---

Game Review

This game was originally scheduled to be played on May 9, but was postponed by a train workers' strike. Col Hutchison Geelong and AFL historian in a podcast A Yank On Footy, said the Blues were on the Geelong train when it came to a sudden halt and were told that it was going no further as a strike has been called. Another date in Geelong was impossible as the only free date available the ground had been booked out.
Eventually, it was transferred to the Sydney Cricket Ground as a promotional exercise and set down for Saturday, August 1. However, days of heavy rain beforehand meant that the ground was not in a suitable condition for a first class exhibition, so it was again postponed to Monday the third. Geelong took the train to Sydney whereas the train wary Blues travelled by ship.

When the game eventually began, an even contest to half-time was blown open by the Cats in the third quarter, when they cracked the Carlton defence to pile on four goals to nil and take a stranglehold on the match. The Blues managed 3.3 to 1.1 in an entertaining last term, but the task was too big and the Pivotonians held on to win by 10 points.

So, heading into the Sectional rounds, the Blues were still solidly third on the ladder, although their form had been alarmingly patchy over recent weeks. So too had been the team’s leading goal-kicker, Joe Sullivan. Despite two majors in this match, Joe slipped to fourth place on the table, four behind the leader for most of the year; Ted Rowell of Collingwood.

The image provided is from the Australian Town and Country Journal (NSW : 1870 - 1907), of Wednesday, 5 August, 1903, page 35.

On the following Wednesday, Carlton played another match on the SCG, against a NSW representative side.
See the 1903 page for details.

Carlton vs Geelong

For a preview of the game from the Evening News (Sydney) 28 July, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115854538

Sydney Reception for Carlton and Geelong

To read http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115856075

Team

B:	Charlie O'Connor	Frank Hince	Gordon Ross
HB:	Bill McNamara	Ernie Walton (vc)	Albert Trim
C:	George Bruce	Arthur Ford	Charlie Tough
HF:	Henry McShane	Mick Grace	Fred Scott
F:	Alex Barlow	Jim Opie	Joe Sullivan
Ruck:	Joe McShane (c)	Fred Elliott	Archie Snell
Coach:	Jack Worrall

Changes

In : B.McNamara, C.Tough, A.Barlow
Out : C.Ross, F.Webber, B.Leeds

Officials; possibly George Topping, M.B. Hearne, unknown, unknown, G.H. Ievers, F.H. Bromley, unknown
Players (18) L-R Back Row; possibly, Ernie Walton, Fred Scott, Frank Hince, (Jack Worrall (coach), W. F. Evans), Gordon Ross, Albert Trim, Bill McNamara, Weekes? ( trainer)
Middle Row; Alex Barlow, Charlie Tough, Fred Elliott, Henry McShane, Mick Grace, George, Bruce, Arthur Ford.
Front Row; Charlie O'Connor, Archie Snell, Jim Opie, (looks like C. Ross but he was not selected) Joe McShane,
(Joe Sullivan was selected) McShanes are difficult to identify, as some others are.
First draft of naming. Your input is welcome. To be completed.
Missing head; Alex Barlow

Milestones

Last Game : Alex Barlow