That’s the first part of the difficulty. Next, how does one secure reliable reports about who played when? In the early days you often get selected teams that are published in Saturday morning editions like The Age, but this does not guarantee that the selected 20 was indeed the starting 20. The only way to check this is to look at the match reports and add up the names, making sure to cross reference these because occasionally one ends up having 21 players reported! The process can also be complicated when some players use pseudonyms! Fortunately, from 1889 The Melbourne Herald began to publish starting 20s, but not on every occasion, and one needs the 6th edition for the starting 20s (and not all 6th editions are available on microfilm). Also, occasionally the Sportsman (owned by the Herald) would also publish starting 20s. The Sporting Standard sometimes published starting 2os as did a Geelong newspaper in the late 1880s. I have worked through these reports and double-checked them against names actually mentioned in match reports and feel I have a pretty comprehensive record for the period 1889-1896. Before this time I have been working through all newspaper match reports in an attempt to accumulate the best record possible. Sometimes one gets lucky; i.e. a complete games list for Geelong in 1888, but this is rare.

Anyway, without boring you with additional details about reading newspaper account for injuries and players gathered from the crowd for some games I have come up with some totals for great players. Thurgood for instance played 57 games in the VFA for Essendon. Before 1889 things are very tough and one can only get close to an actual figure. In the case of Carlton champion George Coulthard the figures are as follows:

Carlton Imperial

1874 – Unknown (6-10?)

Carlton

1874 – 1-2

1876 – 17-20

1877 – 13-15

1878 – 24

1879 – 19-20

1880 – 22

1881 – 23-24

1882 – 16

Total: 135-143 (Games with Carlton)

Over time I am hoping to locate one or two more games, but I will never find the exact amount. Despite this, it is still very useful to find an approximate number of games that is backed up by research rather than relying on myths about games played by champions in the past (i.e. H.C.A. Harrison’s laughable 300 game figure).

Hotham players 1885

A. Anderson – A good wing player and a sure mark.
H. Alessio – Also plays on the wing; good kick and mark.
A. Buncle – Splendid back player on the right wing, also follows well.
G. Bailey – Very fast on the wing
J. Cherry – Forward wing player.
B. Flowers – Good follower and pretty sure.
H. Hems – Follows well, always being on the ball.
R. Houston – A good man anywhere. Generally is goal sneak; very sure.
W.A. Johnston – One of the best back players in Victoria.
W.M. Johnston – Wingman, and also good follower.
A. Ley – Can hold his own in any part of the field.
J. Morris – Follower; fastest man in the twenty.
J. McCracken – Very fast; plays half-back.
E. Nairn – Wing player and good follower; splendid kick.
A. Neely – Good mark and kick; plays in the centre or forward.
P. O’Brien – Good anywhere.
H. Perkins – A first rate follower.
D. Peters – Forward player, also good follower.
J. Rae – Best wing player in the team; very fast.
A. Riley – Follower, fair mark and kick.
G. Sykes – Good forward man.
J. Tankard – Best follower in the team.
A. Todd – Splendid kick.
H. Todd – One of the best forward men in Victoria, really good mark, and kicks well.

Geelong Players 1886

S. Boyd – A recruit from the juniors, and one of the best in the team either back or forward; splendid kick.
A. Boyd – From the Geelong College. Very cool, fine mark, and wonderful kick.
C. Blunt – One of the second twenty. Plays a safe back game; very sure.
J. Eldridge – Follower, strong and determined, always on the ball.
W. Foote – Very unassuming player, but the most useful; plays equally well back or following.
J. Galbraith – A follower, with plenty of weight and dash; fine mark and kick.
F. Goddard – Plays on the wing, has a very pretty style, and runs fast.
D. Hickinbotham – (Captain) As a centre player is unequalled, running and dodging well; possesses the confidence of the team, which he handles very successfully.
J. Julien – A very fast and pretty player, handles the ball well, and kicks some wonderful goals.
J.F. Kerley – Has lost none of his brilliancy; runs, marks, and kicks in fine style, and always plays for the ball.
T. Kearney – A useful player, runs well, and can play either back or forward; fine mark and kick.
T. Mullens – Very fast, plays on the wing; a young player who gives great promise of being a clinker
J. McShane – A fine player who does an immense amount of work roving; plays with great judgment and always gets rid of the ball to advantage
P. McShane – The best goalsneak in Victoria, shows wonderful judgment; has kicked 25 goals already this season.
T. McShane – Another of the football family and a fine young player; marks and kicks excellently.
H. McLean – Well known to South Australian footballers. Dodges, kicks, and marks as well as ever.
E. & N. McArthur – Geelong College boys, who play in fine style. Very fast and wonderful kicks.
A. Robertson – The safest little player in the team; gets through a crowd in a wonderful manner, and always has his kick.
M. Ross – Captain of the second twenty, very fast, and good kick; with more weight would be unsurpassed.
A. Scrivenger – A fine strong back player, splendid mark and kick, and keeps cool.
R. Talbot (Vice Captain) – The most popular player in the team; plays a very hard game, very plucky; has met with accidents this season, which has prevented his playing every match.

I find it odd that Jasper Jones only played one season with Carlton and then went back to Williamstown.  Was he perhaps not up to standard for Carlton?

My reply:

I don’t think he wasn’t up to it at Carlton at all. They would have retained him for sure as he was a fine player. It looks like Williamstown probably offered him the captaincy to return. The fact that he was also married in 1887 is significant. Many players retired after marriage at this time, but perhaps in Jasper’s case Williamstown also offered some additional financial security (perhaps he got a promotion in the Railways around this time, or secured a better job in that company, or indeed may have purchased a house with some help of the club). 1888 was an important year for Williamstown because a local rival South Williamstown, after 2 years in the VFA, folded and many of its better players went to Williamstown.

1888 was probably one of the few times in its early history that Williamstown FC had a bit of money to throw around. The captaincy was a highly regarded position as the captain was virtually the coach (before coaches officially emerged). Jasper would have directed his men on the field. Likely after 1889 Williamstown went into financial decline and could not continue to maintain Jasper Jones in a style he was accustomed to. But clearly he was always a ‘Williamstown man’ and stuck with the club. I think, like other players from lowly clubs he wanted to play for a big club like Carlton, but probably only to ‘taste’ what it was like. The offer of the captaincy and some other inducement(s) helped him return to the blue and yellow. If he had to pick a club and year to go he couldn’t have done better than joining Carlton. The 1887 Carlton premiership side was a great outfit with some superb players. I don’t think Jasper was a bit player in this success and he well and truly earned a place in football history by being a member of that team. After 1887 Carlton didn’t win another premiership for 20 years! Jasper also played a game for Victoria, which was certainly a feather in his cap. I would put Jasper Jones in Williamstown’s all time greatest 20 but 19th century players are not as highly regarded as they should be these days because so little is known about most of them.

Kensington

Formed: 1870
1877 SAFA foundation member
1881 Amalgamated with Adelaide
1882 Dropped out of SAFA

Colours: Red & white (until 1884?)
1878: Red
1879: Red & white jersey with similarly colored hose, & white
knickerbockers
1885: Red, black & blue

Uniform: Red & white striped jersey & cap, white trousers

Ground: Kensington Park Oval

Captains Vice Captains

1877 P. Wood C. Moulden
1878 A. Crooks/A. Harrison A. Harrison
1879 A. Harrison P. Wood
1880 G. Milne W. Osborne

1877

T. Burton, A. Clarke, F. Day, W. Day, Archie Frew, Alex Frew, F. Frew, H. Goode, William Gwynne, R.W. Hall, A. Hamson, A.M. Hargrave, C.T. Hargrave (is this T. jun.?), H.W. Hargrave, A. Harrison, L.H. Herbert, Marshall, George Milne, Bay A. Moulden, H. Muirhead, C.A. Patterson, Dudley E. Phillips, Thomas Pope, F.G. Stanton, H. Stanton, J. Trimmer, Peter Wood, E.T. Woods, Julian E. Woods

Emerg: R. Clarke, W. Dunstan, T. James, J. Thomas

1878

R. Bagot, Bodinner, Ainsley Caterer, A. Crooks, G.H. Dean, W. Dunstan, Frew, Hall, A. Harrison, Charles W. Hughes, H. Meyer, George Milne, C.W. Mudie, Dudley E. Phillips, Pirrie, P? Smith, Sparks, F.G. Stanton, Peter Wood

1879

R. Bagot, Burmeister, Burton, Edgar Caterer, Clark, Hales, A.T Harrison, C.E. Herbert, L.H. Herbert, Liddell, Lloyd, H. Meyer, George Milne, C.W. Mudie, F. Phillips, Sparks, F.G. Stanton, Peter Wood

1880

A. Attridge, W. Binney, Ainsley Caterer, Clark, Colan, Colbey, J. Coward, (James T?) Darwent, Davis, Frew, E. Greenwood, Hall, A.T. Harrison, F.S. Henry, C.E. Herbert, L.H. Herbert, H. Hewer, Lloyd, Lukey, MacDougall, H. Meyer, J.D. Miller, George Milne, W.H. Osborne, Pappin, F. Phillips, Roberts, A.E.L. Smythe, F.G. Stanton, J.D. Stephens, W.E. “Billy” Stiffe, H.W. Varley, Peter Wood

New: Colbey (Norw. or Sth. Adel?), J. Coward (Norw?), W.H. Osborne (Vicn), W. Stiffe (Geel., Vic.), H. Varley (Adel.)
Off: R. Bagot (Adel.)

“I am currently researching my family history. There is one gentleman by the name of William Fagg Jones, otherwise known as Jasper Jones, who played with the Williamstown Football Club in the 1880′s and 1890′s. He was captain in 1888/89. He also received a medal during his time with Williamstown, though I do not know what it was for.

I was wondering, during your research, if you have come across Jasper Jones and any information relating to him and his playing days. Any information or tid-bits would be greatly appreciated.”

Reply

Dear Kim,

Jasper Jones was arguably Williamstown’s greatest player in the nineteenth century. He was captain in 1888-1889 and vice captain in 1886 & 1891. He kicked 27 goals for Williamstown and one (famous) goal for Carlton when he played for the Blues during the 1887 season and became part of a very good premiership side.

Jaspers Jones’ famous long goal was a 60-yard drop-kick that was scored against Fitzroy on August 13, 1887 while he was playing with Carlton.

Jasper Jones represented Williamstown in its first year as a club in the VFA. I have not come across his name playing for Williamstown before this time (when the club was a Junior team).

This is the best record I have on Jasper’s games record:

1885 14-16
1886 20-22
1887 16-18 (with Carlton) + 1 game for Victoria.
1888 19
1889 20
1890 12
1891 15
1892 -
1893 15

Total 131-137 games.

In 1892 Jones played for juniors North Williamstown (this may have had something to do with the appointment of “Barkley” Jones as Williamstown captain in that year. This suggests Jasper was not very happy about it – nor was the rest of the team!).

All the best.

Shortly afterwards Geelong moved forward again and snaffled another goal. Melbourne’s poor kicking brought behinds before Power finally obtained the home side’s first major. Follower Murdoch McKenzie was playing great footy for the Reds, and with the assistance of Aitken and Adams, the ball was sent on to Baker who equalised. Melbourne kept up the attack, but was too enthusiastic and wasted opportunities. Just before half time, the Pivot’s Dan Curdie got a lucky goal out of a scrimmage and so the half ended with Geelong leading 3.1 to Melbourne’s wasteful 2.11! Geelong (without Wilson and Watson) was frequently overwhelmed by Melbourne’s running game in the first half, but showed considerable coolness and the ability to make the most of its chances against the run of play – something great sides do.

Thus, despite the fact that it had been outplayed, Geelong was ahead at the break. In the second half the game was very even. The Pivots pushed Melbourne hard at times and forced the locals into some desperate defensive measures, but finally things went the Red’s way when Booth kicked a magnificent goal from 50 yards. The three-all draw ended in the misty twilight.

Dr Michael Green, Head of Indigenous Cultures says “Museum Victoria has little expert knowledge of football history, so I’d encourage those who know more to do further research on this image. Given the early date and what it depicts, we have decided to place the image in the public domain for further investigation and debate,”.So here is my current position (from my book)In recent years some have claimed that Marn-grook, an indigenous form of football, influenced T.W. Wills, who incorporated its elements into the Melbourne Football Club’s rules. Unfortunately, there is no direct evidence to support this view. In his unpublished paper about the first aboriginal footballer, “Pompey” Austin (who played for Geelong in 1872), historian Trevor Ruddell discusses the kind of football played by Aboriginals of the Western District during the early colonial period:

There are accounts of Western District Aboriginals playing a team game which involved kicking and catching an orange sized ball made from a possum skin. James Dawson, a pioneer, Aboriginal advocate and amateur ethnographer saw such games and stated that they were, ‘…very rough; but as the players are barefooted and naked, they do not hurt each other so much as the white people [footballers] do.’[i]

Ruddell and others have argued that there are coincidental similarities to the modern game of football, such as the ‘high mark’, but there is no causal or documented link to the origins of Australian Football. He states that with the decline of indigenous populations after white settlement, and the establishment of the mission system, the indigenous ball game suffered, especially as it was linked to inter-tribal corroborees. This is a convincing argument given that colonial audiences were often amused at aboriginals playing football in the early days. It was generally assumed that the descendents of Britain were superior to Australia’s indigenous people, and in inventing a ‘game of our own’, it was seen to be important to maintain the ‘sporting values’ of the English public schools and the Mother Country’s ‘muscular Christianity’. Australian Football was invented by and for a colonial class that needed fit and healthy men who could defend the Empire in a crisis and there seem to be few reasons why a paternalistic, and at times racist culture, would embrace an indigenous sport as its own.

[i] Dawson, James. Australian Aborigines: The languages and customs of several tribes of the Western District of Victoria, Australia. Walker, May & Co., Melbourne, 1881. p. 85. Dawson also wrote that traditional Aboriginal games were, ‘…held usually after the great meetings and korroboraes’ (p. 84) and because fifty to one hundred men were engaged by the ball game it suggests that such assemblies were important, if not integral, to the sport.

Ask Mark!