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Related Link: A Carnival Classic
The Carnival Climax (as
described in 'Sporting Life' magazine)
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W.J. 'Nipper' Truscott, a member of the WA team in each of the first five ANFC carnivals. |
Every good carnival needs its clowns, and the 1924 Hobart carnival had these
in abundance, all wearing the maroon and white of Queensland. Processions
are also an integral part of carnivals, and these were certainly in evidence too in the
shape of Victorians, Western Australians and South Australians processing
merrily and apparently unimpeded in a goal wards direction through what passed
for the Queensland backline.
Joking aside, the 1924 Hobart carnival emphasised how self-absorbed and myopic the major football states had become. While southern states football administrators might cheerfully pay lip service to the idea of promoting and developing the game in New South Wales and Queensland they did very little of a practical nature to back up their words. Consequently the involvement of the minor football states in carnivals, far from assisting the game in those states, can only have resulted in damaged self-esteem and thwarted ambition. As far as the 'heavyweights' were concerned, the VFL and Western Australia were a cut above the rest in 1924, and their confrontation provided the only genuinely competitive encounter of the carnival (click here for further details). Tasmania disappointed its supporters with a lack lustre showing, as did the croweaters themselves. New South Wales performed quite creditably against both the VFL and South Australia while, as has been alluded to, the Queenslanders found themselves completely out of their depth. |
The approach of the major states when playing against Queensland varied: whereas the Western Australians, South Australians and Tasmanians went all out to establish new scoring records, the Vics used the occasion as an opportunity to toy with their opponents. Onlookers were therefore 'treated' to the ludicrous sight of Victorian backmen being shepherded by teammates whilst running the entire length of the field to kick goals. Quite how such behaviour tallied with the concept of an interstate carnival as a 'celebration of brotherhood, nationhood and football' is difficult to fathom.
| Points | |||||||
| Pld | Won | Lost | For | Ag | % | Pts | |
| Victorian Football League | 5 | 5 | 0 | 634 | 359 | 176.6 | 20 |
| Western Australia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 747 | 298 | 250.7 | 16 |
| South Australia | 5 | 3 | 2 | 604 | 347 | 174.1 | 12 |
| Tasmania | 5 | 2 | 3 | 494 | 351 | 140.7 | 8 |
| New South Wales | 5 | 1 | 4 | 353 | 599 | 58.9 | 4 |
| Queensland | 5 | 0 | 5 | 217 | 1095 | 19.8 | 0 |
The Carnival Climax |
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On August 9, Victoria and Western Australia met in one of the hardest and toughest games in interstate history, Victoria eventually winning 15.13 to WA's 14.11. That Vic-WA game was tough from the first bounce. A practical joker whispered to Jack ('Fat') McDiarmid, burly West Australian ruckman, that Victorian Roy Cazaly was going to 'get him'. Then a few others passed the word along that Cazaly was after him. Cazaly told the story many years later. "I had no intention of 'getting' McDiarmid, but the rumour was enough for Fat," Cazaly said. "He decided to get in first. As soon as the ball was bounced he came at me and naturally I had to look after myself. "It was tough from then on. There were no 'beg pardons', and nobody asked for any. I was on the ball practically all day, and with about five minutes to go the captain, Paddy O'Brien, called Tom Fitzmaurice, our champion centre half back, into the ruck. "Full forward Lloyd Hagger was in the trainer's hands when the ball came forward. He jumped up and took a mark on the boundary - some say it was over the boundary, but you couldn't see the white line because of the mud - and kicked a beautiful goal. It was the turning point. It gave us a point lead, and when Hagger got a goal a few minutes later it was all over." (See footnote 1) |
[Images are clickable.]
Tasmania (dark jumpers) versus New South Wales. (Click to enlarge.) |
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Tasmania (dark jumpers) versus South Australia. (Click to enlarge.) |
1. 'Sporting Life', April 1953, page 25. Return to Main Text
