THE LEAGUE CLUBS. - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) - 1 May 1897 (original) (raw)

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Sat 1 May 1897 - The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)
Page 11 - THE LEAGUE CLUBS.

Melbourne and Fitzroy tied for third place in

the premiership matches last year, and both clubs

are commencing practice in earnest now. Melbourne

will be represented by a number of new faces this

season, their list of departures being very large.

O'Halloran and Roche are in England, O'Dwyer

and Irving have gone to Western Australia,

M'Carthy is in South Africa, and Powell has re-

turned to his old love, Ballarat; Ramsden, Sholl,

J. Wilson, and Healing have retired, so that there

will be plenty of room for new blood. Mr. R. H.

M'Leod has been busy, and has quite a formidable

array of new players to bring before his com-

mittee. Brighton, which used to be the recruiting

ground for Essendon, supplies Jenkyn, a fine

player; M'Coy, a brother of the umpire; and an-

other dark horse, who is said to be a fine goal-

kicker. Scotch College are also supplying their

quota in Staples (rover), M'Leod (back), Steele

(wing), and Robinson (follower), Timothy comes

from Fitzroy Juniors; Gooding and Thompson are

two flyers from a second-rate junior club, who are

expected to develop into fine wing players; John-

son, the captain of the Coranderrk, can follow or

play in a place. He showed fine from last Satur-

day against Brighton. Woods, the Daylesford

crack, who captained Combined Ballarat against

Collingwood last year, is said to be a second Thur-

good; he can kick "very long and very straight."

Herring, the Grammar School crack, will also be

seen in the red stockings, and Gardner and Atkin-

son, from the Collegians, are to be given a show,

Hourigan comes from Maryborough with a big

reputation, and, in fact, the Melbourne team will

be hardly big enough to hold all the "talent" pro-

Fitzroy are not at all certain about their new

men, but they expect Nolan, a back man from

Essendon District; M'Kay, a follower from the

same club; Descrimes, a fine follower and several

of the best of the Fitzroy juniors will be avail-

able. Owing to the undue length of the Sports

Depot cricket contests, J. and M. Grace and Keir-

nan may not be able to play football for a while,

and Reynolds and Buckley, having given up the

game, there will be room for juniors at the open-

ing of the season. Nomens, who is up country, is

doubtful, too, and Sloan is rowing in the inter-

colonial eight, so he will be absent for a week or

two. Cleary has been very ill, and may not be

available for the first match or so, but the tricky

rover is sure to be in the thick of it ere long.

Banks will play again, and the other old players

will be all there, as they are all showing good

The Melbourne team open the season to-day

with a match against 25 public schoolboys.

An innovation in this match is that school players

of 1896 will be allowed to take part.

A meeting of the permit and umpire committee of

the Victorian Football League will be held on Wed-

nesday next, when applications for permits will be

The Clifton and Northcate Harriers will meet at St.

Paul's Cathedral, at 2.30 p.m.