JUNIOR GRADES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 246, 17 October 1929, Page 18

JUNIOR GRADES.

THE SEASON IN REVIEW.

PROMISING. STANDARD ATTAINED,

The 1929 has been marked with much keenness and- enthusiasm in the junior grades in Auckland, and a review of/the various grades from the second down reveals the fact that the, various competitions have been. keenly fought, and in most cases the results have been very close. -With the advent of the senior B division, there was a reduction in the second grade, many teams who were in this grade last year deciding to join the higher division. However, with I six teams entered, .an interesting competition resulted.. A good standard,of play was set at the start of the season, and some clever exhibitions of the code were seen. There were several Saturdays towards the end of the season when some of the grounds were closed, with the result that several teams had as many as three Saturdays in succession on tho line. This destroyed the keenness of the players, besides upsetting the competitions, and the standard of play suffered in consequence. The North Shore team showed the. most consistent form, and finished at the top of the competition with an unbeaten record, Ponsonby A filling second place, four points behind. North Shored also won the knock-out, Ponsonby A running them to two games before a decision was reached. The third open grade provided some of the most strenuous and exciting games seen for several seasons. Up to last •'Saturday Henderson were one point ahead of New Lynn. New Lynn, how- ? T ! r i^ ave a game in haild against Kiwi, : but there is little chance of JSiwi fieldin" a ;> team at this, late stage, so that a SaStv def Th- f ° r ?? w seems a .certainty. This would give New Lvnn by one Point. AnbS ■countiy team, Swanson, fills third nlace to a arid, fotofctf. CSS get efficient substitutes, they did i markably well. The standard of pLf" tins grade is fairly high, and it win no dqubt bo a recruiting ground lot senior teams who require keen fthd'-cap- : able young players.

The third intermediate grade was productive of some of the best games of the season, the four leading teams playing football of a high standard, while the remaining three teams also performed creditably. Belmont were the winners of this competition, also winning the knock-out after two gruelling games with Burnley. So close was *the competition in the grade that there were only three points between the first four teams, Belmont 22, Burnley 20, Mount Albert 20, North Shore 19. The inauguration of the third intermediate was a step in the right direction, as it is proving one of the most popular in the code, being a stepping-stone for young players coming out of the fourth grade. A total of twelve entries in the fourth grade made it necessary to divide the competition into two. equal sections, A and B. Some sparkling football, with clever combination by the leading teams of the A section, Comrades and North Shore, was a feature, and they headed the section with 24 points each, seven points ahead of Tamaki. Comrades beat North Shore in the play-off for section honours, but North' Shore had their revengfe by defeating Comrades in the final of the knock-out. The B section winners proved to be Glen Eden, whose cleverteam work and fast forward line enabled them to lead Onehunga by one point at the close of the section play, scoring 18 points to Onehunga's 17 and being undefeated. Comrades and Glen Eden have already met for the championship, and a drawn game, one goal each, was the result.

The fifth grade also commanded a large entry, no less than 14 teams lining up, to be divided into two sections, A and B, with seven teams in each. The three leading teams in the A section were clever combinations, and gave some pretty displays of football, while the teams lower down the scale were always capable of bringing off a surprise or two. A most interesting competition resulted. Tamaki had to play hard to head the section without a loss, College United A being only two points behind, with Y.M.C.A. close up. Some of tho games in this section were delightful displays of the code. Comrade B won the B section, completing their ten games without a loss. Although probably the lightest team in the fifth grade, they made up, for that handicap in weight by their exceptionally clever boll control and team work, and these factors won them the championship when they met the heavier Tamaki team in the final. Tamaki met College United in the knock-out final and again suffered defeat, being beaten by one goal after a great game.

The sixth grade saw some fast and clever football in both sections —Carlton 11, North Shore 10, Belmont 9, Y.M.C.A. 8, being the leading teams in the A section. The contests between these clubs was marked by fine team work, and were well worth watching. Tamaki 12, and" Y.M.C.A. 11, were far too strong for the remaining B" section teams, and stood out by themselves. It took two games to settle the championship honours, the first, between Tamaki and Carlton, being drawn with no score, and in_the second Carlton just managed to get home by one goal. : The diminutive seventh graders provided some of the most interesting football of the season, the two leading teams of the A section, Belmont A, and /Comrades A, and the leaders of the B section, North Shdre and Belmont C, showing promising all-round football. It was a pity that this grade suffered most on account-of the Domain being closed, as some of the teams,were without a game for several, successive Saturdays- for this With boys as keen as "the, seventh graders are, some different arrangement should be tried next season. Belmont A won the A section after a play-off with Comrades A, while North Shore , -won "the B ; section after playing, off with Belmont C. In the final North Shore were the victors, beating Belmont by one goal to nil after a good game.