Australian Soccer Visitors: Strong Playing Side

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 216, 9 June 1936, Page 14

Australian Soccer Visitors: Strong Playing Side

(By

HOTSPUR.)

INTEREST in the forthcoming tour of the Australian Soccer team is mounting daily and expectations of first-class football have been heightened by the receipt by the New Zealand Football Association from across the Tasman of the first official details ot the playing abi.ities of every member of the team. George H. Smith, who has represented Australia as centre-forward for the past four years has for two seasons scored the greatest number of goals in New South Wales, the majority with his head. Alfred Mackey, Victoria's outstanding full-back, has represented that State since 1923, and is a sure two-footed kicker. James W. Harden, New South Wales, is a first-class half who, though moving fairly slowly, has good ball control. Skilful anticipation and backing up earned D. A. Love, Queensland, a place in the side. He usually plays eentreJames Wilkinson, New South Wales, the youngest member of the team, is aged 22 He has an excellent representative history, first as a schoolboy and then in junior and senior grade football. He plays on the right iu the forwards and has a varied, accurate and powerful kick. James McNabb, Australia's greatest goalkeeper for many seasons is hard to defeat with any typo of shot. J. Donaldson, Queensland, is a speedy left winger, who crosses accurately. Alex Cameron, Australia's greatest international, was only 17 when he won bis international cap. He can play anywhere hi the forwards or halves. Alfred While, South Australian iuside forward, has played in all representative games in South Australia since 1929. J. B. Evans, N.S.W., noted for his clearing and bis sure two-footed kicking, is Australia’s greatest full-back for many Forrest, Victoria, is a fast forward whose shootiug is always accurate. R. 11. Bryant, who has represented New South Wales for four years, is a sound right half, who can .play with success as an inside forward. He is a good shot with plenty of power. W. Sharp, South Australia, is a solid type, useful at full-back or iu the half line. James Osborne, half-back, is New South Wales’s most noted spot-kicker, and out of -17 such kicks only two have been stopped by goalkeepers. W. Price, New South Wales, inside left places with uncanny accuracy, ami his antics with the ball are amusing as well as amazing.

Error of Judgment. In deciding to play a Possibles-l’rob-ables trial match at the Basin Reserve next. Saturday, the W.F.A. selector, Mr. G. F. Aers, lias in the opinion of many committed an error of judgment. What he should have done was to pick a Wellington side ami play next Saturday’s game against the Rest. No fitter team than Wellington will take the field in representative fixtures this season, but the error of previous years has been repeated and against a team like the Australians, noted for their combination, what chance will the Wellington eleven have if they are given no opportunity to mould themselves into a team? Auckland, Canterbury and Otago have all played representative matelies already, and when they meet: the Australians they will undoubtedly be the better for it.

Picking the Team. Assuming that the Wellington team will be chosen from the players selected to take part in the trial game, it appears

that Mr. Aers's main difficulty will, be in filling the right full-back and right wing positions. The following team is suggested :—Parton; Laraey, Haines; lodo, Jeffrey, Simon; Woods, Kershaw, Leslie, Hatcba’rd, Gendall. The most revolutionary tiling about LI it above eleven is the transfer of Woods (Hospital) from the left to the right flank. Wilson (Seatoun) was disappointing on Saturday nnd there seems to be a doubt whether’Gibb (Hospital), undoubtedly a neat player, would last out a hard-fought representative game. It must be borne in mind also that M oods kicks accurately with either foot. Leslie (Petone) seems the logical choice hr centre forward. Hatchard, on his constructive play could hardly be omitted, and Kershaw (Manet) will be a strong contender for the inside right berth. Gendall m a free type of left-wing, and on his play this season thoroughly deserves representative honours. The llospital half-line will probably bo choseu en bloc, with Cocks Simon’s most serious rival for inclusion at inside lelt. There is little between Laraey (Manst) and Miles (Hospital), and both are capable of holding up the nippiest forwards. Saturday’s Games.

The spectators at the Basin Reserve on Saturday were entertained to an excellent display by the Hospital and Seatoun teams. Hospital did not appear to infuse so much dash into their play as in previous games, but their forwards, particularly Webster and Briggs, ke.pt well on the ball, and Parton was several times called upon. He rose to the occasion magnificently. The Seatoun half-line came through a strenuous afternoon with colours flying. Not for an instant did they let up, and had the Hospital halves been less versatile and experienced they would have been completely demoralised. As if. was they were very evenly matched. Neither C. Yeoman nor Bedford was shooting well, and Gendall was marked so efficient}’ by Todd and Jeffrey that he was seldom dangerous. Hospital, too, missed Shnnkie’s scoring boot. The main weakness of Diamond in their match against Diarist was the lack of cohesion throughout the team. Powerful punts from the two full-backs, Hopper and Cockburn, merely went to the opposing defence, whereas snappy low drives through to the halves or inside forwards would have been much more effective. A few team talks with a blackboard by their coach, Jimmy Ewing, would improve their play considerably. In studied contrast was Diarist’s constructive play. Each member of the team drew an opponent before parting with the ball, aud the result was attractive football. Kindle, at right half for Diarist, played his best game of the season. In a first-class middle line he was outstanding, being tireless on defence and continually opening up play for his forwards, who worked throughout with ma-chine-like precision. DI. Quirke has overcome the fault of stopping the ball and turning back to centre, and his play is now first-class. Swifts did not make enough use of Hawken in the first; spell on Saturday. Had they done so they might have met with more success, as that was the weaker side in the Waterside defence. J. Jeromson, a right back, was making his first appearance iu the senior team, and though slinky in the first spell, played steadily iu the later stages. One of the mos-t pleasing features of the game in Wellington this season is the number of young players in the senior A division. 11. Robb aud S. Ward, of Waterside, both played fourth grade last year, and are showing that their promotion was deserved. Robb’s only mistake on Saturday, a fault common in more experienced players, was, when having come rigid through the Swifts defence to within a few yards of Wickliffe, he drove hard and straight at the goalkeeper instead of tapping the ball to the side of the goal. Heath, of Swifts, is another youngster who is improving with every game. He possesses a good shot and is not afraid to use it. If Swifts would only play as a team, they would meet with more success. With such players as Hawken, Heath, I’. MacGregor, White and Dickson, they have the material to launch and stein good attacks. Wickliffe is a reliable goalkeeper. What they fail to realise is that team-work will always prevail against an individualistic eleven, no matter how fit its members may be. Institute’s display against Petone was a revelation; not since their opening game against Hospital have this popular. youthful' team revealed their _ true form. The leading teams of the division would have found them too hot a handful on form like this. Perfect balance, cohesion and team-work, blended with speed, nippy play and rare fighting qualities, were the determining factors in an exhilarating exhibition and victory. When a team plays so well in every department from goal outward, comparisons would be invidious. The veteran. Marshall, Boyes and Sutherland, just shaded their teammates. Had Marshall’s form not been so belated, he would probably be in the runniii"* for representative honours. In the second spell, Hicks played a great forcing game, and Reid, junior player, also made a promising debut in this half, and opened the scoring for his team. It is safe to assume that, the first ten minutes of the second spell are the “psychological period” of any Soccer game, Institute made full use of this period to unsettle Petone and turn seeming defeat into victory. Petone’s recent displays are a riddle to their followers —too much chopping and changing, and too much team shuffling is a bad sign. The team is too tempermental and easily knocked off its game. ’Phere was a complete lack of team-work, no cohesion among the forwards, too much individualism, and reckless shooting from long range. Leslie, Df. White and Cullen, were the best iu a disappointing side. The inclusion of two left halves, Smith and Diamond, in the forward line, was a distinct failure. Verrall should not have been dropped. Craig’s display in the second half was very insipid for ar. experienced player. Leslie, when at centrehalf, made a grand showing. Petone has the talent; their failures enn be. rectified by better team-work, team-spirit, and corrected team placements. No players should be carried on past reputations. CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE. First A Division.

Billy Eaton, the international crosscountry champion, who beat Alf Shrubb's 32-year-old record in winning the A.A.A. 10 miles championship at the White City on April 4, also beat English native records at 7,8, 9 and 10 miles. Eaton’s time's for these distances were 35min. 26 l-ssec„ 40.29.2-5, 45.31.4-5, and 50.30 4-5 against Sid Thomas’s 35.36 4-5, set up in 1892, and W. G. George’s 40.57 2-5, 46.12 and 51.20, made in ISS4.

I Harold Larwood, the Notts professional cricketer, whom many consider to be the greatest fast bowler the game of cricket has known, is to have a benefit this season, and lias ehosen the match with Yorkshire. So highly is Larwood regarded; that already subscriptions to the fund being raised on his behalf have arrived in England from Australia and New Zealand.

r. AV. L. D. Goals For Agst Ch. Pts Hospital 7 6 — 1 35 10 13 Seatoun ♦ i —— Marlst 1) 4 w «-• 1 Waterside . • • 6 3 3 — 10 17 6 Institute O-B. 6 - 3 1 1G T8 Diamond .... 7 (J 1 1 4 1 11 17 24 4 3 Swifts 6 — 6 — 10 31 0