JUBILEE HISTORY TEXT, 1911. Chapter IX - 'In the Football Field'.The following text is an excerpt from the
Jubilee History Text published in 1911.
On The Football Field 'Football has always been the favourite game at Geelong College, and the College team, except on very rare occasions, has always been a hard one to beat. In the very first year, at Knowle House, there was a first XX. though there was a sad absence of opponents with whom to measure strength. There was of course no College playing field such as now exists. Such a luxury was unheard of fifty years ago. Any open piece of ground which was reasonably level was considered good enough to play on, and goal posts and boundary lines were improvised in the rudest fashion. But the game did not suffer on that account, and away back in the sixties Geelong College gave to the senior teams many splendid players who had learnt the game under these conditions.
Rivalry between boarders and dayboys began with the beginning of the school. The day boys were in the majority, and it was a little while before the boarders were numerically strong enough to muster a full XX. Then matches between the two sections became an institution. One Old Boy of the sixties who was a dayboy naively confesses, in an account he wrote of the sports of these early days, that the day boys, though able to defeat the boarders, found it more discreet to play a losing game. Even then, apparently, the boarders were regarded as paramount.
Geelong Grammar School was reopened in 1863 after its temporary failure. It was not long before matches were arranged between the Grammar School and the College. These were played at first on a piece of open ground—part of a large common which then existed near the Commun na Fienne grounds in South Geelong. Later on, after 1870, these matches were played on the Argyle ground, a paddock at the corner of Aberdeen and Pakington Streets. This was the College Football ground for many years. On one occasion the owner, a somewhat irascible gentleman, took offence at something which had occurred, and when the team reached the ground they were horrified to find that it had been hurriedly ploughed up, so that they could not use it.
The first match between the Grammar School and the College, of which history tells anything, was played in 1868. The College won, but nothing is definitely known about the match beyond the fact that the College kicked the first two goals. In that year a combined team from the College and the Grammar School played the first XX. of the Geelong Club, and the schools won, kicking the two first goals.
The next match recorded was in 1872, which was won by the Grammar School, but again the details of the match are unknown. It isthe same with the next recorded match, in 1874, which was won by the College.
In 1876 the Grammar School won by 2 goals to 1, and after that the results of every match played are available.
Great interest was taken in these games by the people of Geelong. Each school had a large following, and there was as much excitement over a match between them as over a senior game between Geelong and a Melbourne club. Someidea of this is gained from the history of the interschool matches of 1877 and 1878. In 1877 the Grammar School won the first match played by 4 goals to 1. But this served only to put the College team on theirmettle, and the next game resulted in a "draw"—two goals being kicked by each side.
It was not until 1896 that points were given for behinds. Before that year goals alone counted. Behinds were merely an indication of erratic kicking. In the only records of these matches which are available no behinds are given, so that any comparative estimate of the actual play is impossible.
A third match was played in 1877, and a "draw" again resulted—each team scoring one goal. When the 1878 season came round the rivalry was at its height. Thefirst match produced another "draw"—one goal for each side. The second match created intense excitement, but it resulted in yet another "draw"—three goals were scored by each side.
The feeling, of the townspeople was now thoroughly aroused. . It was felt that the question of supremacy must be decided, and the authorities of both schools were asked by the townsfolk to arrange a third match for the season. This was agreed to, and so great was the enthusiasm that the teams were granted the special favour of permission to play on the Corio ground—the Geelong oval of modern times—which had up till then not been profaned by the heels of schoolboys unless they were good enough to be selected for the senior team. Thismatch attracted an enormous crowd. But it was as indecisive as the others. At the end of a game of stern but brilliant football the scoring board read:—The College, 0 goals; Grammar School, 0 goals. It was a "draw" again. Thusfive successivematches had resulted in drawn games.
It was not for some years that regular series of public school matches, from which Geelong College as a private school was excluded, were arranged. Up to that time schools played one another by arrangement. It was not until 1875 that Geelong Grammar School played a match against any of the Melbourne public schools. The first regular series of public school matches in which Geelong Grammar School took part was not played until 1877.
Every year matches were played between the College and the Grammar School, the Scotch College, and, at a later date, St. Xavier's College, as well as any of the Melbourne public schools with who matches could be arranged. Football, and cricket too, began to assume a large part in school life, and the matches, which in the beginning were always played on Saturday mornings, so that school work might not be interfered with, soon came to be important enough to warrant the granting of halfholidays.
The unworkmanlike appearance of a College team of the 70's, in their long white cricket trousers and blue and white guernsies, must not be taken as an indication of a less strenuous game than is required nowadays. As a matter of fact, the games lasted two hours—four quarters of half an hour each, with no more time between them than was actually needed to change ends. The earliest photograph extant of a college team is that reproduced. It was taken probably because it was the first team to wear uniform of any kind. In the 60's the members of the team, on the matter of "togs," consulted their individual tastes, and presented a most motley appearance.
There are several gaps in the continuity of the annual matches with the Geelong Grammar School. These mark periods during which disputes existed between the two schools. Generally these troubles arose through doubt being cast upon the right of members of the teams to be regarded as schoolboys. Disputes of this character never seem to have arisen with the Scotch College, though it had troubles of its own with the other Melbourne schools. As a consequence, there is no break in the record of matches with the Scotch after they were definitely established in 1885.
The first football match with Scotch College was played in 1868 and resulted in a "draw"— each side kicking one goal. In 1877, Scotch College was the champion Metropolitan school, and in that year, on 21st September, amatch was played on the Argyle ground at Geelong, and again a "draw" resulted. Geelong College kicked 1goal 4 behinds, while Scotch scored 1 goal 10 behinds. A. Bell kicked Geelong College's goal, whileW. Longden, G. E. Morrison, H. Osborne, R. Rock, W. Boyd, J. Robbie, and J. Weddell are recorded as having played well for Geelong College.
By 1885 the Argyle ground had been deserted for the Corio, and thenceforward every alternate year the College met the Scotch on that ground. Every other year the annual match was played in Melbourne.
Tables, showing the results of all matches of which records can be obtained, both with Scotch College and Geelong Grammar School, are appended.
A school with which annual matches were inaugurated at the same time as with Scotch College was Hawthorn Grammar School. The first game on record with that school was in 1877, when the College won by 3 goals to 1. That year, for the first time, the College report contained some account of the prowess of the teams invarious sports. Till then sports had only been mentioned with bated breath. But the feeling that education, to be successful, must be twosided was gradually growing, and more and more space came to be occupied by sport in the accounts of the year's doings.
"The performances of the Geelong College First Twenty stamp them as one of the best school teams ever seen in the colony. The credit of this proud position is due mainly to the exertions of W. Boyd, the captain," is the proud opening statement of the account of the Football team in the College Report for 1878. The team deserved this too. It was the year in which the three notable "draws" were played against Geelong Grammar School.
Two other important matches played that year were against the University, which had a particularly strong team. Thefirst match was played in Geelong, and resulted in a "draw," neither side kicking a goal. That was on 16th May, and three months later the University challenged the College to a game in Melbourne, offering the College, with a grand assumption of superiority, the advantage of 25 men. This advantage was refused, and the match played in Melbourne, on 13th August, on equal terms. Everybody concluded that the College would be badly beaten, but instead they won the match by one goal to none.
In 1881 the first series of matches was arranged with other private schools. The College defeated Ballarat College by 11 goals to 0; Grenville College by 4 goals to 1; Kew High School by 18 goals to 0; Hawthorn Grammar School by 4 goals to 0; and the Medical School by 6 goals to 2. Its only defeat that year was by Geelong Grammar School, which won by 5 goals to 1. The College in these six matches kicked 44 goals, and had 8 kicked against them.
The College team always supplied some good players to the Geelong First Twenty. In 1882 five of the College team played with Geelong—J. Boyd, R. Edols, W. McPherson, C. McArthur, and H. McLean. The Geelong club was the champion team that year, and McLean kicked 24 goalsfor it, the same number which R. H. Morrison had scored the year before.
Next year only two matches were played. There had been great changes in the team, all the crack men of the year before having left. Still, both matches were won by the College— Hawthorn Grammar School being beaten by 5 goals to 1, and Ballarat College by 9 goals to
1. There was still no system in the arrangement of matches, and games only resulted as the outcome of specific challenges.
In 1884 four matches were played—two against Geelong Grammar School, of which the College won the first, and the Grammar School the second, and one each against Ballarat College and Hawthorn Grammar School, both of which resulted in easy wins for the College by 13 to 0 and 7 to 0 respectively. In 1885 five matches were played and two won. Hawthorn Grammar School and Geelong Grammar School provided the victims, while Geelong Grammar School (second match) and Scotch College caused the defeats.
For two years the College team did nothing remarkable. In 1886 winning games were played against 2nd Geelong (3.9 to 1.7), Scotch College (4.26 to 0.4), Winchelsea (4.19 to 1.8), and Geelong Grammar School (7.15 to 3.7). The only defeat sustained by the College was in the return match with Geelong Grammar, when the Grammar School scored 3 goals 14 behinds to 1 goal 12 behinds. In 1887 only two matches were played with Scotch College and Geelong Grammar School. Scotch was defeated by 5 goals to 3, while the Grammar School won by 4 goals to 1.
Football was never at so high a level at the College as during the next few years. It began with the 1888 team, which defeated Scotch College by7 goals to 4; Geelong Grammar School twice, by 5 goals to 0 and by 3 goals to 2, and the Combined Banks and Law, by 5 goals to 3. In a match against Winchelsea a draw resulted, one goal being kicked on each side. Geelong Grammar School had defeated all the public schools, so that there was abundant justification for the comment of The Australasian:—"These performances of the Geelong College team give them the honour of first position amongst our school football champions for the year.
Really, however, the finest team the College ever produced was in the following year, 1889. They played five school matches. Scotch College were defeated by 5 goals to 2. A combined team from Camberwell Grammar School and Toorak College were beaten by 15 goals to 1. St. Francis Xavier's College suffered defeat by 9 goalsto 1, while Geelong Grammar School, who had defeated all the public schools but Scotch College, with whom they played a "draw," were twice signally defeated—in the first mate h by 6 goals to 3, and in the second by 11 goals to 1.
The picture of the team is reproduced here. It, included seven men who were playing with the Geelong Football Club First Twenty. They were M. Armstrong, M. Kearney, "Gus" Kearney, who wasvicecaptain of the College team, V. O'Farrell, "Bob" Reid, captain of the team, "Shacko" Timms, who afterwards became champion amateur athlete of Scotland and an International Rugby player; and H. Waugh. The Geelong First Twenty was then at the height of itsfame, and inclusion in it was no small honour.
The many squabbles and controversies as to the status of schoolboys ended in the drawing up of the Public Schools Athletic Regulations. These were adopted in 1891, Geelong College, as a private school, being excluded from the series of games arranged under them. In 1890 the College had defeated every team they met. These were Holy Ghost College, Ballarat (14 to 0), Scotch College (6 to 1), Ormond College (6 to 2), St. Francis Xavier's College, twice (14 to 0 and 11 to 2), andWesley College (11 to 3). The College team kicked 65 goals, with only 5 being kicked against them. Six men played with the Geelong First Twenty, and visited Adelaide with the team during the winter vacation. They were W. Bell, M. Kearney, R. Reid,
C. Morrison, A. Timms, and R. Gullan.
Again, in 1891, the College team was the champion school team of the colony. They played fourmatches, defeating St. Xavier's College twice, in record fashion, by 22 goals 29 behinds to 1 goal 1 behind and by 22 goals 19 behinds to 2 goals 1 behind; Ballarat School of Mines, by 13 goals 10 behinds to 8 behinds; and making a "draw" with Scotch College—Geelong College, 3 goals 11 behinds, and Scotch College, 3 goals 3 behinds.
The formation of the Public Schools Association had restricted the number of matches which could be played by the College, but relief came. The Schools' Association of Victoria was formed. It included all the leading private schools. The first round of matches was played in 1892, and the College had no difficulty in winning the premiership. Two other matches were played—one with St. Francis Xavier's College, who were defeated by 14 goals 8 behinds to 4 goals 14 behinds; and one against Scotch College.
For four years previously Geelong College had kept the title of champion school, but in 1892, for the first time in five years, Scotch College defeated them, the game resulting: Scotch College, 8 goals 10 behinds; Geelong College, 3 goals 4 behinds.
Thence forward, until the College became a Public School in 1908, the College continued to play in the Schools' Association. During those sixteen years the College team won the premiership of the Private Schools, and gained the championship pennant of the Association thirteen times.
Six of the Geelong College Football team who also played with the Geelong First XX. visited Adelaide in the midwinter holidays of 1890 with the Geelong Football Club. It was not for seventeen years that Geelong College Boys again went to Adelaide. Then—at midwinter, 1907—the whole team went in charge of Norman Morrison to try conclusions with the Adelaide schools. They had a most pleasant trip, and defeated both of the large Adelaide Colleges—Prince Alfred (of which Mr. W. R. Bayly was then senior resident master) by 9 goals 5 behinds to 5 goals 8 behinds, and St. Peter's by 8 goals 15 behinds to 6 goals 8 behinds. A few months later Prince Alfred College sent a team to Victoria. They visited Geelong, and after being defeated by 11 goals 14 behinds to 2 goals 8 behinds, were entertained at the College.
Since entering the Public Schools' Association the College has not done so well, but that was only to be expected. There are six schools in the Association. In 1908 the College secured third place, on the premiership list. In 1909 it was placed fourth, in 1910 sixth, and in 1911 fourth.
Matches with Geelong Grammar School. Since games were first commenced with the Geelong Grammar School there has been played in all 53 matches. Of these the College have won 23; the Grammar School have won 24; while 6 matches have been drawn games. It is notable that after the extraordinary series of "draws" in 1877 and 1878 there has been only one other—in 1906. The following is a complete list of the matches played between the two schools:— 1868, College, Not recorded. 1872, C.E.G.S, Not recorded 1874, College, Not recorded 1876, C.E.G.S, 2 goals to 1 1877,
1. C.E.G.S, 4 goals to 1 2. Draw, 2 goals each 3. Draw, 1 goal each 1878, 1. Draw, 1 goal each. 2. Draw, 3 goals each 3. Draw, No goals kicked. 1879, C.E.G.S, 1 goal to 0. 2. C.E.G.S, 9 goals to 2. 1880, C.E.G.S, 7 goals to 0. 1881, C.E.G.S, 5 goals to 1. 1884, 1. College, 3 goals to 2. 2. C.E.G.S, 4 goals to 0 1885, 1. C.E.G.S, 2 goals to 1. 2. College, 2 goals to 0. 1886, 1. C.E.G.S, 3 goals to 1. 2. College, 7 goals to 3. 1887, C.E.G.S, 4 goals to
1. 1888,1. College,5goalsto0. 2. College,3goalsto2. 1889, 1. College,6goalsto3. 2. College, 11 goals to 2. 1896, 1. C.E.G.S, 6 goals to 0. 2. College, 7 goals to 5. 1897 1. C.E.G.S, 13.13 (91 pts.) to 1.6 (13 pts.) 2. College, 3.4 (22 pts.) to 2.6 (18 pts.) 1898, 1. C.E.G.S, 4.13 (37 pts.) to 1.8 (14 pts.) 2. College, 8.16 (64 pts.) to 1.2 (8 pts.) 1899, 1. College, 6.2 (38 pts.) to 4.2 (26 pts.) 2. College, 2.10 (22 pts.) to 0.4 (4 pts.) 1900, 1. College,
12.20 (92 pts.) to 3.3 (21 pts.) 2. College, 6.10 (46 pts.) to 4.4 (28 pts.) 1901, 1. C.E.G.S, 6.4 (40 pts.) to 4.11 (35 pts.) 2. College, 3.6 (24 pts.) to 3.3 (21 pts.) 1902, 1. C.E.G.S, 15.20 (110 pts.) to 1.6 (12 pts.) 2. C.E.G.S, 15.27 (117 pts.) to 1.1 (7 pts.) 1903, 1. College, 8.8 (56 pts.) to 4.7 (31 pts.) 2. C.E.G.S, 5.12 (42 pts.) to 3.9 (27 pts.) 1904, 1. College, 6.15 (51 pts.) to 3.9 (27 pts.) 2. C.E.G.S, 8.8 (56 pts.) to 6.8 (44 pts.) 1905, 1. College, 13.9 (87 pts.) to 5.2 (32 pts.) 2. C.E.G.S, 10.12 (72 pts.) to 5.8 (38 pts.) 1906, 1. C.E.G.S, 8.10 (58 pts.) to 5.10 (40 pts.) 2. Draw, G.C. 3.13 (31 pts.); C.E.G.S. 4.7 (31 pts.) 1907, 1. College, (43 pts.) to 5.6 (36 pts.) 2. College, 8.6 (54 pts.) to 6.15 (51 pts.) 1908, College 9.11 (65 pts.) to 7.6 (48 pts.) 1909, C. E. G. S, 5.17 (47 pts.) to 4.9 (33 pt,.) 1910, C. E. G. S., 3.8 (26 pts.) to 3.6 (24 pts.) 1911, C.E.G.S, 9.9 (63 pts.) to 6.16 (52 pts.)
Matches with Scotch College. Since 1868 there have been played 29 football matches between Geelong College and the Scotch College, Melbourne. The College has won 14 of these matches; the Scotch College has won 12—the last five in succession—while there have been 3 drawn games. The following is the list of results and scores:—
1868, Draw, 1 goal each. 1877, Draw, 1 goal each. 1885, Scotch, 2 goals to 1. 1886, College, 4 goals to 0 1887, College, 5 goals to 3 1888, College, 7 goals to 4. 1889, College, 5 goals to
2. 1890, College, 6 goals to 1. 1891, Draw, 3 goals each. 1892, Scotch, 8 goals to 3. 1893, College, 2 goals to 1. 1894, Scotch, 10 goals to 1 1895, College, 7 goals to 2. 1896, College, 3 goals to 2. 1897, Scotch, 5.12 (42 pts.) to 2.4 (16 pts.) 1898, Scotch, 10.17 (77 pts.) to 3.6 (24 pts.) 1899, College, 3.2 (20 pts.) to 1.9 (15 pts.) 1900, Scotch, 4.6 (30 pts.) to 1.5 (11 pts.) 1901, College, 5.5 (35 pts.) to 3.9 (27 pts.) 1902, Scotch, 5.12 (42 pts.) to 5.6 (36 pts.) 1903, College, 12.15 (87 pts.) to 5.8 (38 pts.) 1904, College, 7.4 (46 pts.) to 4.5 (29 pts.) 1905, College, 11.8 (74 pts.) to 9.9 (63 pts.) 1906, College, 9.10 (64 pts ) to 6.14 (50 pts.) 1907, Scotch, 13.13 (91 pts.) to 3.9 (27 pts.) 1908, Scotch, 10.11 (71 pts.) to 2.14 (26 pts.) 1909, Scotch, 4.14 (38 pts.) to 3.16 (34 pts.) 1910, Scotch, 11.9 (75 pts.) to 8.15 (63 pts.) 1911, Scotch, 11.21 (87 pts.) to 5.7 (37 pts.)'
Sources: Sources: Geelong College. History, Register, .. And Records by G, McLeod Redmond. Melb; Sands & McDougall, 1911. pp 77-94.