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Venue: Princes Park | Date: Saturday 10 July 1909 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: Win by 24 points | Umpire: Bain | Crowd: over 40,000 Takings: £619 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers: V.Gardiner 3, H.Kelly 2, G.Topping 2, F.Jinks 1, A.Lang 1. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: | Injuries: | |||||||||||||||||||
Game Review
Carlton vice captain Fred Jinks returned to the team after missing the last nine matches. He has recovered from a bout of pleurisy
After a disastrous start to the season, when in-fighting led to 3 losses in the first 4 rounds, the Blues had won 7 in a row. They were drawn to meet the heir-apparents, South, and over 40000 were on hand to witness the clash.
Atrocious kicking for goal saw the Blues trail 0-11 to 4-4 at half-time. After adding yet another behind early in the 3rd quarter, Carlton clicked into gear and poured on 9-1 in 20 minutes, a scoring blitz without precedence.
The pretenders, it seemed, had been put in their place.
South Melbourne and Carlton were the best teams of the season, South won in round two by 17 points but Carlton reversed the result in round 11 with a brilliant barnstorming quarter. The score at half-time was Carlton 0.11 to South's 4.4 - but the Blues put on nine goals to none in the third quarter in what one scibe called the "most marvellous exhibition of resistless attack ever seen on a Victorian football field". - 100 Years of Australian Rules Football.
"The crowd that went to Prince's Oval on Saturday to see Carlton and South Melbourne play their return match covered the deep embankment. It was no surprise to learn that the gate was 619 pounds - it was a surprise to hear the number present estimated officially at 33,000, for there seemed to me to be 40,000," (Trove: Argus July 12, p6)
"No previous encounter on the Carlton oval ever drew so huge a crowd as turned out for last's weeks battle between the locals and South Melbourne. From the tram office comes confirmation of this assertion, for the loading between 1 o'clock and 3 o'clock broke every previous record; and, in addition, all avenues to the scene of the match were thronged with crowded wagonettes, buggies, jinkers, vans, and every other description of vehicle. It was indeed, and enormous gathering, and the attendance was warranted by the importance of the fixture. Moreover, the crowd saw what they expected to see, and something in addition, for Carlton's third quarter display topped anything previously witnessed on a football field." (Australasian July 17, p25)
The game started with centre half forward Harvey Kelly, playing further up the ground than normally, taking a couple of good marks, subsequently his long shots at goal failed, and he managed only a behind. South then attacked and scored a goal. The Southerners followed this up with a very clever goal. From a mark within range, as the Carlton players rushed up to the mark, the South player played on, handballed over to an unguarded teammate who easily goaled. Then Harvey Kelly and Jack Baquie and others both missed relatively easy chances to goal. Just before quarter time South scored their third goal. 0.4 -3.2
South started the second quarter where they left off and had a couple of shots at goal which failed to score. Then South's captain bought up their fourth major. A change came over the game and Carlton began to dominate. Seven successive times the Blues attacked, but each time they couldn't find the opening, and bought up seven behinds. Vin Gardiner made a glaring mistake, instead of passing to an unguarded George Topping he attempted a very difficult shot and missed. So, for all of the Blues' dominance in this term they had only advanced by 1 point at half time. 0.11 - 4.4
South began the third quarter by scoring a behind, which turned out to be their only score for the term. Carlton, again dominated, however their bad kicking continued bringing their tally of behinds to 12. George Johnson passed the ball to Harvey Kelly and he was first to break through, bringing up Carlton's first goal.
"Then almost as fast as the ball could be carried to the centre and bounced it was rushed to South Melbourne's end, and goal followed goal for Carlton in dazzling succession, and with each goal Carlton's triumphant yell rose louder than the last one, and the whole ground surged with excitement. Umbrellas, hats, and even gloves were in the air, and Carlton simply carried both their opponents and the crowd off their feet by their stronger dazzling football." (Argus July 12 p6)
Vin Gardiner redeemed himself by booting three quick goals, taking the home team's tally to four goals. George Topping then snapped number five. Fred Jinks marked in the goal square and easily kicked the sixth goal. A Blue surge from the centre rushed the ball into the forward line where Alex Lang scored the seventh. Harvey Kelly kicked the eighth from a running shot. George Topping topped off an amazing scoring spree with the Blues' ninth for the quarter. Only once did the Carlton miss after the initial Kelly goal, and that was by a fumble close in which would have been a certain goal. The Blues by 38 points at the last break. 9.13 - 4.5
The home side then shut up shop by playing the game out on the wings, with Vin Gardiner having the only scoring attempt for the quarter and scoring another behind. South scored two goals. So, despite winning three quarters, the red and whites lost the game by 24 points. 9.14 - 6.8
It was a remarkable turn around, from this distance, it seems reminiscent in some ways of David Parkin's "Premiership Quarter" Carlton sides seventy-odd years later.
At the end of this round Carlton were in 2nd spot on the ladder with a percentage of 121.7.
A View From The North
"The impressions of A. K. a Sydneyite in Melbourne: -'Kick, Kick, Kelly: hurrah, hurrah! Good boy Kelly. Go it Carlton.'
This exclamation is made by a young lady, standing on a seat, behind me in the member's pavilion. A moment of suppressed excitement follows. Then the pent up emotion of 33,000 people gives way to a volley upon volley of cheers and hurrahs. Standing on tip-toe, straining every muscle, the young lady who imagines she is directing Kelly's movements, suddenly overbalances, lurches forward, and to save a fall, clutches me around the neck, just as Kelly kicks a goal for Carlton. 'Beg pardon; thank you,' she exclaims, as I help her onto the seat again. After that embrace I almost hoped that Kelly would kick a goal every five minutes.
Kelly's score was the first in the second half of the game. The match is one in the second round in the premiership competition on Carlton Oval, between South Melbourne and Carlton. The former were leading 25 points to 12, hence the excitement when the home team scored. Before the deafening roar dies away the umpire has carried the ball to mid-field, and bounces it hard upon the turf. Up it flies, above the heads of all the players. Carlton secures. Like a shot out of a gun it is kicked away up towards the wing. Both wing-players suddenly shoot up to catch the descending ball. Amidst a tremendous volley of cheers, Carlton again secures. Into the centre - out onto the wing again, the ball is kicked back and forwards like a shuttlecock, until it lobs and bounces in front of the S. Melbourne goal posts, about 20 yards from the goal line. At this stage the crowd - men, women, and children - subdue their feelings, and look on with tense features. A moment later the ball is sent flying through the goal posts, and 33,000 people give vent to their feelings in one tremendous 'Hurrah!' Inside a period of 10 minutes the same act is repeated, three times. Each successive time the crowds become more frenzied. Carlton is now leading by 31 to 25, and from this on the excitement gradually dies away.
Although unfamiliar with the game, there are many fine features in the 'kicking passes,' which one could not fail to admire. The lull in the play and excitement, affords time to survey the crowd. Imagine a circular, inclined track, nearly a mile in circumference; the distance from the lower edge to the outer edge is 150 ft. This is packed so close that you can scarcely move a foot. A gigantic ring filled with human faces. The official estimated attendance is 33,000. And this is only a club match.
Inside the fence on the playing oval, mounted police patrol the ground. Foot police are powerless when the crowd 'gets going.' The Melbourne folks take their football sports much more seriously than we in Sydney. It is positively dangerous to express an opinion unless you are in sympathy with the 'barrackers' immediately around. I noticed the police had to rescue several critics from hostile mobs. If you ask a question and distract attention from the game, they give a look of resentment for an answer. Each of the educated class will consider you a modern 'Rip Van Winkle' if you ask a question on the rules. They are not rude: they are only serious. This great crowd have their eyes rivetted on 30 to 40 men. You could not divert his interest if you informed a man that his house was on fire; notwithstanding the fact that, to a stranger, the game seems to be a confused mixture of every other game of football. Yet one cannot help being carried away with the intense enthusiasm prevailing. You cannot remain a passive eye-witness. If so many were to shout themselves hoarse over a cockfight, and display the same amount of excitement, you would be carried away on this wave upon wave of human emotion.
Under normal conditions the Melbourne folk may display some of the features of the Anglo-Saxon strain, but at football they exhibit all the volatile impulsive characteristics of the Latin race."
(Trove: Sydney Mail and NSW Advertiser, July 14 1909 p57)
RUSH TO CARLTON
Herald report at the Elizabeth Street terminus and the over crowding of the cable trams to Princes Park.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article242065593
L-R: Possibly Norman Clark with "Mallee" Johnson and Charlie Hammond
Image: SLV, Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News (Melb) July 22 (p25)
Team
| B: | Norman Clark | Les Beck | Arthur Ford |
| HB: | Martin Gotz | Billy Payne | Jim Marchbank |
| C: | Ted Kennedy | Rod McGregor | George Bruce |
| HF: | Fred Elliott (c) | Harvey Kelly | Jack Baquie |
| F: | Fred Jinks (vc) | Vin Gardiner | George Topping |
| Ruck: | George S Johnson | Charlie Hammond | Alex Lang |
| Coach: | Jack Worrall | ||
Milestones
50 Games: Fred JinksRound 10 | Round 12