Compiled by Cameron McCullough
HASTINGS were at home to Mornington on Saturday last, and had the weather kept fine, a good keen game was looked forward to, as both teams are striving hard to retain a place in the first four.
But after the heavy rain, which fell in the morning, all hopes of a good game had vanished, as the ground was in a terrible state, and unfit to play on. Nevertheless, the game (or, rather, half a game) was played.
Retrospectively, it was a great pity that any of the games were allowed to be played on Saturday, as the day was not fit for ducks to be out in, let alone football to be contested, and the boys who braved the elements are worthy of the highest praise, as they ran a great risk on such a day, and it is to be hoped there are no cases of severe illness over Saturday’s games.
Mornington had a strong team in the field, whilst the home team was fairly well represented, the absentees being Andy Amendola (capt.) and Len Ford, owing to illness; their places being filled by M. Mills and W. Jones.
The game needs little description, as the ground being in such a bad state, good football was out of the question though, at times, some good marks were taken by players of both teams, but the general order of the day was kick off the ground if one could.
It was amusing to the spectators to see players sailing along on their backs in the water at times, when they attempted to kick the ball (and miss), but not to the players themselves.
The Mornington captain, winning the toss, kicked with the wind in the opening term, but the home team, playing hard, kept the visitors from gaining too big a lead.
The quarter ended with Mornington 4 goals 2 behinds; Hastings, 1 goal.
On the change over, the home team were determined to make up the leeway, if possible, and so they did, scoring 4 goals 7 behinds to Mornington’s nil, leading at the long interval by 11- points.
Then the unexpected happened, the visitors refusing to take the field after the interval owing to the bad state of the ground, and wanting to cry the match off, but the home team decided to play on, as they had gone so far, so the field umpire, calling the home team on the field, bounced the ball in the centre, and Digger Langholz, passing to J. Romeo, kicked a goal, thus ending the match in the home team’s favor.
The scores were:-
Hastings, 6 goals 7 behinds.
Mornington, 4 goals 2 behinds.
It is a pity the game ended so abruptly, and we hope that such an occurrence will not eventuate again.
Frankston High School
“Waiting, Waiting, Who is There?” is the plaintive line culled from an old hymn, but according to the Melbourne “Herald” of yesterday a Frankston High School deputation missed the bus, figuratively speaking, and the usually urbane Minister of Education was left to bemoan his fate to the transposed phrase of untuneful element: “Waiting, waiting, no one there”.
The following interesting paragraph, with the undernoted striking headings, appeared in “The Herald” viz:
“Deputation Missing. No one to Discuss Frankston High School.
Mr. Lemmon, the Minister for Education, should have received a deputation from Frankston this morning asking that proper buildings be provided for the High School scholars.
But the deputation did not turn up.
Mr. Downward, M.L.A., for Mornington, waited in vain. He came to the conclusion finally that they could not have received his letter advising them of the date of the deputation.
At present the High School children are housed in the Masonic Hall at Frankston. Land has been acquired to erect the new school on, and it is being cleared. The residents desire to know when the buildings are to be proceeded with.”
Inquiries elicited this morning were to the effect that the onus of blame was due to Mr. Downward’s failure to give notification, as previously requested of the day upon which the Minister would receive the deputation in question.
Mr. P. Wheeler, J.P. (chairman of the Advisory Council of the Frankston High School) emphatically stated to a representative of “The Standard” that no word had been forthcoming from Mr. Downward whatsoever, in fact, Mr. Wheeler suggested that, probably, Mr. Downward was still carrying the letter he had written, anent the date of the deputation, in his coat pocket.
“I know nothing about it,” said Mr. Wheeler, and as he was in the city yesterday, it would have been most opportune for him to have attended at the office of the Minister.
On the other hand, Mr. Chapman (headmaster of the High School) was equally emphatic regarding the apparent lapse of the popular M.L.A.
Mr. Chapman stated that on the 23rd ulto., a communication had been forwarded to Mr. Downward courteously requesting him to make the necessary arrangements for the Minister of Education to receive a deputation, with the express view of urging the immediate erection of the local High School, but no response had been received from Mr. Downward to date, the first notification being the paragraph in “The Herald.”
The inadvertent anachronism on the part of Mr. Downward will be adjudged as a most regrettable incident.
MR. A. Levy, the popular honorary ex-treas. of the Seaford Progress Association, has purchased Mr. Kelley’s well-known property, “Fleetwood,” on the Mornington road, Frankston.
PERSONAL
The many friends of Mr. Leslie J. Ward, of the railway station staff at Frankston, will be pleased to learn that, despite the fact of being offered a transfer to Leongatha, he has elected to refuse changing his present sphere of labours for fresh fields and pastures new.
Mr. Lalor, the popular S.M., is “fortunate in retaining Mr. Ward’s invaluable services on the local staff, for Mr. Ward has always proved himself a most zealous and courteous officer.
Mr. E. J. Finn, of the local railway office staff, who has been on annual leave for the past week, resumed duty today (Wednesday). Mr. O’Mara, who officiated in his absence, has gone on to Crib Point.
MEMORIAL COMMITTEE
A meeting of the above called for Monday night last, lapsed owing to the want of a quorum.
The committeemen in attendance were: Messrs. P. Wheeler, Mark Brody, W. C. Young and Lazarus (hon. secretary).
The principal item of business to be dealt with was the construction of the Memorial Hall, and the architect’s recommendation re providing new name-plates for the memorial.
From the pages of the Frankston and Somerville Standard, 6 & 8 Aug 1924