in the middle of the season. The Argus reported Spencer saying the University didn’t want to ever re-enter the league ‘but wished to thank that body for the kindness and courtesy the club had always received. (Applause.)’

 

So to the footy record of 1914 we head for all the latest news. The 21^st round of football was a preliminary final and played on 19 September 1914. South Melbourne had defeated Geelong, and Carlton defeated Fitzroy in the semi-finals on the previous two weekends, and that week South Melbourne faced Carlton at the MCG. ‘Chatterer’ declared that there was ‘A man’s sized job ahead of South’ and the ‘Carltonians are fast and clever’ (p3). South were up to the job (as their present day counterparts were against Adelaide on Friday night) and defeated Carlton by 19 points.

 

There is much present day discussion about the Match Review Panel and seemingly inconsistent penalties. The questions of whether one should keep the studs of their boots up or down is a new one and we agree with Bob Murphy, Jordan Lewis and Jack Riewoldt: we always ensure our studs are down. In light of this it was the Footy Record’s reports of player behaviours that caught our eye. One incident involved St Kilda’s Billy Schmidt who was charged with striking L Fairbairn (Geelong). Schmidt denied the charge, he said it was only a bump, but Schmidt was disqualified until 20 June 1915. This was to be ‘a warning to players to control themselves on the field’ (‘Rough Football’ The Argus 3 September 1914 p9). The complaints about Schmidt did not end there, however, with the Steward of the match, D. J. Wheeler following up and saying that he had been called ‘a mongrel’ by Schmidt (p6). The Argus reported that the League and tribunal said they would ‘protect the officials. We will not have them insulted by players or anyone else’(‘Rough Football’ The Argus 3 September 1914 p9).

 

We are pleased to report that we haven’t been advised of any bad language or name calling – or ‘bumps’ – amongst any readers out there. 

Round 20, 2017

 

Dear Footy fans,

We’re playing catch up here – we missed posting last week but didn’t want to let the previous round go by without a mention, and we’ll get back on track this weekend.

In case people have forgotten – round 19 saw yet another game this season end without a song when the Pies and Crows drew at the MCG. The Pies had a 50-point lead at the start of the premiership quarter, which was progressively attacked by the Crows in the rest of the match. The Pies were ahead by 6 points, when Adelaide’s Mitch McGovern took an impressive mark just before the final siren sounded. He kicked a goal to level the scores (non-Collingwood supporters can watch the last 2 minutes here).

This got us thinking of great comebacks, and we thought we’d turn to one when the Pies were in charge of turning the game around. This led us to 1978 when in round 20 at the MCG, the second quarter saw the Pies trailing the Tigers by 55 points. Collingwood overcame the deficit and ended up winning by 14. We haven’t looked at the 1970s footy record before and we were keen to see what was going on in the Record from round 20 of 1978, when the cover price was a mere 30 cents.

The main footballing focus that weekend was Hawthorn’s ‘crack rover’ ‘Lethal’ Leigh Matthews playing his 200th game on the Saturday. He was described there as ‘one of the most devastating small men in League history’ (p.19), and pictured on the end of what we might call a high tackle. The caption reads ‘This is typical of Leigh Matthews’ play – he’d charge through a brick wall to get the ball’ (p.18).

But amidst advertisements for cigarettes (pp. 10, 20, 39 & 40); a full page photograph of ‘Crackers’ Keenan dressed as a fairy at North Melbourne’s fancy dress night (p4); and a large photograph of the ‘Ampol-VFL: girl of the week’ who was asked to identify herself at VFL House by Tuesday lunchtime to claim some prizes and be eligible for the major prize at the end of the year (p.11), the 1970s Records don’t have much to recommend them! So it might be some time before we head back there again.

Now onto to present day matters. What will happen this week? Most of Round 21 looks deceptively straight forward – but given the twists and turns of this season, will it be? Only time will tell.

Mary & Jordy

Round 19, 2017

Melbourne’s weather last weekend caught our attention – as well the Mighty Tigers who defeated West Coast at the MCG. The game began in sunshine but ‘torrential rain and occasional lightning and thunder’ featured in the second half. The MCG ground coped well – which is a far cry from yesteryear when grounds flooded to the point that games couldn’t be played.

In 1939 round 18 matches were postponed for a week due to footy fields being flooded, and in the later edition of the Round 19 Footy Record (that week there were two editions), it was noted that it was ‘A Dismal and Barren Day’ when ‘League Games Postponed’ (p3).

‘Chatterer’ described the grounds being ‘quagmires’ (p3). Despite the ‘deplorable conditions’ due to rain, patrons were still being entertained with ‘exhilarating football’ (p9). Chatterer called for more ‘Brains in Football’, however, angered that players weren’t dribbling or kicking the ball ‘off the ground to more open spaces’ (p9). This, along with baulking and side-stepping, were described as a ‘lost art these days’. The pace of the game was identified as the problem: ‘Is it that the fetish for speed and still more speed is robbing the great game of many of its one-time clever features?’ The fetish for speed has certainly continued but players selling the candy and side stepping opponents is not a lost art, and remains a joy to watch.

In terms of how some of the teams played in round 18 of 1939 – the Demons ‘demonstrated their tendency to mix brilliance with mediocrity’ but had managed to beat South Melbourne (p3). Hawthorn was congratulated for their ‘gallant effort’ to have their first victory against the Magpies (aka the Mayblooms) – but the Pies held firm and ‘won the day’ (p4). St Kilda played Geelong in Corio and ‘ran away with the game’ (p6).

The games in round 19 of 1939 were the last in the home-and-away season. The top four teams which would go on to play in the finals was ‘almost set’ but South Melbourne’s form had been good, and it was suggested that they might trouble the Saints who wanted to keep their place in the top 4 (fear not Saints’ fan – they didn’t) (p6).

As we get closer to the finals, those of us in tipping competitions are edging closer to the end of our seasons, and depending on who you’re cheering for and if your team is a chance to play in September, different outcomes for various games will be desired. Given the home teams domination last week – our question to you dear readers is, will the same happen this week too? Friday night’s game suggests this might be true.

Jordy & Mary

Round 18, 2017

 

Being appreciate of warm clothing for Melbourne’s cold conditions, and also being quite fond of SOS’s long sleeves, we noticed a number of Carlton players donning long sleeves last Sunday. The Herald Sun asked if there were too many Carlton players wearing long sleeves and ‘suggesting they didn’t like the cold?’  At 8 players, yes was their answer (Scott Gullan, Herald Sun July 16, 2017). 

 

The issue of sleeves doesn’t end there. In the very same game Bulldogs’ Lewis Young (at 18 the youngest player in the AFL) made his debut wearing a long sleeved top under his sleeveless one. Young was also noticeable for taking a third quarter spectacular mark (footage at point 4). We wondered if Young wanted to double layer his guernseys for ‘fashion’ reasons, or did someone neglect to put his number on the back of a long-sleeved top? The necessity of the numbers on the back of the jumpers harks back to 1912, when the VFL instituted rules that required all players in all games to have numbers, in regulation size, on their guernseys.

 

So to Round 18 of the Football Record of 1912 we head. The record was in its first year of publication, and the exclusive right of the Record to publish player numbers was noted by both columnists “Wikeawake” and “Chatterer” (pp 3, 28).

 

“Wikeawake” was reflecting on the crucial question of the emotions of football losses ­– one which readers might have considered themselves. “Wikeawake” felt that it was a good thing ‘that one does not know what is ahead’, as if one knew the outcome of a game before it was played (in this instance referring to the previous week when St Kilda had ‘wiped the floor with the Dons’), Essendon supporters would ‘have had to endure feelings of misery and disappointment for a longer period than is otherwise the case’. (p3) We’re not sure how long was usual then, or now, for misery and disappointment – but we continue to hope that we won’t be the ones suffering this weekend.

 

Enjoy the games this weekend,

Mary & Jordy