FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 932, 3 July 1903, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

With reference to the Sydney Telegraph’s recent comment that the melusion of Duncan gave the New Zealand football team a pre-Adamite flavour a Dunedin correspondent supplies Truth with some details of the vcBO-ran’s career. Duncan has played in close upon 50 interprovincial and intercolonial matches, ana has been the mainstay of Otago foot'ball for a number of years. He looks older than lie probably is, for though his age is apparently a matter ot some doubt, it is believed to he about 36, whereas, with Ins hat oil, his bald head gives him thei appearance of being over forty, ktill, at 36 most men have relinquished active participation in football. Sixteen years of continuous play aye left him with many of the powers that have famous throughout the co~

made him famous inrouguuuu w j lony and in Australia. Though he j is not as fast as in his younger days when pace was his strong point, the , writer declares that he can stop , rushes’Tvith the best of players Ins . hiring is as deadly as ever , he is the same adept at passing and making openings, and is usually £° in £ strong as the rest of them at die finish. In knowledge of the game ■and cleverness no player in the colonies can teach him anything, it fs fourteen years since he lust represented Otago, and he has played m forty-five representative matches, besides intercolonial matures He has captained the Kaikorai , many years hack, and the ‘S team for the last eight years. He piloted the New Zealand team home to victory in their match against New South Wales at Wellington in 1902. He also had the honor ot captaining the New Zealand team in Sydney in 1897, when they heat New South Wales for the rubber in the last test match, and it is only reasonable to suppose that he will again be found ip charge of the Maoriland team this month. Duncan, indeed, holds a record which he may well feel proud of. He has seen them all out, and is the only one of the 1897 New Zealand team who is getting another trip to Australia. Iu fact there are only one °r two other members jq£ that team still playing the game.