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The Local Paper - Wednesday, February 6, 2019 - Page 37
Local History
Yea footy club’s history challenged ■ Evidence of local Yea football matches prior to the accepted formation date of 1893 has been discovered. It had been generally accepted that the first meeting to form a Yea Football Club was held in 1893. (An advertisement in The Yea Telegraph of March 27, 1890, asked those willing to form a football club to attend a meeting. “Documentary evidence confirms that nothing came of it, although a match was played against Tallarook shortly after,” notes the Tigers club webssite.) “Locally, a competition started in 1893 after a meeting was held at the Royal Mail Hotel Yea, on Wednesday, April 18,1893 to form the Yea Football Club. “This was four years before the formation of the Victorian Football League in 1897.” However, an 1887 edition of the Alexandra and Yea Standard gives details of clubs in both towns, six years earlier than the 1893 formation date quoted. “The football match played on Saturday afternoon last on the local ground, between the Yea and Alexandra clubs drew together a good concourse of patrons of the game, and had the contest been of a more even character it would have been a most interesting match to the onlookers,” reported the July 29, 1887, issue of the Standard. “For the visitors (Yea), Messrs. Lee and the Kelson brothers did good service, and showed to advantage many times in the game, the play of Lee being singularly good in many instances. “Unfortunately the Yeaites have not the experience in the game of
● Details of an early Yea match are in an edition of the Alexandra & Yea Standard, published on July 29, 1887. our (Alexandra) members, who smartness and unwearyness in the outmatched them from start to fin- field were more than a match for any ish. number of his opponents. “As usual, E. Lipscombe covered “Messrs. R. Dobson, Cocking, J. himself with laurels by really splen- Davies and McMartin were also condid play, His quickness of judgement spicuous by good and sterling play, and action being the means of ob- Davies making a splendid and diffitaining two capital goals, which were cult kick between the posts towards deserving of every credit, while his the close of the match. “The game was contested in a friendly spirit throughout, the only cause for regret being that the Yeaites had not better luck,” said the 1887 report. There had been an earlier match for Yea, in the previous month. On June 3, 1887, the Seymour Express local Yea correspondent wrote: “A football match is to be played Saturday next between the local club and a team from Alexandra. A deal of (?) is manifested in the match and wagers have been made." The June 10 edition of the Alexandra Standard reported Yea’s first recorded game against Alexandra (see next pages). In the pevious year, the opening round of the competition had been conducted on Good Friday, reported the Alexandra and Yea Standard on April 23, 1886. “An unusual thing is to be presented to the public today (Good Friday). Opening match of the season. prize, a football - Alexandra v. Doon. Betting: 5 to 1 on Doon. “Very much against the grain of some of our members and townspeople too, that the match be held. Doon are to be invited to a spread in the evening.” Later that year, Bonnie Doon wrote to the Alexandra club, noting comments made by the columnist in the Alexandra and Yea Standard. “The only matter for consideration was the receipt of a letter (mention by me last week) from Doon, to the effect that unless a letter was published condemning "Onlooker", and that Alexandra admit their defeat, no notice would be taken of our club in ● Details of an 1887 match are in the July 29 the future.” issue of the Alexandra and Yea Standard of that year.
● Eaton Stannard Purcell, J.P. travelled to Alexandra to protest Yea’s case about a drawn result with the Alex. club boys on their own. ground. “Therefore, should the weather prove fair, there is every probability of a well contested and exciting ■ “On Saturday last when the game. “In order to lighten expenses, I Mansfield train came to a standam informed that several of the lostill at Cathkin, it was found that the Yea footballers were aboard,” cal tradespeople have offered bugnoted a report in the Alexandra & gies to convey the playing team as far as Molesworth, from which staYea Standard of July 18, 1902. “It was not long before the re- tion they will ceed to their destinasult of their match with Yarck was tion by train. “As I intend being present, I shall known. Everyone was anxious to know how Alexandra had fared at endeavour to give the readers of the Standard a faithful account of the the hands of Thornton. “Before the train departed, match. “The following are the names of word was received through the railway telegraph office that the local team : -W. Dobson (cap.) R. Dobson, T. Mensforth, J. Davies, Thornton had been successful. “The wildest excitement pre- J. Clarke, J. Maddeford, C. Lee, R. vailed and three hearty cheers S. Black, G. Robinson, H. were given for the victors, and Robinson, J. Tossol. E. Gregg, A. more than one player was heard Long, J. Baker, W. O'Connor, W. to exclaim, ‘Yea will he pre- Hubbard, R. Vining, H. Asling, J. Lyons, and F. Hammit.” miers’." Football scoring was different in Another early contestant was 1890, with the match being declared Jamieson. “Up boys and at ‘em,” a draw: Yea, 1 goal 7 behinds; Alexandra, 1 goal 8 behinds. urged The Standard in 1885. One of Onlooker’s columns of “If behinds counted for anything, the era makes the plea: "Does any Alexandra, would of course have a member know what hass become of slight advantage,” wrote the Alex. the inflator. for filling the ball, if so, correspondent in his July 6, 1890 please advise?” report. In 1890 came the appeal for a The Yea team was listed as:C. “few rustic seats”: “During the win- Hills (capt.), F. T. Hills, S. Wall, J. ter months the grass is always damp, Humc, A. Develin, W. Develin, M. and to expect ladies to stand during Kilmartin, J. Antony, W. Gray, R. a two hours' match would be very Stanfield, F. Kelly, J. Toohey, J. ungallant.” Ryan, G. Hughes, W. Mullens, J. Formation of an Alexandra foot- Mullens, W. Drysdale, J. Robertson, ball club was noted in The Alex- M. McLeish, A. Snodgrass. andra Times on August 30, 1872. The press correspondent paints a The May 30, 1890 issue of the thorough canvas of the match: Alex. newspaper talks of their side “The return match between Yea travelling to Yea. and Alexandra came off last Satur“To-morrow the local footballers day on the ground of the former. will journey to Yea to play the return “The day was a most suitable one match with that town. for the players, though rather foggy “As will be seen below a strong and cold for onlookers. team has been picked, which I think “Owing to previous rains the Yea will have some trouble to anni- ground was very slippery, and the hilate, in spite of the rumour that they ball soon became so muddy and are going to walk rings round our ● Turn To Page 38
‘Yea will be premiers’