AUSTRALIAN SOCCER STARS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 178, 14 August 1937, Page 16

AUSTRALIAN SOCCER STARS

SERNARD JOY'S TRIBUTES ^ - HE PICKS HIS TEAM — -- IHE vWINNING OF IHE ASHES i Congratulatlons Australia on winning the Third Test and the Ashes, «nd playing a fine game to do so, writes Bernard Joy, the English loccer star in an article in the Sydney Sunday Sun. It was a thrilling match from start to finish, and, although a late rally by, our team looked as though it would forc# a draw, the home defence held out, to give Australia the victory she deserved. Australia certainly has aome fine footballers. All we have met in- the ,Test* have been up to our own amateur standard, while one or two would hold their own with the professionals. Players of that class are Hughes, Crowhurst, and Smith. Hughes, the inside right, can Work a hali beautifully, and has a good shot. At times, when he makes a sudden dash between the centre half and left back, he reminds me of David Jack, of the Arsenal. It is a jity he has not Jack's physique. * Iike English Proe. r Hughes, like most Australian inside forwards, passes mainly to his own .winger. or his centre forward. He .would ge£ the defence on the run by occasionally swinging the ball out to the other wing. Crowhurst, the outside right, is last, has good ball control and centres aimost perfectly. He would be even more eifective if he were less unselfish, and instead of plying his partners with passes, he were to cut inside the back and have a shot at goal himself. If Hughes is like David Jack, then George Smith, the centre forward, is like Ted Drake, also of the Arsenal. He is tall, strong and extremely good in the air. He can give a nard charge, and he can take knocks with a smile. • Like Drake, too, his footwork is not up to the standard of his ability elsewhere. His headwork, however, is_ txceptionally good, whether he fiicks the ball.to one of his forwards or whether he driveg the ball iqto «oaL 4 . Outetanding Man ^ ^ There have been several other outstanding players, Coolahan, the captain in the first two Tests, is a strong, robust player, good in the 'air and a keen tackler. He is better in defence than attack, and'he would improve his play by opening the game up with. long passes. iWilkinson, the outside right in the third Test, played so. briliiant a game that we wondered how he could have been left out. His ball control is very good, he has a nice body swerve and centres: well. Evans, the right back is always prominent with his hefty kicking,' and his hard tackling. The length' of his hard tackling.''5 The length of his kicking is good,, but its airgction if often iaulty, due mainly to getting xid of the ball hurriedly, instead of looking up to see to whom he can pass. 1 like the play of. Price at inside left. . . He holds the ball well, gives neat passes and also has ah eye for the quickest way to goal. Again, his play is less effective because he does not pass very often * tb the opposite winger. ... , Both Morgan and McNab are good goalkeepers, but both are inchned to be spectacular and punch away or push over the bar balls they could catch easily enough. . It is difficult to say who is the better. McNabb has a more solid build, but Morgan makes up for his lack o£ weight and inches with some amazing agility. The winning of the Ashes has not been due tfc ' these players alone. Every man has- pulled his weight and it was teamwork that .won the day. I do not refer to each individualiy because of lack of space. Warm Wclcome Many people have expressed the hope that the Australians be invited over to England. The great obstacle is a financial one. League and Cup competitions are so well establishea with the profesSional clubs that they can only spare an occasional Saiurday for a , iricndly match. Thal means that most of the games of a touring team would have to be mid-week matches with professional opposition and Saturday games with the amateurs. And in neither case is there usually a very big gate. Still, if the financial difnculty can be overcome, there is a warm v/elcome waiting for Australia at home. My Team Would Be I have been asked to choose what I consider the best Australian eleven. I have difficulties in selecting, because I have seen some players only once. Still, here goes:— " McNabb, (N.S.W.) ; Evans, (N.S.W.); McDougall (Q.)J Coolahan (N.S.W.) ; Davidson, (N.S.W.); Osborne (N.S.W.); Wilkinson (N.S.W.); Hughes (N.S.W.), Smith (N.S.W.) ; . Price (N.S.W.) ; and Crowhurst (N.S.W.). 'Osborne did not play in the Tests, but he gave a fine display for New' South Wales against us in the opening, match. I have moved Crowhurst , to the left wing to solve the problem that the selectors had.to face there.