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1924 AND ALL THAT - PART FOUR by Whispering Jack

Whispering_Jack
in Melbourne Demons

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The Redlegs travelled to the Brunswick Street Oval where they received a reality check in the form of a 46 point trouncing that ruined its hopes of playing in the finals. The correspondent for the Football Record was scathing, calling it the "most lifeless" game he had seen that season.

Round 8 Fitzroy vs Melbourne 
Saturday 14 June 1924
Venue: Brunswick Street
Attendance 15,000

FITZROY 3.1.19 5.5.35 10.13.73 12.15.87

MELBOURNE 2.7.19 3.10.22 5.11.41 5.11.41

Goals Derek Mollison 2 Hugh Dunbar Richard Taylor Stan Wittman 

Melbourne coach Gordon Rattray, a former Fitzroy champion and premiership coach was appointed the Redlegs’ playing coach at the beginning of the season but, as he was still residentially tied to the Maroons, he was ineligible to play for Melbourne. He faced his old side for the first time in this Round 8 match up but it was to no avail as his new side put on its second scoreless last quarter in three weeks.

Rattray served the entire season as Melbourne's non-playing coach and, after the club failed to make the Finals in 1924, he was able to return to Fitzroy as a player for one Finals match, the second of the club's Round Robin Semi-Final matches on 20 September 1924. He was chosen to be the playing−coach of North Melbourne in its inaugural VFL season, 1925 but was eventually cleared to serve as captain-coach of Brighton in the VFA which he took to two losing grand finals in 1926 and 1927 before returning to Fitzroy as captain-coach in 1928.

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Round 9 Melbourne vs Essendon
Saturday 21 June 1924
Venue: MCG 
Attendance: 18,769

MELBOURNE 1.2.8 1.8.14 1.10.16 5.12.42

ESSENDON 4.1.25 6.2.38 10.8.68 10.11.71

Goals Harry Harker 3 Stan Wittman 2

Melbourne's stocks reached rock bottom in freezing cold and windy conditions at the MCG as they struggled to a solitary goal at three quarter time. It managed four goals kicking with a howling wind in the final term but finished two games and percentage out of the four. Harry Harker kicked three of the team’s five goals and Chadwick, Donaldson and Streeter were the team’s best.

Round 10 Melbourne vs St Kilda
Saturday 28 June 1924
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 14,286

MELBOURNE 0.1.1 4.3.27 5.10.40 8.15.63

ST KILDA 2.4.16 3.9.27 5.11.41 6.15.51

Goals Harry Harker Percy Tulloh 3 Jimmy Abernethy Stan Wittman 

The two bottom sides met at the MCG and St Kilda’s inaccuracy in the first half was telling as the team’s went in at the main break on level pegging. It was Melbourne’s turn to kick poorly after half time and despite losing Stan Wittman to a fractured ankle and playing a man short, they were good enough to kick away to a two goal victory. Taylor, Dunbar and Streeter were best.

Seconds - Melbourne 8.8.56 d. St Kilda 5.6.36

Round 11 Bye

After their bye, the Redlegs travelled to Victoria Park bolstered by the return of Percy Wilson who had recently resigned as coach of St Kilda. The Magpies recent form had been poor and there was room for confidence as Melbourne stormed through the second term to take a 17 point lead at half time but they fell apart and failed to score another goal in the final hour.

Round 12 Collingwood vs Melbourne 
Saturday 12 July 1924
Venue: Victoria Park
Attendance: 8,000

COLLINGWOOD 4.0.24 5.3.33 7.5.47 11.10.76

MELBOURNE 2.4.16 7.8.50 7.11.53 7.11.53

Goals Richard Taylor Percy Tulloh 3 Tom Elliot

Melbourne was still in front at three quarter time but a couple of clangers from Bert Chadwick and another defensive calamity involving Percy Wilson and Charlie Streeter gifted the Pies another goal. Collingwood ran out the 23 point winner in what was Harry Harker’s last game for the Redlegs. Despite the mistakes, Chadwick was named Melbourne’s best player. His day was still to come.

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