HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1806, 19 July 1913, Page 12

HOCKEY.

COLLEGE'S SUBSTANTIAL LEAD,

[By "Bully-off."] The Senior Championship. The defeat of Metropolitan l>y Victoria College has placed all doubts at rest as to the championship. The Collegians now have a margin of sis points, and, from this, it is quite safe to assume that this year's championship honours .will go to them. Glancing at the positions of tho teams given below, it will bo noticed that College have put up something like a record iu goals. What is still more remarkable, is the fact that the samo team hava placed to their credit more goals than have been registered against them—something new in tho annals of Wellington hockey. It goes without saying that the College combination has been almost their all in all, although, to be'sure, some very fine individuals are ever prominent in the wearin' o'the green. Burbidge, C. and Cr. St'rack, and Griffiths, have all been selected for the trial representative match, and it would bo erroneous to state that any of them had not merited tho honour conferred. Georgo Strack, who seizes every opportunity to increase his team's score, does not fail to provido entertainment for those on the line. Ho seems to have a faculty for getting tho ball from nowhere, carrying it down tho field very fast, shooting it (faster still), and very often leaving his opponents in tho miudlo of the field iu open-mouthed astonishment. Carl Strack, like his brother George, has seen service in previous representative matches, and their performances of 1910 will readily be remembered. Burbidgo and Griffiths aro also both good men. One mistake—a big mistake— of Griffiths'?, is his tendency to get offside. This fault of his hit the eye hard in last Saturday's match. In his eagerness to score, ho forgets himself, and roams on to forbidden territory. . It does not pay. The Runners-up. Bilinear had it last week that Metropolitan intended giving the College boys a "shaking up," and rumour in this instance was right. Although College put up a big score, it was certainly by no means any indication that tho Reds wero completely outclassed. They certainly ware kept busy, but they succeeded on more than one occasion in forcing tho Green backs into awkward positions. Sheeran was parliaps the most noticcablo of a willing pack of forwards. He's a terror for work, is Sheeran, and when he puts his nose down to it—well, he wants watching! Metropolitan, .have no reason to lose heart in any way, and the fact that the Collegeians are six points ahead in the championship should not be a disturbing element in their future matches. Rather the reverse. They must remember that following closo on their heels-is that puzzling team Karori—two points alone separating the Blacks and the coveted second place. Karori and Government Life. Whether it was that Karori wero "off colour," or Government Lifo were in good form, is difficult to say, but tho Blues had things mucJi their own way in the first spell. Jackson considerably aided the forwards by obtaining possession almost from every bully. He is an acquisition to tlie "policy!' team—and a good one at that. Ho hails from Nelson, and the writer understands he has seen service in representative matches. Cameron, Government Lifo's left full-back, was responsible for repelling a series of attacks led by Campbell. Davies and Campbell wero the mainstay of the Blacks all through tho game, and had it not been for Davies, probably tho Blacks would haw left the field—certainly not as victors. Campbell is captain of tho representative trial team, and under liis guiding hand, tho "trial" men may bo expected to do things. Teams' Positions. The following is this positions of senior teams at tho end of tho second round and third-class teams at the end of the first round. It would appear that Kilbirnie, Anglican, and Wellington A were putting up something like cricket scores. SENIOR. : » » O -u ."8 ■ . g X »3 ei JJ g ■a-, g ! g'3 J. 3 . s Pi 5 R o o<f °(5 Victoria College .... 10 9 1 - 59 15 18 Metropolitan 10 5 3 2 23 28 12 Karori 10 4 8 3 23 27 U Government Insurance 10 8 5 2 IS 21 8 United 10 2 5 3 22 37 7 Wellington 10 1 7 2 11 31 i THIRD CLASS. Kilbirnie Anglican 9 8 - 1 79 7 17 Well. A 9 8 - 1 03 fi 17 K.Y.M.I 9 0 2 1 31 13 13 "Hutt Valley 8 5 2 1 30 11 11 Well. B 2 4 0 — 30 28 8 United 9 3 0 - 28 20 G Govt. Insur... !) 3 (i — ID Hi G "St. Augustine's 8 2 G — 8 (il J Vic. College... 9 2 7 — 28 til i Mit'amar 9 18 — 10 75 2 'One game, to play. "To Be or Not to Be?" Last week there 'appeared in this column an extract l'rom (the Sydney "Refree," re tho intention nf a ladies' team from New South Wales to tour New Zealand. Tho writer was informed that tho New South Wales Association had been written to on tho question some timo ago, but Up to the present no intimation of tho letter having reached its destination has been received. Surely a tour of a New South Wales ladies' team would 1)0 most; welcome, and would no doubt niatoiinlly assist lady players ill obtaining a. bettor or tho samo.