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Venue: Junction Oval | Date: Saturday June 22, 1907 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Result: Won by 29 points | Umpire: Coombes | Crowd: 18,000 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Goalkickers: F.Caine 2, G.Topping 2, F.Elliott 1, D.Harris 1, G.Johnson 1, A.Lang 1. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Best: G.Bruce, T. Kennedy, R.McGregor, (added to their high class reputation), rest of the team an even display | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Reports: | Injuries: | |||||||||||||||||||
Game Review
When a resurgent Carlton team easily defeated ladder-leaders St Kilda in this game at the Junction Oval, it was one of the most significant victories of the season by the Blues. Jack Worrall’s men not only supplanted the Saints on top of the VFL ladder, they established a psychological edge over the baysiders that was to continue for decades.Since impressively defeating the Blues in the opening game of the season at Princes Park, St Kilda had lost only one match – to South Melbourne the previous week. They were expected to bounce back against a steadily improving, but still vulnerable Carlton combination, especially when they went into the match unchanged and at full strength. The Blues made one change, bringing in brilliant centreman Rod McGregor in place of injured small forward Vin Gardiner.
As would be expected in a contest between the first and second teams on the ladder, a capacity crowd jammed into the Junction Oval on a cool and windy day that made accurate passing and shooting for goal a real challenge. But right from the opening bounce, the Blues were far more determined and systematic than the Saints, whose vaunted attack was made almost impotent by a disciplined Carlton defence. Despite their array of star forwards in Clymo, Cumberland, Matthews and Stewart, the Saints were out-played, out-marked and out-thought by a cohesive Carlton side returning to the form of the previous year.
Keeping the Saints to just one major in the first half, Carlton had the game well and truly won by three-quarter time. They coasted in the last quarter and finished five goals up, although both sides knew that that margin could have easily been doubled had the visitors desired.
After this round (which marked the half-way stage of the season) Carlton and St Kilda were first and second on the ladder, one win clear of South Melbourne and two wins ahead of Collingwood and Melbourne. Carlton’s quest for a second successive flag was very much alive.
At the end of this round Carlton were in 1st spot on the ladder with a percentage of 154.4.
Team
| B: | Archie Snell | Doug Gillespie | Norman Clark (vc) |
| HB: | Billy Payne | Jim Flynn (c) | Fred Jinks |
| C: | Ted Kennedy | Rod McGregor | George Bruce |
| HF: | Les Beck | Jim Marchbank | Dick Harris |
| F: | Mick Grace | Frank Caine | George Topping |
| Ruck: | George S Johnson | Fred Elliott | Alex Lang |
| Coach: | Jack Worrall | ||
Changes
In: R.McGregorOut: V.Gardiner
Round 7 | Round 9