| Venue: Victoria Park | Date: Saturday September 1, 1928 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: Win by 20 points | Umpire: Leheny | Crowd: 30,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers: H.Clover 3, H.Vallence 3, A.Skehan 2, C.Davey 1, H.Dunn 1, G.Gough 1, L.Johnson 1. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Best: R.Brew, A.Duncan, T. Downs, H.Clover, J.Watson, M.Connell, C.Davey. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: | Injuries: T.Downs (bruised theumb) | |||||||||||||||||||
Game Review
Needing to defeat the defending champions and top-of-the-table Magpies on their own dungheap to make the finals, the Blues produced a magnificent performance to triumph by 20 points. This result tipped Essendon out of the finals, and they made quite loud (but unofficial) complaints that bribery must have been involved. The League didn’t take too much notice, however.A strong north-westerly was blowing and having won the toss the Blues kicked to the Trenerry Crescent or river end. Allan Skehan scored the first behind for Carlton after four minutes play. Tommy Downs reeled out of a heavy crush near the press box wringing his hand which had been kicked. Shortly after Harvey Dunn received a free kick from which he goaled. The wind then changed from blowing towards the pocket, to be blowing from goal to goal and with it the rain set in. Good play by Colin Martyn got the ball over to Bert Everett who unfortunately wasted the opportunity and scored only a behind. Collingwood then attacked and scored a point, they then scored a goal from a beautiful place kick straight into the teeth of the gale. The Blues were wasting the advantage of the wind. The home team then added a couple of behinds. Horrie Clover and Charlie Davey both scored behinds, then Alex Duncan with a long kick got the ball to Horrie Clover whose snap went through for a goal. Harry Vallence a few minutes later added another goal. Both sides then scored a behind. At quarter time the Blues were 15 points ahead, 3.6 - 1.3
Fortunately the wind died a little during the break, but within a minute of the start Collingwood had scored a goal. Another was soon added by the 'Woods and things were starting to look a little ominous for Blues. Against the run of play and against the wind, the Blues attacked, and Les Johnston and Allan Skehan both kicked goals. Carlton pressed again but this time Harry Vallence missed. Collingwood hit the post, and then good play by Charlie Davey gave Harry Vallence another chance, but again, he was off target. Diminutive, gutsy rover Tommy Downs saved three successive attacks by the Magpies. Downs showing great courage took three timely marks on the back line. Then half-back "aerial specialist" Alex Duncan took two marks right on the goal line to relieve the pressure. Another shot by Collingwood went through the goals, but the ball had been touched off the boot, another lucky break for the Navy Blues. The Magpies were now dominating the game, but they were playing without any system and they too wasted the advantage of the wind. The quarter ended with the Blues in front by just 6 points, 5.8 - 4.8
The wind strength then increased after half time, continuing to blow straight to the river end goal. Within the opening seconds Horrie Clover goaled from a free kick. Carlton too, then wasted the wind advantage, and when the 'Woods goaled half way through the third quarter, the Blues were just 7 points in front! Then a change came over the game, both George Gough and Horrie Clover snapped goals. Collingwood then replied with its sixth major. Now the Blues got right on top, Harry Vallence and Horrie Clover both with long-raking punts found the target. Then George Gough's magnificent snap from the most acutest of angles bought up another major. Colin Martyn to Charlie Davey and Davey bought up the Blues' 12th goal. The sun then came out and the rain stopped. However Carlton's fortunes still held, when running into an open goal a Collingwood player somehow missed from point blank! At the last break Carlton led by a commanding 38 points, 12.13 - 6.11
Once again the wind had abated, and Carlton then quickly added two behinds. From that moment, the Magpies once again dominated, with the Blues hardly getting the ball past the centre and never did the ball pass their half forward line! The home team's forwards feeling the scoreboard pressure, selfishly took it on themselves to win the game off their own boot and kicked for goal from almost impossible angles and also from great distances. Due to this, and Carlton's defensive play, and also the vagaries of the wind, Collingwood only managed to add 2.8 to the Blues' paltry 2 behinds, with the visitors running out victors by 20 points, 12.15 - 8.19
It was a great team effort, the Blues had to win to keep its finals aspirations alive. The win was set up by Carlton's overall determination and topped with a great match winning third quarter effort.
"The wind blew at almost gale force in the first and third quarters, when it favoured Carlton, while in the second and fourth terms when Collingwood might have benefited by its force it died away. Still, there was a breeze behind Collingwood in those periods, and the weather was better for football than when Carlton had the full force of the wind. When the teams met on June 2 Collingwood won by 13.9 - 12.12, the "blues" finishing with great determination, but since then Carlton has slipped back, and on paper it did not seem to have much chance of winning.
However, Carlton went into the game with the full knowledge that only by supreme effort could it retain its position in the four, while Collingwood, with nothing to lose but reputation had not the same incentive. It was a disappointed Collingwood crowd which left Victoria Park, and it discomfiture was not lessened by the cheers of the Carlton supporters, who fairly revelled in the downfall of their rivals."
(Trove: Argus September 03, p7)
Despite the fact that they are clearly at the top of the ladder, disgruntled Collingwood supporters boo their team off the ground as they lose to Carlton. Carlton's win keeps Essendon out of the four. - 100 Years of Australian Rules Football.
At the end of this round Carlton were in 4th spot on the ladder with a percentage of 121.4. The Blues had just narrowly made the finals by percentage only with both Essendon (5th) and St Kilda (6th) ending the home and away series with 11 wins like the Blues.
The Argus on the Monday had the ladder with the percentages reversed, as it is still done in South Australia. Carlton's percentage is shown as 82.35%
"In many ways Carlton is a peculiar combination. The blues were known as the bulldogs away back in the early 70's, and the old club is still possessed of a rare fighting band, revelling in the play at close quarters. Their great asset is that they invariably compel their opponents to eschew their own style and adopt theirs. In most cases such a policy is suicidal, as it is playing into Carlton's hands. If a side has the pace and the system it should play the game that it is accustomed to, otherwise it may spell disaster. But one can always depend upon Carlton making a game of it ...."
"Notwithstanding that Carlton's successes at Victoria Park have been but few of late years, the old blues are always treated with respect by the men in the magpie jackets. There are several reasons for that regard, perhaps the principal one being that Carlton are always a hard side to beat.
As a general thing its players throw themselves into the fray with fine abandon, making up in vigour and fixity of purpose what may be lacking in polish. And when a body of 18 men, trained to the hour, is willing to take every risk in the game the side, by virtue of the desperate character of its play, commands respect. In the 90's when Collingwood's system, perfected in Tasmania, was carrying all before it, a scheme was developed in Carlton's ranks to break it down and render it inoperative. For the idea to have any real value, dash and strength were essentials - dash to prevent the Collingwood men having first use of the ball, and strength to carry on. Of course the men in the colours had to be footballers as well, but athletes all.
The scheme took a few years to reach perfection, but when in full swing triumphed completely over Collingwood's system. Strength and dash were necessary to shake the moral. Carlton's style demanded long kicking and coming through as finishing touches, and it is common knowledge that Carlton's methods carried all before them. The present combination cannot be classed in the same category as the Carlton team of old, lacking the all round excellence and finish that were such characteristics of the side led by Jim Flynn.
Nevertheless a few of the traditions have been handed down, the combination's tearing methods still being dreaded. Of all the League teams, Carlton has a style of its own, and therein lies the danger to more accomplished combinations. And tradition once more carried the day, Carlton's relentless hurling methods preventing the functioning of Collingwood's smooth machine-like work, shock tactics prevailing."
"The third term was a debacle. Carlton could not go wrong, its players kicking goals from everywhere. Collingwood, under extreme pressure, going all to pieces. It was at this stage that the crowd showed distinct signs of disapproval at the half-hearted efforts of many of the Collingwood men, players whose die-hard qualities are household words in Victoria, if not in Australia. In this 25 minutes, Carlton kicked 7.5 to 2.3, and the game was over so far as all practical purposes were concerned. Carlton played more or less a defensive game in the last term, and could easily have lost the match, its finishing efforts being feeble." (Jack Worrall - Australasian September 08 1928, p34)
Player Payments
"A record in payments to players was established at the Carlton - Collingwood game on Saturday.As an incentive, Carlton were each promised £3 per man extra above their flat rate of £3/10 and their bonus, is likely to be equally as high as that of last season, each Carlton player who participated in Saturday's game is certain to receive approximately £9 for his services.
Collingwood players received their flat rate of £2/10, and are to share in a bonus at the end of the season." (Age September 03)
Team
| B: | 26 Ray Brew (cc) | 33 Jim Watson | 20 Ted Brewis |
| HB: | 18 Frank Donoghue | 32 Alex Duncan | 6 Fred Gilby |
| C: | 15 Maurie Johnson | 2 Colin Martyn | 9 Bert Everett |
| HF: | 5 Les Johnson | 1 Horrie Clover (vc) | 16 Harvey Dunn |
| F: | 12 Allan Skehan | 14 George Gough | 22 Harry Vallence |
| Ruck: | 17 Charlie Davey | 29 Maurie Connell | 28 Tommy Downs |
| Coach: | Ray Brew | ||
Milestones
50 Games: Frank DonoghueRound 17 | Semi Final