ASSOCIATION NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 247, 11 July 1908, Page 9

ASSOCIATION NOTES.

(By Centre-Half.)

The position .of the Senior First Division teams, in the League competition .to date ia as follows (two points for a win, and one for a draw)

Football at Miramar on Saturday was •played , under adverse conditions,. the games .between • such good clubs as Y.M.C.A. and Ramblers, and Swifts and Wanderers, being spoilt owing to the smallness of the grounds. Many, good passing rushes wero nipped in the bud by tho ball getting out of play. In tho Y.M.C.A.-Ramblers match play was of'a very straggling order, and players like Forbes • and Timperloy were lost, _ and could not got in the 'finished work, which; is now expected from the Y.M.C.A.' right wing. Tho . Ramblfers' team ' was disorganised through Coward and Ballingall not being able to play., M'Kay in the first spell took Oldnall's place in goal, and-had not a great , deal to do. Oldnall played half in the first spell, and his kicks at times saved his forwards, although at other times ho put too much boot in.

' Saunders was playing out' of his ■ place among tho backs, but put in some very good work. M'Laren got in' a lot of work; time after time repelling the 'rushes of the 'opposing forwards. He is a player of tho stylo we wero used to years ago, and uses his weight well. Edwards, playing at half kicks much too hard, his only idea on Saturday was to kick and kick hard. He did not help his forwards in tho least. Jackson was.' ono of the best halves on tho ground, and got through a lot of hard work. Mowat and Waters wore • tho best of a poor, lot .of forwards. Smallbono. had the misfortune to collido with Walton, and suffer; a scalp wound, having to retire; Ramblors, with the consent of the Y.M.C.A. captain, put another player on, but tho reforeo' on this being pointed out to'him by-onoVpf the Y.M.C.A. players, ordered ' the. inan off, ho not having been. consulted. At half-time Y.M.C.A. would not agree to his playing, and Smallbono very'pluckily took the !field again, and, although' hurt, he and Ankor got in . some very good work. .. For Y.M.C.A., Gofton in-goal saved somo very hot stuff, and is improving overy match. . Walton was tho best of the backs, and put in -som'o forciblo wcjrk. He is inclined to ..kick too hard. '. •'■' V Gibson was tlie bost of a' ve'ry good trio of 'halves.. ' V Forbes and Timperloy wero the best of tho forwards, although lost on the small ground. Crofts and Irvine combined very well together, and tho former scored a very pretty goal.' Ho,. however,' still rotains his old habit of lying offside. , Gibson, in' centre, played a good game, spoiled by talking. Close into Ramblers' goal on one occasion he got. tied up with M'Laren, alid claimed a. ponaltv. Ho did not seem at all pleased with the referee's decision in letting play go on. Altogether too much' talking took place at Miramar-on Saturday, ~aud it is timo senior players, tried to curb their tongues and; tempers. . .Referees aro. there to try and do their, bost. impartially to both sides. AUSTRALIAN GAME. NOTES ON THE REPRESENTATIVE MATCH. (Bt High Mark.) Taking tho • representative game last Saturday, as a whole, it was not a . first-class exhibition, although there were patches of individual brilliancy. The rough stato of tho ground was largely accountable for this. That these teams would give a really fine display, under suitable conditions, was freely admitted on all sides. There can be little doubt that the better team on tho day won, and the Canterbury men thoroughly deserved thoir victory. ; For the winuers West, wing,- was in magnificent fettle: He worked untiringly, and was tho best man on the ground. He received 'first-class assistance from Wright, in the ruck, who played tho ball to him in splendid fashion. The half-forward line was very strong, Paisley and Porter rendoring most capable assistance, while Stammers, at forward, was ropeatedly in evidence. Wilkie, on the right wing, and Ross and Fisher, across the centre-line, wero also very prominent. Dempster, at full-back, figured as a modern Horatius. He was a, power of strength to his side, and saved time after timo with his dashing play. ' For Wellington, Grant, in the ruck, played a . solid, strenuous gamo. Bond, as rover, was cool and clever, and was always prominent.' Ward, on the forward-line, Was the pick of the side. The opportunities of his particular position wero limited, but lie turned them all to tho very best of his advantage. His three goals wero in particular splendid efforts. This player has the makings of a real 'champion. Lawrence was also conspicuous in this portion of tho field. Patrick handled tho ball frequently, but seemed rather hampered by the state of tho ground. M'Grath, in tho ruck, worked ham, and Heathorne was seen to advantage frequently. Payne and Furniss wero sturdy defenders, and Robinson, at full-back, relieved his goal in great style. . Pcaroo umpired, but was below his best form. Ho mado several mistakes, and tho Canterbury men suffered a little as a result.

Tho gamo between Wellington and Canterbury on Saturday—although conducted under such adverse circumstances—proved conclusively .that tho standard of play is on tho up grado, Tho standard is certainly not deteriorating in Wellington itself, and tho woll-deserveil victory of the Canterbury men is a pleasing evidence of the rapid strides which the gwne is making in that centre. What is squired morn particularly at present are better facilities for training. No doubt this difficulty may ho overconio soon, and we shall then notice a still further improvement in'.tho play. At present very few of tho teams have anything' approaching a system_ in their play. The.individual efforts aro at times very fair indeed, hut there is a great lack of that concortcd action, which does so much to make a side invincible. It would bo iniposible to lay too much stress 011 tho necessity of per-' sistent and pssidmus training, as a means of accomplishing these results. In tho best interests of the gamo itself players would do well to give this point Iheir earnest at ? tention.

Tlio New Zealand team for Australia choscn on Saturday night should form a very fair combination after a few games together. They have weight and pace in their favour, and although it is scarcely to be expected that thoy will defeat the "cream" of Australia's representatives, they may bo relied upon to 6paro 110 pains to uphold tho Dominion's prestige. Football appears to bo "booming" in Melbourne at present. Last Saturday '20,000 people saw the match between Carlton, and' St. Kilda, and tho other matches were also freely patronised. s The "star" performance of, recent football, there, was in a match Footscray v. NortlT Melbourne. Hutchinson.playing for the former team eclipsed all previous records by kicking sixteen goals during the match. If local pla.vers could reach form even remotely approaching that of Hutchinson tho-Aus-tralian' gamo would soon rise to' .tho very zenith of popular approval. . .

'd «• -J" I . 1 U '3 .2m O tC - i: c ■.: ■ . fc ■. ,2 ,2 S . "ti S ui ' rt - rt . •« ej w2 -O u o- 0 x P. £ « o o a o Rovers . ... 8 6 1 1 23 17. 13 Y.M.C.A. ; ... 8 6 2 , 0 19 10 12 Diamonds ... 7 ■ 5 1 •'•• 1 18 ' 7 11 Wanderers ... 0 5 4 0 18 14 10 Swifts • . . ... 9 .4 4' 1 13 12,. 9 Ramblers ... 7 2 4 1 13 1 17 5 Thistle ' .... 8 -1 6 1 3 40, 3 Petone 9. . 1 7. 1 8 21 3