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Venue: Junction Oval | Date: Saturday May 28, 1904 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: Won by 9 points | Umpire: Gibson | Crowd: 10,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers : J.McShane 2, H.McShane 1, B.Lithgow 1, C.Roland 1, M.Grace 1. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Best: J.Flynn, J.McShane, H.McShane, A. Trim, C.O'Connor, T.Kennedy, B.Boyle, G.Topping. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: Nil | Injuries: C.Ross | |||||||||||||||||||
Game Review
In a tight, scrambly contest in which both defences held sway, Carlton came from behind at three-quarter time to beat St Kilda by 9 points at the Junction Oval. Blues captain Joe McShane was tireless in the ruck in the second half, and it was his influence that eventually decided the match.This win lifted Carlton to third on the ladder behind Fitzroy and Collingwood, with Essendon making up the top four. The Blues percentage of 81.58 however, was only better than the two bottom-placed teams in St Kilda and Melbourne.
AT A FOOTBALL MATCH
By, "BUSHWOMAN."
"If you look slippy, and wear old togs, we'll take you to the St.Kilda v Carlton football match," say my boys.We hasten to Flinders-street station, and have just time to rush into a train for St.Kilda. Fifteen minutes later we are on St.Kilda platform, hurrying along with the eager crowd.
Soon as we are seated, with our chins on the level with the picket fence, and our feet in the mud, eating peanuts amongst the errand boys. There is a ring of bicycles inside the picket fence, placed there for safety. Spectators are whistling, laughing, betting, cracking jokes, till the play begins. Men are puffing away at pipes, and an air of great peace rests upon them generally. Every small boy has for the time cast off the trammels of home and mother. Here they are, collarless, garterless and glorying in it too. All wear their colours. One ingenious youth, being resourceful, has torn a good white hankerchief into strips, and pinned them on to his cap to represent the St.Kilda colours.
The afternoon is very cold, rain begins to drizzle down; the peanut merchant, who is doing a busy trade, turns up his collar; and an Autolycus, who is calling out "One hundred and twenty songs for thrippence, comic and sentimental," muffles his throat up with a hankerchief.
"Good heavens!" I murmur, as I pull up my boys' collar about their ears, "who wants to sing songs now?"
"It's for something to read, Miss," laughed the boy beside me. "But here they come!" A roar bursts from the crowd, "Come on Saints: come on Saints."
My neighbour says, "They'll have their tails knocked off 'em-hoo, hoo, hoo. Here comes Carlton-good old Carlton, bully old Carlton."
"Go it Saints," cry my boys, "barrack mother. Play up for it, Saints. Good old Cumbie. Go on S-a-i-n-t-s. Put your foot into it."
"Goal! McShane!" roar the Carltonites, who shout, dance, wave flags, and clap frantically. A roar of disgust goes up from the St.Kilda barrackers.
The players are competing vigorously; they jostle, hustle, swing each other round; sprawl over each other, and go down like ninepins.
"Rough 'em up, Carlton," cries one faction frantically,
"Tear 'em down, Saints," - go the other side. "Come on S-a-i-n-t-s - you ain't dead yet, S-a-i-n-t-s. Oh! what a pass out," they add, as a Carlton man is sent sprawling.
"Is he hurt?" I ask.
"Hurt?" Eucalyptus will soon liven him up - he's got a cramp - there's a cove rubbing him now; now he's up."
"Go it, Cumbie." calls out a boy, as that player catches the ball. "Take it home with you. Get forward - now then! - oh-h-h-h!" he shouts rapturously, when Cumbie ends with a fine kick.
"Go it, Saints!" shouts the crowd when St.Kilda score a goal. Even the policemen and peanut merchants barrack. One peanut man casts business to the winds, purses his lips, and begins to hoot vigorously.
"Go on!" cries a spectator. "You don't know the game. What are you hooting at?"
Down comes the rain, up goes a mushroom like crop of umbrellas. But no one is going to let the rain spoil his enjoyment of the fun, which is getting fast and furious. Staid old gentlemen are boys again; they clap and shout and barrack; their faces are transformed; they take their beloved pipes from their mouths and give cheer after cheer. I get quite carried away amid so much enthusiasm, and find myself cheering and clapping and wailing. "Go it S-a-i-n-t-s!" The rain keeps on, and the afternoon light grows dim. At last the match is over, and the poor Saints are beaten.
In our homeward train is a small boy, sitting upon his father's knee.
"Bought him down to see the Governor arrive," explains the father, "all the way from Warrenheip: took him home, and his mother says to him "Seen the Governor, Jimmy?"
"No," he says, "but I've seen Cumbie!"
"How did I barrack, eh?" I say gleefully to my son.
"You barracked a bonza," he answers, "but there were moments when I was ashamed of you."
(The Argus, June 4, 1904 p5)
Note - "Cumbie" was Vic Cumberland (Melbourne & St.Kilda) who holds the record as the oldest player ever in the VFL/AFL. He retired in 1920 when he was 43 years old, after serving for 4 years in the military.
Team
| B: | Charlie Ross | Frank Hince | Pat Pelly |
| HB: | Henry Newbound | Albert Trim | Charlie O'Connor |
| C: | Ted Kennedy | Bob Boyle | Charlie Roland |
| HF: | Henry McShane | Mick Grace | Bert Lithgow |
| F: | Jim Flynn (vc) | Jimmy Gaynor | George Topping |
| Ruck: | Joe McShane (c) | Fred Elliott | Archie Snell |
| Coach: | Jack Worrall | ||
Changes
In : B.Boyle, J.Gaynor, P.PellyOut : P.Pitt, H.Whight, R.Bradley
Milestones
Debuts : Bob Boyle, Pat PellyDebut and Only Game : Jimmy Gaynor
Last game : Charlie Ross
Round 3 | Round 5