Tasmanians Toss Croweaters

Tassie Heroes of '23

BACK ROW (L-R): M.Munro (Cananore), V.Geard (Lefroy), R.Freeman (Lefroy), L.Sheen (Lefroy), R.Byrne (Lefroy)

THIRD ROW (L-R): E.Byrne (Lefroy), C.Wills (New Town), P.Martyn (North Hobart), J.Charlesworth (Cananore), C.Deane (New Town), A.Mortimer (North Hobart), A.Leitch (New Town), H.O.Smith (Lefroy)

SECOND ROW (L-R): H.Gorringe (Cananore), M.Stuart (Cananore), J.Dunn (North Hobart - vice captain), J.Sharp (Manager), W.Mayman (New Town - captain), E.Weymouth (Secretary), E.Smith (Lefroy), L.Stevens (North Hobart), F.Odgers (New Town)

FRONT ROW (L-R): K.Downie (North Hobart), H.Brooks (North Hobart)

Prior to the famous defeat of the mighty Vics at York Park in 1960, arguably the finest moment in Tasmanian football history came at Adelaide Oval in 1923 when a South Australian 'next best' combination was overwhelmed by 32 points in front of 25,000 of its own supporters. (South Australia's first choice combination was playing against Western Australia in Perth the same day.) The team of Tasmanians responsible for inflicting the 14.14 (98) to 9.12 (66) defeat were drawn exclusively from the 4 Hobart-based TFL clubs of Cananore, Lefroy, New Town and North Hobart, and so, in the strictest sense, given that there were no northern representatives, it was not a bona fide Tasmanian state team. Not that this would have made the bitter pill of defeat any easier to swallow for the croweaters, whose pain would have been exacerbated still further by the realisation that their demise had been masterminded - and, to a large extent, effected - by former Sturt player Bill Mayman. Originally from Kalgoorlie, Mayman had captained Sturt to its first two league premierships in 1915 and 1919, and was now captaining fledgling TFL club New Town. Having left Sturt in somewhat acrimonious circumstances his performance against South Australia may well have been fuelled by a certain measure of resentment, but whatever the reason he was comfortably the most influential player on view, with 3 goals and a stream of telling possessions. Among his team mates was pacy rover Freddy Odgers, who hailed from South Australia, and had played alongside Mayman in Sturt's 1919 premiership side. Like Mayman, Odgers seemed to relish the experience of putting one over his former compatriots, and was one of the TFL side's most effective performers on the day. Others to play well for the Tasmanians included Charlesworth, Gorringe, Brooks, Martyn and Dunn. So plucky was the Tasmanian display that by the final quarter the home supporters had taken to booing their own team and applauding the work of the visitors.

Sadly for the Tasmanians the superb form displayed during this game did not carry over to the following year's Hobart carnival when the team could manage only 2 wins from 5 matches.

1923 Inter-league Match: Tasmanian Football League vs. South Australia 'B'

Tasmanians Toss Croweaters