The day we won our 11th premiership on a wet Wednesday afternoon
PREMIERS 1894
In 1894 the SA Football Association decided that the competition be played in two rounds and that the winner of each round should meet to decide the premiership. South Adelaide won the first round and Norwood the second and the two teams met and fought out a drawn game on Saturday 6 October. A replay to decide the premiership was hastily arranged for the following Wednesday with Norwood winning by a goal.
Venue: Adelaide Oval
Umpire: Mr Molyneaux Crowd: 9000
1st 2nd 3rd Final
Norwood 1.1 2.1 2.4 4.7
South 2.4 2.4 3.5 3.5
Date 10 October 1894 Win by 1 goal
Best: Bertram, Holbrook, J Daly, Darling, Cullen, Carroll, Hantke, Fitzpatrick, Polglase, Stuart, Thomson, Atkins
Goalkickers : A Daly 2 Holbrook 1 Stuart 1
Game Review
After holding the premiership of the South Australian Football Association for two years in succession the South Adelaides were on Wednesday deposed by the Norwoods. On no previous occasion in this colony has it been necessary so decide this position on a week day, but this contingency could scarcely be avoided on this occasion, as the season ended so late in the year and the Oval is occupied next Saturday by cricketers. There was a splendid attendance to witness the match on the Adelaide Oval yesterday, and as the game advanced there must have been fully 9,000 people present. The ground was in splendid order, and before the match began there was scarcely a breath of wind, but as half-time approached the clouds gathered and rain slowly drizzled down. After the recess it descended in torrents, and though the turf was not much soddened the ball was reduced to the condition of a half baked loaf. Showers then fell intermittently until the close of the game.
The struggle was desperate and the critics could find no opportunity to speak disparagingly of any player on either side or of the teams collectively. The game was played on its merits, and it was one of the fastest contests ever witnessed on the oval. There was scarcely a dull moment in the play, for from the first bounce to the final ring of the bell the spectators were kept in a state of excitement, and when the Norwoods' winning goal was kicked their supporters became almost frantic.
The Souths had somewhat the best of matters in the first quarter, but the red and blues determined to place themselves on an equality, and at half-time each had precisely the same score. The ex-premiers freshened up after recess, and at the close of the third quarter were a goal to the good. The final quarter was vary fast. Attack after attack was made on the Southern stronghold, but the defenders succeeded in driving the red -and-blues back. At length the Souths were overcome; the winning goal, which was a Iucky effort, was sent up four minutes before the bell rang; and the Norwoods were declared the premiers of 1894. Mr. Molyneaux had an arduous task as umpire, and must be complimented on coming out of the ordeal so well. He had an extremely fast and exceptionally scientific game to manage, and, while he displeased some of the crowd, his decisions on the whole were in strict accordance with the rules.
From The Advertiser 11 October 1894
Our team in the 1894 deciding game was
F P Stuart A Daly N Sullivan
HF A Green J Slee Holbrook
C E Atkins Bertram T Hanke
HB J Cullen J Darling J Thomson
B J Polglase Grayson J Mullaney
Followers R Correll W Carroll P Fitzpatrick
Reserves J Daly J Metherell
Page prepared by W Heading May 2012
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