THE AUSTRALIAN GAME.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 76, 28 March 1908, Page 14

THE AUSTRALIAN GAME.

The Auckland League held their annual meeting, on Monday in- the Sports Club, over 100 enthusiasts crowding into the hall. Dr. Tracy B. Inglis was in the chair. The report and balance-sheet, as read by the secretary (Mr. J. Heggarty), disclosed a splendid state of affairs.

When Dr. Inglis consented to accept office of president for another term, he was. greeted, with great applause, and unanimously re-elected.

One of the president's happiest duties was to present the players of the two clubs, which won the junior premiership 3, with their caps, and forty, boys were placed in a happy frame of mind.

The chief difficulty of the League this year will be to find grounds for all intending, players. They meet at the Sports Club on Monday to tackle the proposition.

A start will be made with practice matches on the Outer Domain next Saturday, as the first round of matches for the Wai-Wai Shield begins on the first Saturday in May. Only four rounds will be played this season, so that the premiership will be decided before the New Zealand team leaves for Australia on the 10th August.

A fourth team is being formed to take part in the senior grade of matches. The new team, I understand, will be known as the Grafton.

The team which is to visit Australia this season will travel 3800 miles by rail, and in addition will have the return journey by steamer to Sydney.

Mr. Udy advises that about 400 supporters will accompany the Westralian team to- Melbourne to take part in the Jubilee Football Carnival in August. A special steamer would probably be chartered for the purpose, and they would also endeavour to secure the entire accommodation of one hotel in Melbourne.

I hear that the League is to make, a maximum weight this ; season for the junior'competitions. This means that" some of the-more weighty- players wfll have. to go up into higher grades,

ASSOCIATION. This year promises to be a very sue- , cessful one as far as teams go, as the • secretary has been notified that several new clubs are being formed, and are seeking information re grounds, etc. The annual general meeting of the A.F.A- takes place in the Sports Club at 8 p.ml on Tuesday, 7th April, and a good attendance is expected. Tn all probability there will be a debit balance of a few pounds,, but that is only to be expected, seeing that the Association had to pay a good sum for tbe grounds at Point Chevalier last season. ~. .... -,On Tuesday next a, special general meeting wul be held in the- Sports, Club, when the matter of grounds for the coming, season will be discussed, and several other matters important to players -and supporters will also be brought up. Owing to the secretary (Mr. W. J. H. Reynolds) being in ill-health since his operation, the Brown Shield statement was not made up, but I understand that this has now been acne, and that the takings for the two days were £69 S/6, and after paying all expenses the sum of £32 12/11 was sent to the N.Z.FA. this week. Messrs. Heigh'way, Smithyman, and Reynolds are not going to seek re-elec-tion this year on the management committee, and the latter gentleman is to proceed South via the Main Trunk line as soon as he is out of the doctor's hands. ,'.'.". There is some talk of the Brown Shield matches being played in 'Wellington this year, and not: in Dunedin, as was at first intended; and I think that this arrangement is quite fair, seeing that Wellington have been sporting enough to travel two years in succession, whilst Otago have not travelled at all. The N.Z.F.A. hold their' special general meeting, to receive report of Brown Shield matches, in Wellington, next week, when no doubt something will be heard that prill interest "soccer" footballers, generally. During tbe interval between, the football seasons, Mr. Walter Reynolds, the secretary of the- A.F.AI, was presented with a handsome case of pipes and.silver- ' mounted walking stick, suitably inscribed, by the Wellington, Taranaki, andi Auckland representatives, as a mark of. appreciation of his services to the game. Kingsland ground is open to the high-, est bidders for winter games, and the A.F.A. ought not to allow this opportunity to pass by unnoticed. In the interests of the sport, I trust there will be a large attendance at Tuesday's meeting.