HOCKEY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1836, 23 August 1913, Page 12

HOCKEY.

TBt "Bullt-off."] GLEANINGS AND GOSSIP. Tho Canterbury Men on Wednesday. The weather last Saturday succecdcd in still further dulling tho dullness that is at present so noticeable in hockey and things pertaining thereto. Tho championship is already won and lost, and tho "wooden spoon" seems to bo tho only thing left to lie allotted. Tho Wellington team is making a strong bid for this distinction. - A faint hope had arisen in tho breasts of tho Metropolitan team of vanquishing the green champions, and it is to bo hoped that the dampness of tilings meteorological has not in any way lessoned their desiro for revenge. Wednesday next should see interest revived a little, as on. that date a team of Canterbury's Lost is to play Wellington. Canterbury managed ito. beat Southland when that team was returning from its quest for the shield, %o that Wednesday's game should bo a fairly even one. Of course tho result, whatever it bo, will have no bearing on 'tho 6hield. Next Week—Otago. Next week Otago will endeavour to lift the shield. Their team, it may bo re ; memborcd, have.been beaten by Southland, although, unfortunately, tho game was played under circumstances which made is impossible to judge tho comparative strength of tho teams. In a brief noto on tho game, a writer in tho "Otago Daily Times" says: "Tho wea'thor was as grievous a disappointment to local enthusiasts as to tho visitors. A worse day could not have been, and as far as testing tho respective strength of the teams goes, the match might as well never have been played. TJiis is not said in any way to minimise the merit of Southland's -win, for they certainly had tho better of tho game. But then tho game, could hardly bo called hockey." Otago will nevertheless have to carry a few more guns than their southern neighbours if they are to capture tho shield. The English Visit. • At a meeting of tho control on Monday last, it was decided to guarantee .£75 towards tho expenses of tho contemplated visit of an English toam. Seventy-five pounds means a good deal to tho local association, and it is to be hoped that tho venture will be d success. In these "hard" times the action of the association is refreshingly optimistic. It would be a "bumper" gate indeed that would yield £75, but whatever bo the loss or gain financially i't is certain thit a match with men from Jlomo would tend more than anything to bring tho gamo more under tho kindly eye of tho public, which in itself is a. worthy object. ■ The guarantee is, of course, mado "subject to certain • conditions." Voices From Afar, Says on Otago paper: "Tho record of Southland's! tour—beaten by four points, beaten, by ono point, and winning by two—seems to indicate that they began the tour at the wrong end. Surely, if they had left the shield match till tho end their chances would been improved." As it was in the beginning so it would have been in the end—Southland would have been beoiton. An excerpt from tho report submitted to his executive by tlio manager of the Hawke's Bay team that visited here recently reads: "Some members of tho team got out of hand, but ho did not think that they wore to blame." Alas! for the good name of Wellington! The Game and the Ladies. Ladies' gomes were again postponed Jast Saturday on account of tho weather, and it has been decided to discontinue this competition till alter the tournament at Wanganui., Tho selection of the local representative team will probably ba completed to-day and.it,.is tho intention of the association'"to '.cive 'tho team a oouplo of games together before leaving homo. Tho Probables Among the Backs. Judging by the displays given in tho trials to date "Bully-off" considers that with a couple of exceptions the selection of tho team should not give much trouble. Of tho goal-keepers tried to dato neither of them show much promise, but as both are practically new to tho position there is a possibility of improvement. Tho full-backs seem to be o fairly good set and on tho play seei\ so far Misses Tinney and Cameron appear to bo thp, most reliable. Miss Williamson is a young player of promise, and with a little more experience will bo hard to beat. Miss Thompson is a good hardhitter, but her strokes lack direction.

Tho lialf line should bo a fairly strong one, but judging-by the number of players tried in the centro it appears as if the selectors are in quandary as to who will be the final selection, for that position. Of tho wing halves Misses Newman and Wood appear txj bo the best as yet! The Front Division. The forward line should be a strong one as there seems to be a very likely lot available. Misses M'Donnell and Lang should bo certainties for tho wing positions, and the others of the line will probably bo Misses Harris, Dement, Simpson, and Pickering, with 'several others running very closo for honours. Tho forward, line, in each of the games played to date, have not shown the least sign of combined play, and it behoves tli6 selectors to try and rectify tho weakness. However brilliant a player may bo individually it is far better to havo one who will combine with tho other forwards even though the latter player may bo weaker in individual play. Taken all round, however, tho final selection should provide a fairly strong team. Wairarapa's Chosen; The team to represent Wairarapa appeared in The Dominion during the week and from a casual glance at tlie personnel of the team tho writer is convinced that they will bo hard to beat. With the exception of one, all tho selected players havo represented Wairarapa at past tournaments, and when ono remembers the fight that this team put up last year it .wouldl not bo surprising to find thorn at the top-of the list this yraT. Of the fourteen players selected Miss Terry has tho best record, having represented tho district in 1909-10, 1910-11, 1911-12, and 1912-13; of tho other members of the team the Misses Humphries are also old representatives, while the rest have all had one or two years' representative experience.' Of tho absentees, the player thai) will bo missed' is Miss A. {KLeary who, I understand, has given up tho game, \ Tale of Two Moods. This is not altogether a story a la Dr. Jckyll and Mr. Hy<te: it lias, though, its little romancing likeilqss in tho nomenclature change of its chief character. Tho hero, let him bo called for narrative sake Thornton Brown; a doctor by profession and a hocltoy playor by predilection. Medically ho conquered tho microbes of diseaso, and in turn tho microbo of hockey conquered him. So surely and well did the hockcy microbe flourish in him that ho became a Groat Playor, and cko Shield battles he was called upon to fight. . In this era of vaccination shields and Shield contests, tho puilso of his proviuoo onoe more beat high for the winning of tiho hall-mark of hockey, and tho faithful waated their Thornton Blown. Tho medical instinct, however, pointed out the duty to bo performed to mankind, and temporarily gained tho blotting out of tho vistas of combat oil of green. So he shut himsoli in his surgery, and tried hard to listen only for the steps of those needing liis qualified assistance.

Among them came, however, tlia loader of the attack on Wellington, they were travelling that night; sorry duty detained hJm, but (and hero it is .related tho sad dog winked) thev had a good eubstitute—mail ©ailed Thornton. And them he left. The doctor had inot long to think, for it was a-many miles to travel to Wellington. Ho reached down a handbag; grim articles of surgery were tumbled out. Othor items took their placo, and soon Mr. Thornton was speeding along lo fill that place in tho ranks of the'challenging lxind. But tho red light over tho 6urgery door was left glowing. For had not tho spirit of Dr. Brown been left behind?