Match Report

THE ARGUS Monday 24 September, 1917

THE LEAGUE FINAL. EASY WIN FOR COLLINGWOOD.

After their skilful and close match of the previous Saturday, a fine finish was looked for when Collingwood and Fitzroy met for the premiership on the M.C.C. Ground on Saturday. The expectations were not realised, and a large crowd was so disappointed in the issue that long before the finish of the match they were drifting away in thousands.

The attendance was 28,285, and the gate £733, making the receipts from the finals of this year £2,058 in the aggregate, as against £1,242 last year.

FIRST QUARTER During the whole of the first quarter Collingwood were playing rather the better game, but their superiority was represented mostly in single points. Fitzroy were passing at short range rather better than Collingwood, but their heavy men seemed to be anchored in the soft ground. Collingwood had several tries, which brought them little success, yet Fitzroy on the first occasion of their getting within range kicked a goal, Norris scoring from a free kick.

Soon afterwards a smart bit of hitting out from the crush by McCarthy to Lee gave Collingwood an easy goal, and, getting the ball from Lumsden a little later, Lee, too, scored their second goal, so that at quarter-time they had 2 goals 6 behinds to Fitzroy's 1 goal.

SECOND QUARTER Commencing the second quarter, Freake missed a shot for Fitzroy, but Millen, who was playing well, brought the ball back again, and, as a result of that too close attention generally given by backs to a capable forward, Freake got a free kick, and scored Fitzroy's second goal. Fitzroy maintained the attack, and both Freake and Heany had possible chances for goal without getting either of them.

As soon as Collingwood got in position, the Fitzroy backs, watching Lee closely, gave Curtis, who had been brought closer in, an opening. He should have got the goal, but a hurried shot missed. Soon afterwards Lee   snapped it through, but the ball was touched in the passage. Dobrigh, however, got Collingwood's third goal, and at half-time the score was 3 goals 8 behinds to 2 goals 2 behinds.

THIRD QUARTER Early in the third quarter Fitzroy delighted their friends by what seemed to be a sudden recovery.

For a while they were attacking strongly, Holden, Keller, Bamford, and Millen being all particularly prominent, and Toohey, who had hitherto shown nothing like his form of a week before, was becoming prominent.

For ten minutes there seemed to be every promise of Fitzroy recovering, and then the hope suddenly disappeared. Lenne, the Fitzroy back, going out to watch Lee, gave Curtis an opening, and he scored their fourth goal, while Lee, a moment afterwards, hit the goal-post near the top.

Hughes, however, from a mark in front had better luck, for he scored the fifth, and within a few minutes Lee, taking a snap from close in, hit the goal-post again. Collingwood had taken possession of the game then.

Curtis scored their sixth goal, and at the last change Collingwood had 6 goals 14 be- hinds to 3 goals 4 behinds-a lead equivalent to nearly five goals.

FOURTH QUARTER In the fourth quarter it was at once evident that Fitzroy had lost hope. They played like a beaten side, and there was no interest in the finish.

Once or twice they pierced the opposing defence, and scored a couple of goals, but Collingwood, as a general rule, were attacking. Lee scored two more goals for them, Curtis another, and the game thus ended in a comfortable win for Collingwood.

During the interval a military band marched around the ground, and at several points in the thick of the crowd recruiting officers appealed for help. Apart from the very large contingent who were already in khaki, there was not a single man amongst the 28,000 who wanted any other game than football.

1917 'THE LEAGUE FINAL.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), 24 September, p. 8, viewed 16 August, 2014, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1651298

SCORES Collingwood   2.6   3.8   6.14   9.20 (74) Fitzroy   1.0   2.2   3.4   5.9 (39)

Goals Collingwood: Lee 4, Curtis 3, Dobrigh, Hughes. Fitzroy: Freake, Norris, Parratt, Rattray, Toohey.

Best Collingwood: Wilson, Pannam, Anderson, Drummond, Saunders, Mutch. Fitzroy: Bamford, Millen, Parratt, McDonald, Green, Brown.

Crowd: 28,385 at the MCG.

Umpire: Norden.