Records achieved in the game
The data on this page displays records up to and including the game being viewed
A record in bold indicates an unbroken record to this day
- The 70 point margin is the biggest winning margin by any team.
- West Perth's score of 14.5 (89) is the highest score by any team.
- Rovers are the first team to be held score-less in a first half since behinds were included in teams final score at the start of the 1898 season.
Newspaper report
Source:The West Australian 8 August 1898 (extract) - via Trove
After the boisterous weather which obtained during the previous week it was only to be expected that the Association Ground would be in anything but a favourable condition on Saturday last, when the two metropolitan football teams the West Perth and Rovers met for the fifth time this season in premiership contest.
The weather at the outset of the match was dull and threatening and this probably had a tendency to lessen the attendance. The struggles between the two city teams have always been fraught with much interest, and if the Rovers men make a fair show against their stronger rivals the excitement at times waxes keen.
The game on this occasion was not one calculated to provoke intense interest because of the undoubted superiority of the West Perth team. The slippery nature of the ground militated against any display of that smartness and brilliancy for which the lighter team are noted. Throughout the game, and particularly in the first quarter, the players were sprawling all over the ground. What promised at times to result in a brilliant run was suddenly spoiled by the collapse of the player, who, after gyrating along the muddy turf, would rise covered in slush. Again, half a dozen men would make a frantic rush to mark the ball and topple over like skittles much to the amusement of the crowd and their own chagrin - some more sensible opponent having secured the sphere and transferred the play to another portion of the ground.
Goal kickers: West Perth - Loel (9), Jones, Abbott, Wildy, Lockwood and Williams.
Rovers - Valli, Graham and Johnson.
The Rovers from start to finish had not a possible chance. Their team was certainly a weak one with several of their prominent players being absent, but their organisation was wretchedly poor. Taylor was the best man of the twenty in every respect, and particularly in high-marking. Hussey put in occasional smart work, but the state of the ground was against him. Ranford, Graham, Boxhall, Whelan, Valli and Reid were the most prominent of the others.
The policy of drafting players, from junior teams has proved to be most effective in all of the senior teams, but never more so than on Saturday last. The West Perth tried two new men from Midland Junction - Roberts and Abbott. The former played one of the finest games ever witnessed on the ground during the first half and was only precluded from doing so in the second half by his being put in defence by Captain Grecian. Perhaps one of the lightest men playing, Roberts signalised his advent into senior football by an exhibition of marking kicking, dodging, running, and passing which would have done credit to most experienced and leading players. Morgan was invincible in his defence, though he was somewhat roughly used in the last quarter. Grecian, Wildy, Morphett, Jones, Gibson and Loel performed more conspicuously than other members of the team.
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