Research Random Footy History article thread (Trove/Google etc)

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I often find stuff that's interesting but doesn't justify its own thread. Thought I'd start dropping links in here.

#1 - St Kilda in crisis (1911)
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/11602235
Features petitions, unrest and a player having to be restrained from biffing a spectator
 
Here's one of my favourites (copied from a post over from my WAFL Stats thread in the Stats board):

22 May, 1904 - North Fremantle vs South Fremantle

The meeting of North and South Fremantle attracted only a few spectators to the North Fremantle Oval. The match was reckoned as an easy thing for North, and so it proved, South never having a look in. It would be a waste of space to describe the game. South Fremantle's form was beneath that of a second-rate junior team, and if they can't do any better they might as well drop out of the competition.

The final scores were :-
North Fremantle, 10.21 (81 points)
South Fremantle, 0.4 (4 points)
Click to expand...

I'll also try and dig up the article from early in the 20th Century when a game between two WAFL sides (neither of which would have a place in the finals) was delayed until after the end of the season on account of the death of the fiancee of one of the players.
 
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#2 - Melbourne allegedly fail to provide a stretcher for a player with a broken leg, forcing him to take 10 minutes to hobble off the ground.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/22764603

P.S - That North Fremantle vs South Fremantle match report is a classic.
 

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#3 - Report of the first Footscray vs Melbourne VFL match
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2120289

The match report isn't much, but there's a great social write-up of all the off-field antics - including afternoon tea in the committee-room and a barrel of beer laid on by Footscray at the end of the match.
 
A GREAT FOOTBALL MATCH GEELONG FROM INSTANTANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHS BY FOSTER AND MARTIN. (1888)

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/15066908

At the time shutter mechanisms and film sensitivity had developed to the extent that action could be captured without blurring.
Although half-tone reproduction of photographs had begun in America in the early 1880s, the Australasian did not have such technology available, so the images are engravings based on the photographs along with a few hand drawn sketches (the 'Geelong trainer' is a highlight).

If the photographs that the engravings were based on were still extant they would possibly be amongst the oldest surviving of action in an Australian Football match.

Some half-tone reproductions of portraits of football captains taken by Foster and Martin in 1895
are here: http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/139710065
 
Bombers get Kalgoorlie teenager, 1955, Alec Epis

DONS GET STAR W.A.YOUNGSTER

KALGOORLIE, Thursday: Eighteen-year-old Kalgoorlie footballer Alec Epis, whose services have been sought by League clubs in Perth for the last two years, will try his luck with Essendon next season.

Following receipt of a letter from Essendon during the weekend, Epis has now made a definite decision on his football future.

He intends to leave for Melbourne on January 23 in order to begin early training with Essendon.

Essendon official Mr. H.Oakey said last night: "The club will be pleased to see him in action."_

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/71789266?searchTerm= alec epis&searchLimits=
 
The_Wookie said:


From the main board today, i thought was pretty cool
Click to expand...

Could possibly be this match:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1592423

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL

Anzac Teams in London.

Well-known Players Take Part.

LONDON, Oct. 29.

An-exhibition game of Australian football was played at the Queen's Club, London, on Saturday by two Anzac sides, which respectively represented the 3rd Divi- sion 'A.I.F. and the Training Units A.I.F. There were about 3,000 spectators, and the proceeds will be devoted to the British and French Red Cross funds.

See also: http://www.queensclub.co.uk/about_the_club/history
 

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RogersResults said:
Could possibly be this match:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1592423

AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL

Anzac Teams in London.

Well-known Players Take Part.

LONDON, Oct. 29.

An-exhibition game of Australian football was played at the Queen's Club, London, on Saturday by two Anzac sides, which respectively represented the 3rd Divi- sion 'A.I.F. and the Training Units A.I.F. There were about 3,000 spectators, and the proceeds will be devoted to the British and French Red Cross funds.

See also: http://www.queensclub.co.uk/about_the_club/history
Click to expand...
Yes that appears to be the game.
There is more footage here including shots of the Team photos.
Of note, Hugh James, Dan Minogue and Les Lee (killed in War) appear in the team photo arond the 44second mark
<h2>AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL</h2><a href="http://www.britishpathe.com/video/australian-football/query/australian+football"><img src="http://images.britishpathe.com/?id=71393&num=10&size=thumb" title="AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL" width="352" height="264" /></a>
 
FOX Footy Chl said:
Yes that appears to be the game.
There is more footage here including shots of the Team photos.
Of note, Hugh James, Dan Minogue and Les Lee (killed in War) appear in the team photo arond the 44second mark
<h2>AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL</h2><a href="http://www.britishpathe.com/video/australian-football/query/australian football"><img src="http://images.britishpathe.com/?id=71393&num=10&size=thumb" title="AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL" width="352" height="264" /></a>
Click to expand...

Sorry, the above 2 posts were from me using an previous account.
The footage of more action from the 1916 War game is here http://www.britishpathe.com/video/australian-football/query/australian+football
 
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Found this fascinating article in the Albany advertiser of all papers from 19 April 1937 at page 5 called Aussie Football - how a great game started.

Points of interest:

a- It talks of the first games where there no rules that took place on open ground between Richmond and Melbourne
b- The first recorded game in August 1858 between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School but says that games took place earlier between entire suburbs. Inded at the time (in 1937) one original player, John Henning Thompson was still alive);
c- Melbourne Football Club started off with the nickname "the Invincible Whites" in 1860 before changing 12 years later changing their name to the Redlegs when a club member brought back 2 pairs of red stockings from England and persuaded the club to adopt a uniform based on them
d- In 1874, the first rules were drawn up in a cafe between delegates of Albert Park, carlton Geelong, Melbourne NM and St Kilda.
e- The original rules had teams of 20 men.
 
Another history can be found in the Register of SA of 25 April 1914 at page 13 which sets out the history of the game ( at a time when many of the participants were still alive). Also the reminisces of Councillor Gardiner one of the original Melbourne team organisers is set out. It is worth reading.

There is another very good article of the history of the game of 1 August 1924 in the Mercury at page 5 and has a biography of Harrison, one of the founders of the game.
 
#9 - Trouble at North Melbourne in 1955 over two mid-season delistings

http://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=1OoxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3295,1612642

"Several hundred North Melbourne supporters staged a demonstration in front of the committee's enclosure at North after the match against Carlton on Saturday. Several men "led" the demonstrators, who changed "We want Grambeau" for almost 10 minutes until the "cheer leaders" were moved on by five policemen."

#10 - Also from 1955, Ballarat tries to join the VFL

http://news.google.com.au/newspapers?id=1uoxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5046,1969318
 
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