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FODTB&LL.
Matson's Earlier Days.
Chance Entry -into Football/
(By 'Onlooker.')
? There was a considerable amount of fluke
about the; football career of the ?late/Pbi
Matspn, ari'd-'followers in this State, ;and
indeed iri the Commonwealth, will, finirl'it
hard to' believe thafc'the champipn'dipYnbt
play: football until^hei was eighteen/ years,
of 'age; But truth Vas ever stranger* than
nctiqn, and the great player- and coach,, in
his younger, days missed home' scoldings
because he 'did not, like other lads,- wear
out boots in kicking round empty jarii
tins and failed to raise- the' ire of his
/school masters because ' he neglected to.,
Perform home lessons in order- to play foot
ball. ?.??'?
,. Matspn was employed in, the mines at
Kalgbprlie when, a- hid, v and 'afterwards
agtedias water boy to the navvies on .^he
Rreat; gbldfields water pipe .construction,
line; ;: Coining to Perth for a holiday, he'
chanced to visit Claremont for a' swim, and
so 'impressed' Mr. -W.' Howso'n, father of'
thercleyer' Clareriioht^virig mani with his
ability as a swimmer,, that he Ypersuaded
the Had to.vstay. on the^cbast. Mr. How
son|s judgment' of a, swimmer, wag fully jus
tified- by- Matsori's-^ wonderful, performances'
in the water.: He was thrice champion
of Australia at 220 breaststroke swimming,
and' held the world's record (3.10 3-5) for
'a . /number 'vpf- years, until i Edgar Finlay.
clipped thifeerfifths of-r:a secojhdvoff that
tithe:in 'Syilriey in ',1013. *It\was Mr. How
^son, dhct} '^yhb started Matsbiv^pn his, foot
ball career; ';'.';:.That;.'-wasi'ra:',,Iti03.-'!::He''-.cbnVr.
menced playing; football becaTise^hiB^frierid
persuaided'. him -that-he was the right type
andt build.' A.Matsbiiy- as raw its any'^novice;'
stripped J 'for: Claremont; ;; With/ trousers'
rolled up, and knpwing npthiripr'of 'the firier:
points ;6i the eame^Matsbri: went into his.
first /engagement at .eighteen ^r.years of age
and , BloRged^through Ayith muscle :iind vim,
thebnly feature pf-.Jiisvgame.' The: genius
he wasyla'ter to' become, showed put eai'ly.
~Befpre'.^the/1903 ,s'eason ended there -was
alreaHy/some polrali dn: his^play.- and his
superb^' dash; ;-^ondterf ulS courage,; --'and
stamina^ earnecV4iirii theVchib's most cpvet
«1 ;',trPpTay; in. his. first yearV1^- -V ,^j S^J,i ,
f ?New8:of?the'prbwless of -this :biK':lad' soon
8preao^a5d- '.. in ^19Q4 'he ? received, arid -' a'c
cejpted-;MJ;iri^titiori:!;tb 'play^j^rith ^est
?Perth^a*: club, .thieri ;'iri -. t\iz ?heyr-'day of . its
fame; ''But'liis assdci'atipniwith^West Perth
Jsvas short lived; .' He^played. one ; game 'only.;
and ? thenivat '.the ^^ | iristarice'.^pr^his; ,frienjdi
who had gbne/ to South Buhburyvtif 'play
football for ? that.-club^ Matsbrij-; went' to
'thd' South-West' port,'; aa'd-ifor ? tw:pyse'asous
played ^prqmjnent^part'injth^football^pf
the ?Bunbury' Assoclatibn.l'Theri^follbwe.d
'^hf ee years on the {gbldfields'; iwhereJ .Mat
?sp'riv played/'- witnCBouldei'v City^wii^nirig
riolden^ ,-. ppiniprisj-Varid became;;;the|-rec^
riised ' champipn of the-district. : He .Hvas^; at'
Boulder City/,^rhen; lie.was selected'a mehV
[b'er . of .the jubilee carnival team^pf ; .1908.
Matron's, career, and deeds' frpm'that;tiirie;
have pBenCdwelt' upon at .length^by :man$-''
.'ivritersl arid his perf brriiances need: no ierii
bellishirig to the .thousands, who have'sbeerii
charmed :by the -artistry .and1 superb force
^his'.fobtball^; Matebnfs ^career /is Va- sttiK*
ingf ~ exariible;' of.-- a . meteoric.: ' rfse : f roin ; .rip
j£ri6wledKe '-(of i;th'e -.? game untili/nearly^SQ
years; pf ? age;tb: brie^of .the . gVeatest players'
ofv all ? tiriie,' and the outstanding genius of
the;ganieun: this State;- ??': av.^ fi-'-- '?'??'^ ? :- \
'y^VVhlat Matson jv^as ; as :\ a- player;; has . been
equalled' byNthe ^ part h*e: played; as ^a-cbach,:
^h'en . once';: his .' playirig/'days *;wer6 oven
Iriiparting/ofrknpwledge isVa^are' gift/, arid:
Matson ; had [this atfaibuteftbnthef^fulles'i^
;The power vbf recemrig' the-.complete;-aHe:
giance of his men.waS^hia^and his.strategyv
ideas of ; '? play ' and- :'the '. securiigV o£ - every
ounce ?'? of ' effort ; inade ' teams 'A he' -coached
difiicult sides to beati K-Matson:was .a/rare,
character^ The few:w^pse'privilegse^it-has'
been to ihear' him.}addre'ss la State = ,tearri,;: or
East Perth at 'half-time, : must -have - been
struck- with- his jgeriius\-in-- picking' 'but the
weak;,sp'pts Hn- the-1 game. ;bft the ^ side -arid
his ;riiodeNof-tTerigtheriirig-the-,tMrii.:--^^
son could cpnie ; to ^^point in- aj flash and
'explain ihp^i weakness ; could * ;be ^^ eradicated..
It was'always a jbyitbihave '-'.a'^football/talk''
with! Miitson.vand ^.?I;:-for-''one;:Srai-i'-iniss^-ari.
occasiqrial cbnyersatibn with' hiiri*, at which
one .would j Usten \to' sound and interesting
,f optball VT'lprel ' V''.' ' ;. 'Vj'1'. ??'-'-. ;.?' \.\ -,';,C ''.
';;? It': was-aljvays ta' matter .;of isome- doubt,
with vhim :.-: as'f.iitb.vwhich.v;was \ the ';% greatest
team.Austrah'a has seen.- ;:He ^^ was. torn-; bV
,twe-n/ttv6 -lbves-^-East Perth:;a1--,the ;'peak:
bfitheir/gr^tness^pr Sturt;int^
they/.w€irei-'fcbm'morily ..'.termed [('Thei^rmmi-
grants.' Sturt ini'that year-;had; iariibrig
others, ?:'(Diyer''Dunri;fYictor ^Cumberland '??
Phil Matsori,f AlbertTvHeindrichsV ! Frarik.
' Gold ipg,' .'?' arid:; :Bett;y0Rerif rey-.;!:on - this ;: sid e :;
'?so. it :'is jittle^wpnde^ thatVMstsori' regarded ?
that team : as a ; fariious^brije; f% Strange : as
it may. seem, Matson had- a host 'of : lbyes:
among ; the.; players yh€?.;liad played 'with
'and . agajristVilfc.he leant .to^anyone ;in,!,p'ar
ticu|ar .-it' was 4 to;_Dave.rMcNan)ara]c/ the
'giarit..St.;-Kilda;playery;not''sb^^
individual .player;Jjut as?a' uditjiriVa-t'eairi£;
and team? work; was always; a great .point
^vitli Matspriil Almost.W.istoie, McNamara
was a winder f ul kick an*d. iriiark.- ' ? Tom
?Leahy, ^ of West .Adelaide, rlwasS.;. Matson'
considered; tlie Neatest, follower,: and; Oli
yer,, of Port .'Adelaide; had a soft- spot in
his heart is ::a,.ceriire, player. Alec.- Robin-
sonV who^'ubw: coa'ches ; the .Subiaco Club;
and who was; a great ^player on tlie gold-i
fields^ in the ; pearlier .days, was always ad:
mii1ingly.\Bpbk'en:-:ofill)y';'.Ma;tsoni...who:-'ien:'
thused 'over his -70 yards place kicks 'which
Robbie' -usedfVto drivel hbriie.' . ^Of; later
years rip-players were more highly thought,
of 'than, Greeri* and Leonard, .of Subiaco.
Matson' /greatly; , liked : Green in ? the' big
games; considering liiiri ''?a *wondei%ful de
fender/.^ile'.the artistry of pass and^pluck
of Leonard' always -charmed him. / . --
Matson's funeral was x one of*. the largest
attended of. any sppfteman who lias .passed
out of the arena in Western, Australia, and
the service at the graveside' was most .im
pressive. His loss to football in this State
is great, and bnevpnly hopes that a player
and./cbach :of /h'is'.callibre may again come
irit'o the football ^history- 'of the game in
Western- Australia. .' ' ? ?'
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