Australian Football

When April 25 was just another date

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April 25th, 1914 was a day of note for football fans in Melbourne, as it marked the opening of a new Victorian Football League season. One hundred and eighty players from 10 VFL clubs took the field that day, their thoughts no doubt focussed on the season ahead and the possibility of winning a premiership. Fitzroy were hoping to go 'back to back', and St Kilda, the team the Maroons vanquished to win the 1913 flag, would be hoping to go one better, having made their Grand Final debut in the VFL's 17th season.

From a national perspective, April 25 was not a date of note at all in 1914, although it would become so 12 months thence. The Melbourne Argus's lead story (which came on page 8, after seven pages of advertisements) was an appraisal of verbal jousting in federal parliament between Prime Minister Joseph Cook [right] and Opposition Leader Andrew Fisher (who would become Prime Minister for a third time before the year was out).

In terms of overseas news, the unrest in parts of Europe did not rate a mention. The focus was on a deteriorating situation between the USA and Mexico, the 'Home Rule' crisis in Ulster, the King's visit to Paris, and the King of the Belgians taking offence at the wearing of a short skirt with a high slit at the Court ball.

War was the farthest thing on the minds of players and fans on the opening day of the 1914 VFL season. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, which acted as the trigger for the outbreak of World War I, was two months away. The only conflicts in their thoughts were those between teams and players on the football field, not the battlefield.

Yet, of those 180 players who donned their team colours that day, 10 percent of them — 18 in all — would lose their lives in battles far from home within the next four years. One of them would pay the ultimate price on April 25, 1915, during the landing at Gallipoli, the event enshrined Anzac Day as a day reflection and remembrance for ever after.

Below is a summary of each of the five games played that day, and the fate of those 18 players, who represented all VFL clubs bar St Kilda.

COLLINGWOOD v CARLTON

In a see-sawing encounter at Victoria Park, Carlton took a lead into the quarter-time break but were plagued throughout the match by poor kicking for goal. As a result the Blues almost gave up the four points but managed to salvage a draw, the final scores being Collingwood 8.8.56 to Carlton 6.20.56.

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ALAN CORDNER (Coll): The Argus's Observer heaped praise on the efforts of Collingwood full back Alan Cordner (cousin of Melbourne's Ted and Harry), describing him as part of the backbone of the side. Cordner played another nine games in 1914 before he enlisted in the army on the day of his last match, August 22. Twelve months to the day after the drawn match against Carlton, Cordner landed at Gallipoli. As his company pushed forward towards the enemy, Cordner (left) was seen by a Sergeant Major "charging over some hills" at about noon.

When he was not present at roll call two days later, it was discovered that he was also not among the wounded. An informant stated that Cordner had been shot and, "I tried to make him speak by shaking him but thought him dead." Cordner's body was never recovered and he was not officially declared deceased until 12 months later.

PADDY ROWAN (Coll): The opening match of the season was Paddy Rowan's 50th at VFL level. He went on to play 32 more, the last of those the 1915 Grand Final loss (also against Carlton). Born in St Arnaud as Percy Rowe, he played football under his boxing name of Paddy Rowan, because he was still tied to his local club when he joined Collingwood. Rowan died on December 5, 1916 as a result of wounds sustained a day earlier. Before he died, his best mate Mal 'Doc' Seddon, who was his teammate in this match and was with him at the Somme on the day he was hit, promised to take care of Rowan's wife Louisa and son Percy if he did not pull through. Seddon kept his word, and he married Rowan's widow in 1923.

GEORGE CHALLIS (Carl): Listed as one of the Blues' best in the first half of this match, George Challis tried to enlist later in 1914 but was denied because of "overlapping toes". He was eventually successful in his attempt and sailed to France in 1916. Only a few weeks later, Sergeant Challis was killed near the town of Armentières, reportedly by a shell landing in his trench.

FITZROY v MELBOURNE

The reigning premiers Fitzroy kicked off their 1914 campaign with an easy win over Melbourne, increasing their lead in each quarter, eventually winning in a canter by 56 points. The final scores were Fitzroy 13.15.93 to Melbourne 5.7.37.

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JACK COOPER: (Fitz): Vice-captain Jack Cooper was one of Fitzroy's best in his 103rd game. He enlisted at the end of 1915 and was gassed at the Somme the following year. He recovered and later in 1916 played in the famous London Exhibition Game, but lost his life in the Battle of Passchendaele in September 1917. He was reportedly buried nearby, but his body was never recovered.

ARTIE HARRISON (Fitz): Harrison played one game with Richmond in 1911 before joining the Roys in 1913, where he promptly became a premiership player. He enlisted in June 1915 and was shot in the scalp and hand at Gallipoli. He returned to battle, then suffered shell-shock, but again returned to action after recovering. In the Second Battle of Bullecourt in May 1917, Artie Harrison's luck ran out and he was killed in action. Like many others, his remains were never recovered.

CLIFF BURGE (Melb): For Cliff Burge, his debut match was a tough one, with his side getting thrashed, but he did manage to kick one of Melbourne's goals. It was the only one he ever kicked. After playing five games in 1914 he joined the army and served in Egypt, France and England. He was mustard gassed in June 1918 but returned to action. He was killed at the Somme in August 1918, only three months before the war ended.

FRANK LUGTON (Melb): Lauded for his fine defence against the Fitzroy tide in this match, Lugton was also a fine cricketer, and he became the first Sheffield Shield cricketer to enlist. Lugton lost his life as part of a major offensive, described as "Hell on Earth" at Pozières in France in July 1916.

GEELONG v ESSENDON 

Amazingly, this match also ended in a draw, both Geelong and Essendon kicking 8.13.61. The Dons probably came away from the match frustrated, as they had led by 17 points at three-quarter time.

LES JAMES (Geel): Les James, prominent in patches in the first half of this match, enlisted in 1915, leaving behind a wife and a young son and daughter. At Passchendaele in October 1917, James was buried by earth with a fellow soldier as the result of an exploding mortar shell. Initial attempts to dig the pair out were unsuccessful and neither soldier's body was ever recovered. James had played 72 matches for the Pivotonians before enlisting.

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JOE SLATER: Joe Slater (left) injured his ankle late in the second quarter of this match and did not return to the field after half time. The injury forced him out of football for a month, but he returned to be part of Geelong's finals campaign. His final match was a 1914 semi-final loss to South Melbourne, after which he enlisted. He was reportedly shot in the chest and killed instantly at Bullecourt in May 1917. Slater was named in Geelong's Team of the Century in 2001.

JIMMY GORDON (Ess): Gordon kicked two goals in what was just his third match of VFL footy. He would play only five more before enlisting in February 1915 as a 19-year-old. He experienced all the tribulations of war during his time serving, suffering from illness, being shot, and drawing the ire of his superiors through various misdemeanours. He was killed in action in the Battle of St Quentin Canal in France on the last day of September 1918, just weeks before the Armistice.

ST KILDA v RICHMOND

The Saints kicked off their season with a scrappy win over Richmond, despite having five debutants in the side. The final margin was 22 points, St Kilda kicking 8.16.64 to the Tigers' 5.12.42.

BILL NOLAN (Rich): Although he was already 25 years old, this match was Bill Nolan's VFL debut, and it was a positive one for him. The Argus said that, "Nolan played a very satisfactory first game". He played 29 more for the Tigers over 1914 and 1915, the last of those coming 10 days after he had enlisted. He sailed in November and spent four months in the Middle East before joining the 58th Battalion to fight on the Western Front. Nolan died several days after sustaining gunshot wounds to the shoulder and groin at the Battle of Fromelles in 1916.

UNIVERSITY v SOUTH MELBOURNE

1914 was to be University's final season in the VFL, and the struggling Students were easily beaten by South Melbourne in their Round 1 encounter, the Bloods kicking 14.14.98 to University 6.8.44.

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JACK DOUBLEDAY (Uni): Doubleday (right) was one of the University players who could hold his head high after this match, named in his side's best players. Doubleday only enlisted in September 1918, although he had been an Army cadet in his schooldays. Sadly, as he was sailing for the Western Front, he contracted cerebrospinal meningitis and died on the Indian Ocean. He was buried at sea on the day he died, just 12 days before the war's end.

DICK GIBBS (Uni): This match was the 22nd of Gibbs' 35-game career. A medical student, he enlisted in 1916 and was posted to France. In the Battle of Fromelles in July of that year, he was witnessed to have been hit and then falling into long grass near a creek. He was never seen again.

STAN MARTIN (Uni): Martin played 65 games for University before he enlisted. He travelled to London (via Egypt), where he also played in the London Exhibition Game. Posted to France, he was shot and killed at Bullecourt on May 3, 1917.

STAN NEALE (Uni): A Scotch College captain, Stan Neale studied law at Melbourne University while playing for the institution's VFL club. He played his last game in Round 14 of the 1914 season and then enlisted. He fought at Gallipoli and in France but lost his life after being hit at Bullecourt just weeks before hostilities ended. A football jumper he had taken to the front was among the possessions returned to his family.

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PERCY RODRIGUEZ (Uni): Kicking a goal on debut, Rodriguez impressed in his first VFL match, and played all but one of University's remaining games in 1914. After the club disbanded, he joined Melbourne and played seven further games in 1915 before answering the call. He was killed in action on March 20, 1917 in Noreuil, France.

JACK FREEMAN (SM): Jack Freeman was one of the stars of this match, kicking four of South Melbourne's 14 goals in just his fourth VFL match. Freeman went on to play in the 1914 Grand Final, which South lost to Carlton by just one kick. He died in November 1915 after sustaining shell wounds to his legs and feet.

BRUCE SLOSS (SM): One of the VFL's superstars during his playing days, Bruce Sloss (left) captained the Combined Training Units team in the famous London Exhibition Match on October 28, 1916. Nine weeks later, Sloss was hit and killed in Arementières in France. 

Much of the information above was sourced from Barbara Cullen's excellent book, Harder Than Football, published by Slattery Media.