GEELONG’S INEXPERIENCE.
Essendon opened the season at Geelong, where they found the turf on the Corio oval as hard as asphalt, and a twenty
awaiting them composed largely of new men. Both sides sought luck in new leaders, Conway handling Geelong, while
G. Stuckey was Essendon’s elect. Essendon, like Melbourne, began the game with a fine exhibition of half-distance
kicking, and the Geelong novices playing wildly in first rate company were powerless to check them, so that the Red and
Black bagged twenty points to nothing in the first quarter. In the second quarter Geelong began to hold their opponents,
and though few points were scored Geelong had the best of it. In the second half both sides took the fullest advantage of
the relaxed laws as to pushing behind, and men were sent spinning to earth whenever opportunity offered without,
however, any exhibition of ill feeling on either side. The rules permitted it, and both sides were apparently anxious to
illustrate the folly of the change. Geelong improved their play very greatly in this last half, their recruits showing
altogether better form, and the toughness of the battle was proved in the points won— Essendon 25; Geelong 20. From
the half-line back Essendon's disposition was unquestionably sound. Officer was playing with his accustomed
determination and dash until he injured his leg, and he had a strong support in the half-back line, where Collins,
Anderson and Darcy — the latter a West Melbourne junior — all did their work thoroughly, Anderson especially playing
plucky and clever football. Groves, in the centre was one of the best men on the field, but George Stuckey found his
anxieties as captain greatly increased by the persistent attentions of Quilligan, a Geelong colt, who kept the Essendon
dasher well in hand throughout. Wright played first rate football in the later stages of the game. Waugh and Hastings
forward contributed breezy, attractive football — the first-named getting two goals, while Graham also secured two.
Forbes and Harry, who were so conspicuous in Essendon's close play last year, were right up to form, “Tracker” going
through the two hours hard play with wonderful vim. Essendon have found a very useful assistant for this class of work
in O’Loghlen, a Brunswick junior. It was the greenness of the Geelong colts that so greatly contributed to Essendon's
advantage, and with each succeeding game this defeat will disappear. Of their older players, McCallum decidedly took
the lead, and held it against any player on the ground, and J. McShane, who is lieutenant of the twenty, backed him up
with a sound game. Rankin, as rover, was at his best, but Leahey, though he shone out frequently, was patchy in his
work. H. McShane played his usual smart game forward, where James got a couple of goals. Of the new men, in addition
to Quilligan, already mentioned, McKay showed much promise as a follower of the right stamp, for, thank heaven, the
slow plodder has had his day in Victorian football.
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