History
Score Review? Not Required In 1908! By Lance Hodgins
T
he umpires at the 1908 Grand Final between Hastings and Frankston had an easy day. Why? Well, only the Hastings team took the field. How could this have happened? A Football Association is formed After a number of disputed seasons, football followers on the Mornington Peninsula were ready for a formal competition and an organised premiership. Representatives from Frankston, Somerville, Mornington, Tyabb, Dromana and Hastings formed the Peninsula Football Association. On Thursday 25 April 1908, delegates met at the Somerville Hotel where the owner, CJ Davies, was elected president. The new Association sat late into the night deciding on the rules of the competition. They considered fixtures, player permits, appointment of umpires and several other matters which were printed on neat folding cardboard and rapidly snapped up for three pence each by the players and supporters. There was even a trophy. Mrs E J Watson, a wealthy Frankston supporter, had come forward with an attractive offer of either a pennant or caps for the premiership players. The competition begins Tyabb withdrew just before the first round and several good players drifted to both Hastings and Somerville. This created a bye,
E ssence
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March 2021
however, and the opening round of the new Peninsula Football Association on 9 May featured two matches. Frankston travelled to Somerville where the ground sported new goal posts but still had the huge slope which tested the not-so-fit when running uphill. Amongst the supporters was Mrs Watson who had come to see her team take out the win. Frankston 5-7 defeated Somerville 3-4. Hastings journeyed to Dromana where they found the ground in good shape, but not so their hosts. Dromana struggled to field a strong side, with only seven senior players and the rest from junior ranks. The competition’s best player, Ernie Rudduck, had gone to Western Australia and their young gun, 18-year-old Doug Chapman, was playing for Richmond in the VFL. Hastings took control from the first bounce and ran out easy winners 10-22 to 2-3. Early signs indicated that Frankston and Hastings would be the dominant teams. When they met in round three the weather was perfect for football and a large crowd of spectators gathered at Hastings Park. The home club put a heavy, well-trained eighteen into the field and jumped to an early lead which they consolidated as the game went on. Half time leaders by 24 points to 7, Hastings finished over the top of Frankston 5-14 to 3-4. Play was rough and tumble throughout and the game was full of incidents. After one such episode, a Hastings player incurred the wrath of even his own club committee, who sanctioned him and suggested he “stand down” for the remainder of the season.