The Captains
Arthur Green (WA)
Frank Golding (SA)
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The Captains |
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Arthur Green (WA) |
Frank Golding (SA) |
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The first interstate match between South Australia and Western Australia took place at the Jubilee Oval in Adelaide in 1904, with the Western Australians winning by 9 points. (The match is reviewed here.) South Australia did not confront the sandgropers on Western Australian soil until the decisive match of the 1921 Perth carnival, when the home state won by 10 points at Perth Oval. Thereafter, however, the two states began to meet one another much more regularly, both in Adelaide and Perth. In 1923, South Australia won easily at the Adelaide Oval, 10.13 (73) to 3.5 (23), only for Western Australia to reverse the result quite conclusively, 13.13 (91) to 4.3 (27), at Perth Oval a fortnight later. The states' next confrontation took place at the 1924 Hobart carnival when, after a closely fought first half, the West Australians pulled away to win convincingly by 37 points, 16.13 (109) to 10.12 (72). On that basis, the home state was strongly favoured to emerge triumphant when Western Australia and South Australia fronted up at Subiaco Oval on 20 June 1925, but the croweaters, it soon emerged, had other ideas.
In 1925, most South Australian and Western Australian footballers still pursued their entire playing careers in their home states, but major changes were on the horizon. The onset of a major economic depression at the end of the 1920s triggered significant changes in the way that elite footballers viewed the game. Whereas previously it had tended to be regarded simply as a hobby, or a form of recreation, it now began to be seen as an important potential source of income. For West Australians in particular, the difference between playing football in the WANFL and playing in the VFL was sometimes tantamount to the difference between living just below or just above the breadline. Small wonder, then, that the player exodus from west to east, which had been barely a trickle in the early 1920s, had become a veritable flood a decade or so later.
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Jim Craig (WA) |
One obvious legacy of this development was that interstate football, particularly among the three major states, became a good deal less competitive. In the first eight years after the Great War, the VFL's overall success rate in interstate football was 70.6%, compared to 62.5% for Western Australia, and 50% for South Australia. Between 1927 and 1934 there was a seismic shift in favour of the VFL, which by that time had access to many of the finest footballers from other states. The VFL's success rate in interstate football during this period was 86.8%, Western Australia's was 54.2%, and South Australia's was 39.1%. As far as the VFL-orchestrated future of football was concerned, the writing was already clearly on the wall as long ago as the 1930s. In 1925, however, the pen had not yet been dipped in the ink. The Western Australian and South Australian teams which took the field at Subiaco Oval on 20 June that year were replete with some of the finest footballers in the land. The home state boasted past and future Sandover Medallists in the shape of Subiaco rover Johnny Leonard, the mighty George 'Staunch' Owens (East Perth) at centre half forward, and the West Perth pair of Jim Craig and Jim Gosnell. There was the redoubtable Carlisle 'Bub' Jarvis of East Fremantle on the last line of defence, team skipper Arthur Green of Subiaco across half back, Perth's Harry Grigg on centre wing, Hugh 'Bonny' Campbell (East Perth) at the goal front, and West Perth's indefatigable Jack McDiarmid leading the ruck. |
The South Australians, too, had plenty of top quality players. They were captained by West Australian-born Frank Golding of Sturt, one of the finest full backs of any era, while Magarey Medallists Dan Moriarty (South Adelaide), Bruce McGregor (West Adelaide), Jim Handby (Glenelg), and Walter Scott and Alick Lill (both Norwood), spectacular high-flyer Leslie 'Bro' Dayman of Port Adelaide, talented goalsneak Roy 'Cool Alec' Bent (Norwood), and formidable South Adelaide utility Alf 'Bulla' Ryan were others to help give the side a formidable look.
Presumably because of the heavy rain which had been falling for much of the week, the match attracted a slightly smaller crowd than in 1923, 16,000 spectators as against 18,000. Nevertheless, there were loud cheers as the two sides lined up for the toss of the coin, which was won by West Australian captain Arthur Green.
The Western Australians moved straight into attack from the opening bounce, only to be repelled three times in quick succession by Golding, who looked in fine touch. When South Australia attacked, however, they found 'Bub' Jarvis to be just as hard to get past.
The first score of the match was a behind to South Australia from 'Bulla' Ryan, but Western Australia quickly levelled the score courtesy of Owens. Moments later an apparently goal-bound kick was marked on the line by the South Australian full back, Golding.
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Although the ground surface looked in good condition players of both sides were finding it difficult to keep their feet, and when steady rain began to fall this state of affairs was mitigated. Western Australia seemed intent on playing a short-passing game ill-suited to the conditions, whereas the South Australians were kicking the ball long to position, with reasonable success. Making light of the greasy ball and inclement weather, 'Staunch' Owens soared high above Moriarty to mark cleanly. The resultant kick was true, and Western Australia hit the front. A heavy body clash between West Australian full back Harry Sherlock and South Australian centreman Alick Lill saw the former player laid out and in need of attention from the trainers. The visitors continued to press hard, and McGregor snapped their first goal to level the scores. |
Walter Scott (SA) |
A feature of the game was the confrontation between the two centremen, Gosnell and Lill, with honours even to this stage.
After South Australia had snatched the lead by a point, the home side moved the ball sweetly to the other end of the ground culminating in a mark and goal to Johnny Campbell. South Australia responded with some determined attacking, but West Australian wingman Harry Grigg, having been shifted temporarily into the backlines, took some telling defensive marks. The seemingly inevitable breakthrough finally came when Harry Potts marked close to goal and kicked truly, putting South Australia in front by a point.
The remainder of the quarter saw the Western Australians, with Jim Gosnell continually in the thick of the action, assume control, but manage to register only behinds. QUARTER TIME: Western Australia 2.3 (15); South Australia 2.2 (14)
Another brilliant mark to Owens just after the resumption brought the crowd to life. With half forward flanker Cliff Parks suddenly providing a reliable route to goal, the home side was firmly in the ascendancy, but Frank Golding was still proving impassable at full back.
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George 'Staunch' Owens (WA) |
Following a behind to Leonard, South Australia moved the ball straight down the middle of the ground, with Lill marking strongly over Gosnell and finding Ryan, but the bullocking half forward could only manage a point. Shortly afterwards, however, Leslie Dayman registered a major score after marking spectacularly, and South Australia edged in front by 5 points. The goal seemed to inspire the croweaters, whose levels of intensity and determination lifted noticeably. Another goal to Dayman, this time from an elegant drop kick on the run, extended their lead, and moments later Ryan missed an easy chance to register the South Australians' 5th goal. The visitors were now playing with considerable cohesion and purpose, while the home side's players always seemed to be under pressure, making their handling inelegant and their disposal correspondingly wayward. Bruce McGregor beat his man to the ball and kicked accurately to extend the croweaters' lead to 19 points, a margin that by no means flattered them. |
Western Australia's first attacking thrust for several minutes culminated in a goal to Park, and shortly afterwards Johnny Campbell had a good chance, but only managed a minor score.
The last few minutes of the quarter were dominated by South Australia, which registered a behind through Maurie Allingham, and then a goal, shortly before the bell, from Ryan, after some smart work by Bampton and Scott. HALF TIME: South Australia 6.6 (42); Western Australia 3.5 (23)
| West Australian coach Tom
Cain had clearly had some stern words for his charges during the half time break
as the sandgropers opened the 3rd term with newfound aggression and
purpose. Moments after the resumption they registered a behind, and for
several minutes afterwards continued to attack relentlessly. Yet another
spectacular mark to Owens visibly lifted his team mates, and moments later
'Bonny' Campbell beat Golding to the ball, flung it hastily onto his boot, and sent it tumbling through an
unguarded goal. The West Australians were now in the ascendancy as firmly
as the South Australians had been during the 2nd quarter, and when Johnny
Campbell goaled to reduce the arrears to 8 points it was no more than their
incisive play warranted. For the next few minutes the home side continued to attack
frantically, only for Golding, who remained a tower of strength in the goal square,
to save
repeatedly.
For a few minutes during the middle of the term South Australia managed to procure some useful possession, and a goal to Bent pushed the margin out to two straight kicks. The sandgropers fought back strongly, however, and a major score to Johnny Campbell sandwiched in between behinds to Ahearn and Beasley brought them back to within 4 points. The West Australians were still attacking when the bell sounded to end the quarter. THREE QUARTER TIME: South Australia 7.7 (49); Western Australia 6.9 (45) |
Carlisle 'Bub' Jarvis (WA) |
Western Australia began the final term as they had ended the third, but the South Australian backlines, with Handby suddenly prominent, stood firm. Finally, however, 'Bonny' Campbell marked close to goal and made light of the acute angle to steer the ball through and give the home side a 2 point advantage. Not long afterwards another good chance went begging as Golding yet again took a saving mark near the goal line.
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Leslie 'Bro' Dayman (SA) |
Attack and counter attack now ensued, with Lill and Dayman prominent for the visitors, and Gosnell and 'Bonny' Campbell for the sandgropers, but neither side was able to procure a major score. After taking a towering mark, McGregor's kick looked goal-bound, but Sherlock 'did a Golding' and saved right on the goal line. The teams then exchanged behinds and, with the clock rapidly running down, the scoreboard showed Western Australia 2 points to the good, 7.11 to 7.9. Players were still finding it difficult to handle the ball cleanly, and much of the play was scrappy, but South Australia seemed to be finishing the match the stronger. When Roy Bent collected the ball near goal his plight looked hopeless as he was surrounded by three opposition defenders, but he somehow managed to manufacture enough space to enable him to get boot cleanly to ball before he was tackled. The ball never deviated as it sailed through for a goal, and South Australia had hit the front. |
During the closing moments of the game, Moriarty and Lill were prominent in the visiting side's backlines as Western Australia pushed forward desperately, but a behind to Grigg was all they could manage before the final bell sounded. At this, the South Australian players rushed en masse to their captain, Golding, who was chaired from the ground in celebration. It had been a superb, intense encounter, with neither side really deserving to lose, but overall the South Australians' more productive use of the ball probably gave them the slightest of edges, while in former West Perth player Frank Golding they possessed comfortably the best and most influential player on view. FINAL SCORE: South Australia 8.9 (57); Western Australia 7.12 (54)
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Pts | |
| South Australia | 2.2 | 6.6 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 57 |
| Western Australia | 2.3 | 3.5 | 6.9 | 7.12 | 54 |
BEST - South Australia: Golding, Dayman, Lill, Moriarty, Ryan, Whitehead Western Australia: Craig, Sherlock, Leonard, J.Campbell
GOALS - South Australia: Bent, Dayman, McGregor 2; Potts, Ryan Western Australia: J.Campbell 3; H.Campbell 2; Owens, Parks
ATTENDANCE: 16,000 (approx.) at Subiaco Oval
Just over a month after their game against South Australia, the West Australians faced the VFL at the MCG, and, in a sign of things to come, sustained a frightful 85 point hiding. At half time the Vics led 13.6 to 1.3, and although Western Australia improved somewhat after that, adding 7.7 to 9.5 in the 2nd half, it was still arguably the most embarrassing defeat in the state's history up to that point.
On the way home, the sandgropers fronted up to South Australia once more, this time at the Adelaide Oval, where after a closely fought first half they succumbed to another hefty defeat. The home state won by 44 points, 12.22 (94) to 7.8 (50), with only some slipshod kicking for goal giving a semblance of respectability to the scoreline.
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South Australia's encounters with the VFL in 1925 were squared, the croweaters winning by 3 points in Adelaide, and the Vics by 13 points in Melbourne. The South Australians also played a match against Tasmania at the Adelaide Oval, winning resoundingly by 135 points, 27.16 (178) to 6.7 (43). The VFL met New South Wales home and away in 1925, winning by 41 points in Melbourne, but losing by the narrowest of margins in Sydney. The 1926 season produced matches that were similarly competitive, with little to separate the top three states. Western Australia and South Australia squared their two game series, with each state winning comfortably at home. In Perth, the West Australians gained a measure of revenge over the VFL by defeating them twice, albeit by the narrow margins of 3 and 8 points. A stunning South Australian victory on the MCG against the VFL (reviewed here) was comprehensively reversed when the Vics visited Adelaide later in the season. Meanwhile the VFL scored comprehensive victories over New South Wales, both at home (by 80 points) and away (33 points), and over Tasmania in Melbourne (62 points). |
Alf 'Bulla' Ryan (SA) |
As intimated earlier, however, the days when matches between the three main football states tended to be unpredictable and closely contested were well and truly numbered. As more and more of the nation's top players headed for the VFL the best the other states could hope for was to snatch an occasional win. Indeed, by the late 1960s and '70s the best the other states could hope for was to lose with honour, and it was only after the inception of state of origin football in 1977 that the playing field was more or less levelled out once more.
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