GEELONG V. MELBOURNE. - ANOTHER WIN FOR GEELONG. - Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1859 - 1929) - 24 Jul 1899 (original) (raw)

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Mon 24 Jul 1899 - Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1859 - 1929)
Page 2 - GEELONG V. MELBOURNE.

Toanis representing the above met t". >r the

second time this season on Saturday after

noon, and bs the match ended in a victorv

for Geelong, they are now both level in the

running for the League premiership, Fitzrov

leading them by or.e game. The position

has thus become additionally interesting, and

the League engagements for Saturday next

tend to make it more so. The defeat of

Essendon by Geelong and of Fitzrov by

Melbourne would place three teams "on a

level at the head of the list, and it is thoonly

combination of circumstances that wilt im

prove the position of Geelong so far

as :;c~t week's matches are concerned.

Gloriously fine weather fuvored the

match played on the Geelong oval

on Saturday afternoon, and the attcndanco

was the largest that has been stim this sea

| son. Melbourne proved victorious on their

owe ground when these clubs met in the

first round of this season's matches. Never

theless, tho return meeting was looked to

with interest, as the exhibition of football

clubs under notice are invariably of an at

tractive description. It turned out to be a

first-class match, and Geelong did not have

anything like tho advantage that the tcorcs

might seem to indicate to those who were

not there to witness it. Geelong took the

field minus the services of George Lockwood.

His place was filled by Henry Parkin, a

younger brother of the Geelong follower.

Considering that he was p'ayins with men to

whom he was a complete stranger, his

game was a very creditable one, and he im

proved as the match went on. Melbourne

played without their wing men, Lowden and

Monarty, but with substitutes like Scholl and

Mitchell the personnel of the visiting team

could not be said to have suffered by their

absence. The visitors got moving very

quickly in the first quarter, and played with

greater dash than their opponents during

this period of the game. Geelong, too,

teemed to /have no luok in handling the

ball, and a tendency to crowd for it confused

tbem still further, the ball when it was hit

out of the ruck usually binding in the hands

of a Melbourne man. As a result the Gee

long back lines were hard pushed duiinsj

the greater part of the quarter, and

this brought some of the finest defence play

on the part of Conway and Burns that has

been witnessed for many a day. The former

was os safe as a bouse whenever the ball

came into his neighborhood, and that seemed

to be nil along tho half-back line. When it

got past that iilio Burns was equally sure

1 back. Tho veteran, who played with an

accuracy that was a treat to witness, marked

.several times in goal, or alougside the poits,

and closed a splendid afternoon's work by

marking between the posts in the last

quarter, and running with tlie ball

half way down the ground. The general cha

rater of the game improved very materially

in the second quarter. Melbourne bad, per

hap?, the greater number of opportunities for

scoring, but Geelong worked with more Judg

ment and worked with prood result, for posi

tion. Teddy" Lockwuod dirtmiruished

himself in thi3 connection, for though he did

not score himself, he worked the ball into

places where it was handled by Geoloug to

the best advantage. The visitors could not

sustain the pace with winch they had led oil,

whereas Geelong became appreciably strong,

aud their opportunities were increased by the

tendency of Melbourne to fall into the error

i that they themselves had made in the earlier

stage of the game of crowding upon the bull.

Taking it all through, however, the game

was a very interesting one, aud the pace

from start to fiuish was a fast one. It was

played in the friendly spirit characteristic of

meetings between "these clubs, and though

Geelong won by 14 points there was nut

much between them at tho fiuish. The

umpiring: of Kecnau was extremely satisfac

tory-. Reference has already been made to

the Stirling "work of Conway and Bums, who

effectively stemmed the rushes of the oppes

ing team in the first quarter when tho

Geelong players were getting their wits

together. Pincott, amongst the back men,

deserves to come next iu order cf merit. Of

the wing men Palmer played best ou

the centre - line, and Greeves did ex

: ccedingly well considering that he had his

I eye closed aud his teeth loosened by i»u

accidental bump. Tho same remark can be

applied to Dear. Though not quite up to

his brilliant Fitzrov form Thompson did some

fine work with M'OaUum half-forward, and

James marked in grand style on the forward

lino during the first half. Spc-cial praise is

due to Teddy Lockwood for his well-judged

and unselfish play. Joe M'Shane was the

object of Melbourne tactics during the first

quarter, but these were outwitted by

the fact that he ceased to go for

the ball, leaving. it to his brother Jim.

"WardiD, who played a roving game, was the

best man on the Melbourne side. Herring

did the best place work at half-back, and

Moody, who did a lot of damage to Geelong

in the first half, played a hard gnuic

throughout. In the centre a fiue game was

played by Iiewis, and excellent service was

done for them on the wings by Seholl and

Mitchell. Herring, half-back, was the best

placed man, and Woods did a lot for tho

defence, but Moysey was not seen to his

usual advantage forward, Leith and Ryan

being most conspicuous in that division.

The state of tho game at the termination

of each period was as under :

First quarter.-Geelong, 1 goal, 2 behinds;

Secoud quarter.-Geelong, 3 goals 4 be

bebiaas ; Melbourne, 2 goals C behinds.

Third quarter.-Geelong, 4 goals 6 be

hinds ; Melbourne, 2 goals 10 behinds.

Final.-Geelong, o goals G behinds, 36

points ; Melbourne, 2 goals 10 "behinds, 22

Goal-kickers.-For Geelong, James (3),

Parkin, Thompson. For Melbourne, Pirrie,

Our Melbourne correspondent, under

Saturday's date, writes as follows :

Footballer® bad a delightful day, the weather

being all that could be wished. The results

Fitzroy, 12 goals 12 behind.-:, S4 points,

beat St. Kilda, 4 goals 6 behinds, 30 points.

Esseudon S goals 9 behinds, 57 points,

beat Carlton, 3 ;?oals S behinds, 32 points.

Collingvrood, o goals 9 beliinds, 39 point?,

beat South Melbourne, 5 goals G behind?, 36

North Melbourne, 12 goals 10 behinds, S2

points, beat Port Melbourne, 4 goals 12 be

Richmond, 7 goals 4 behinds, 4G point?,

beat "WiUiamstowu, 4 goals 13 behinds, 37

Footscray, G souls 6 behinds, 42 point?,

beat West Melbourne, 5 goals 10 behinds,

T?raUrau, o goals 9 behinds, 39 points,

beat Brunswick, 4 goals G behinds, 30