Game Review

This hard, sometimes vicious match against South Melbourne at the Lakeside Oval had huge ramifications for two of Carlton’s stars. Jim Marchbank and Fred Elliott had been key players all year for Carlton, but their dreams of a second successive Premiership with the Blues were dashed after both were suspended for striking.

Carlton began the game in grand style, kicking with the wind to post 3.7 and keeping the Bloods scoreless in the first quarter. Soon after the resumption of play however, skirmishes broke out among the ruck divisions of both sides and ill-tempered incidents marred the rest of the match. Yet again, Carlton’s poor shooting for goal from set shots and general play cost the side dearly. In the last three quarters, the Blues kicked 1.9 to finish with 4.16, while South added 8.9 and deserved to win by 17 points.

The real sensations came well after the match. At the time, foul play was becoming more prevalent and the VFL had pledged to act, so when complaints about the actions of both sides poured in, the authorities decided to make a statement about their intentions to clean up the game.

Carlton actually began proceedings by reporting South’s Bert Franks for striking several Blues players. South retaliated by accusing Marchbank, ‘Pompey’ Elliott and Martin Gotz of similar offences. The charge against Gotz was quickly dismissed, but the other two were found guilty and heavily penalised. Despite acknowledging that Marchbank’s record was ’irreproachable as a man and a footballer’ the tribunal suspended him for seven matches, while Elliott was outed for four games. This harsh treatment was compounded by both players missing out on a place in Carlton’s 1907 Premiership team. Perhaps the only small consolation was that Franks, too, was found guilty, and received a seven-match penalty.
The tribunal decision was made at 4.45am, which in 1907 was the longest football committee investigation on record.

At the end of this round Carlton were in 1st spot on the ladder with a percentage of 153.8.

Free Kicks

Third Quarter; Carlton 4, South 8

Note:

South Melbourne's W. Ghent was given a life suspension. (Border Morning Mail Albury 26 August p4)

Team

Changes

In: V.Gardiner
Out: L.Beck