Joe Pearce – Melbourne Footballer and Fallen Gallipoli Soldier

Nigel Dawe

I wouldn’t readily call myself a creature of habit, knockabout with intermittent bouts of adherence to routine would be more in line with how I get through my days.

But that said, each and every ANZAC day I unfailingly make a point of listening to ‘The Pogues’ version of Eric Bogle’s 1971 classic ‘The Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ all whilst having a quiet, reflective ale.

Without exception each year one man comes clear to mind through the revering mist of deep respect and remembrance – this year Arthur Mueller ‘Joe’ Pearce.

A Melbourne stalwart and the first VFL footballer (along with 22 of his mates from the 7th Battalion) to lose his life during the twilight mayhem of the Gallipoli landings of 25thApril, 1915. All 23 soldiers, including our gallant Joe Pearce, who was only 30-years old at the time, were buried on that blood-stained beach of ANZAC Cove.

As a player, the number 19 wearing Joe Pearce (who played a then club record 152 games between 1904-13) was a bustling and formidable full-back that also refused any form of match payment. Gifted and by all accounts as fair as they come (in his spare time Joe was even a Sunday school superintendent) but none other than Collingwood’s Dick Lee – the Buddy Franklin of his day, once referred to Pearce as ‘clearly my best opponent.’

A cousin of the future Melbourne icon – Jack Mueller; when the club gave Joe Pearce a send-off before he left for the war, Pearce is known to have graciously said: “I have thought this thing over and I have considered it every way. I am young, strong, healthy and athletic and I think I ought to go, and if I don’t come back, well, it won’t much matter.”

But to this day, I believe Joe’s legacy matters immensely. Some two months after his passing at Gallipoli in 1915, Melbourne wore black armbands for a match against Essendon in his honour. A match that resulted in a truly fitting 19-point win (that being Joe’s old guernsey number) after the side came from behind following a burst of four inspired goals late in the final term.

Some years ago, I wrote about getting hold of an original 1909 Melbourne team photo, it has since become one of my most prized possessions: primarily because of the fact that a pensive Joe Pearce looms like a beacon at the far right in the very back row.

Upon closer inspection, Joe is the only member of that entire team to be gazing away from the camera. He is seemingly drawn by the spectre of a destiny that would not only see him die young, but in such a way that he’d never grow old – remaining of eternal inspiration to all in the Melbourne fold.

To Joe Pearce and the other 8,708 Australian soldiers that gave their lives at Gallipoli all those years ago – Thank you, and Lest We Forget.

The Pogues – The band played waltzing matilda

Round 5 – Melbourne V GWS

Liam Chambers

The Dees were back on home soil after last week’s trip down south. Looking to maintain their clean sheet, Melbourne would have been only too aware that the Giants were capable of causing an upset.

Having said that, the Dees looked very comfortable from the start. When Bayley Fritsch marked on the 50m line, he showed great vision in spotting Christian Petracca running into clear space. Fritsch’s kick was perfectly timed to reach Tracca as he approach the goal square. It was then just a matter of collecting the ball and tapping it across the line.

Kysaiah Pickett hasn’t seen a lot of the footy in his last two outings but he easily marked Clayton Oliver’s kick. The ensuing set shot from the pocket was flawlessly executed and the Dees were two up.

With the Dees’ defence set up so well, GWS’s kicks to inside 50 were continually intercepted. When the Giants tried to run it in, Melbourne out tackled them. Finally ex Dee Jesse Hogan had a chance with a free kick from the pocket. His shot ricocheted off the post. After that kick, the Giants kept coming back but Melbourne was content to defend, conserving their energy and waiting for an opportunity to present itself.

It didn’t take long long as Kozzie Pickett got his second after marking a Fritsch kick. His 30m set shot hit the spot. Melbourne won the clearance and the ball was back in their forward 50 where Fritsch was awarded a free when deemed clipped as he went for a mark. The set shot from a tight angle favoured his left foot and it was four in a row for the Dees.

After Port Adelaide was held goalless for the first half last week, GWS would have been keen to avoid the same fate. They wanted the opening goal of the quarter but it was Melbourne who struck first. The increasingly reliable Max Gawn kicked a set shot from the 50m line. Goal a game Gawny seems to have left his days of near misses behind him.

Much to the relief of the travelling fans, the Giants finally got their first goal. Harry Himmelberg gathered up the ground ball near the square, spun on his axis, kicked round the corner and watch it fly through the uprights. Having claimed their first major, GWS was eager for more.

Melbourne had other ideas and Ed Langdon had two set shots in quick succession. The first, from a difficult angle, sailed behind. The second was more straightforward but bizarrely the Umpire called “play on” as he was running up to take the kick. Langdon’s kick veered widely to the left, missing everything. The equivalent of coughing loudly when your opponent is taking a golf putt?

Then it was back to back goals for the Giants when Stephen Coniglio kicked a 50m set shot, reducing the margin to fourteen points.

When Christian Petracca launched an impossibly high kick from the 50m line, he put the perfect bend on the ball to ensure it sailed beautifully through the uprights. It should have been a contender for goal of the year but was disallowed due to a push in the back by Ed Langdon on a Giant’s player.

I’ve watched the footage several times and the push was at best a finger tips contact. Also, it made no difference in assisting the goal. Still rules are rules and you could convincingly argue that the intent was there. I would add though that Ed Langdon could also argue that the Umpire has a grudge against him. Allegedly.

A few minutes later and the Dees showed why they work so well as a team when the ball was passed twice between potential goal scorers, before Luke Jackson basically walked it in and the advantage was stretched to nineteen points.

Just before half time, Jesse Hogan got one back against his old team when he slotted GWS’s third of the quarter. The second half was looming as a tight competition.

Appearances can be deceptive though and the Dees were on the scoreboard within of the first minute of the bounce. James Jordan’s kick from 40m deep in the pocket looked effortless. Christian Petracca added to the advantage when he collected a dropped mark and kicked for goal while being tackled.

The Giants then had an easy goal. Bobby Hill was taken high just inside 50; he was also awarded a 50m penalty when the Umpire’s decision was questioned. Rules are rules. After the bounce, GWS gained some territory but Melbourne’s defence deflected it back.

Pickett marked before going for a run. He kicked it to Alex Neal-Bullen and kept running, collecting the dropped mark on his way through. He launched a kick form 40m and sealed the deal while notching up his hat trick.

It was two in ten seconds when Charlie Spargo crumbed the ball from a tap down, then passed it to Neal-Bullen who snapped it through. Another minute and Max Gawn took clean possession in a stoppage before turning and kicking his second. Gawny rose up from the ground like a footy messiah to receive the high fives of his teammates.

It wasn’t all one way traffic though and GWS hit back when Matt Flynn took a mark and scored from 40m out. The Giants went in hard again after the bounce but Melbourne were able to wriggle clear and were away up the field. Fritsch marked just inside 50 and went back to convert. Jack Viney made it a forty nine point game when his tap in from 10m just missed being touched.

Jake Bowey took it to greater heights with his intercept mark and run on kick from 50m, which also hit the bullseye. Just before the end of the term, Sam Weiderman took a mark 25m from goal. His set shot right on the siren brought up the century for Melbourne.

With a lead of sixty two points, the Dees had the game in the bag but they still played like a team protecting a much tighter margin. Their work rate was epitomised by Tom Sparrow’s chase down of the ball as it was rolling towards the line. His last second contact directed the sherrin to Bayley Fritsch which allowed the forward to pick up the ball and tap a goal.

The Giants pushed on, desperate to get more majors on the board but their efforts were continually frustrated. Instead it was the Demons again when Fritsch took another mark 30m from goal. Another bounce, another clearance and another incursion inside 50 where Charlie Spargo received a hand pass and kicked number nineteen for Melbourne.

Belatedly, Bobby Hill clawed one back for GWS when he snapped from 35m. Then, fittingly the first gamer Finn Callaghan made the most of his chance after receiving a hand pass with ninety seconds to go.

Next it’s Richmond, who’ve had a mixed season so far. They’ve yet to roar like the Tigers of recent years but it would be imprudent to take them lightly.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Grand Final – Adelaide V Melbourne

Liam Chambers

Going into their first Grand Final as underdogs, the odds were very much against a Melbourne victory. Adelaide had the advantage of a home game plus the experience of three previous finals and being crowned premiers twice. That experience would prove pivotal, as would having the best defence in the competition.

The Demons were understandably nervous and started warily. The Crows were more confident and it showed in their marking and kicking efficiency. Despite Adelaide’s pressure in their forward 50, Melbourne’s back line up was holding tight. Tellingly though, the Crows were spending over three times more in their forward half than the Dees and eventually something would have to give.

The pressure paid off when Jasmyn Hewett marked the ball right next to the upright. She slotted and Adelaide had their first major. After the goal, the Dees started to make some inroads. There were half chances but the Crows defence pounced and tackled ferociously. Some dubious calls also favoured Adelaide, making it difficult for Melbourne to gain any momentum.

The woes continued for the Dees after the break. A series of dropped marks and turnovers threatened to gift Adelaide another goal but Melbourne somehow managed to hang on. Maddie Gay limped off injured but fortunately she was was able to return to the field once strapped up.

Melbourne did make headway towards their goal but Adelaide were much more determined and aggressive in their tackling, thereby limiting the Dees’ chances.
Then, while Melbourne was still to register a point on the scoreboard, the Crows struck again. Erin Phillips saw a half chance and gather the ground ball before chipping over the pack at the edge of the goal square. The ball luckily bounced the right way and crossed the line.

Now the margin was seventeen points and Melbourne needed to make some serious changes if they were going to avoid a shellacking. The Dees realised that they needed to be more aggressive and started to push deeper into their forward half. Tayla Harris was again the go to player inside 50. She attempted the mark but again she was surrounded by Adelaide’s defence.

With a minute to go to half time, Melbourne finally got a break. As the ball was being kicked between defenders, Alyssa Bannan stole an intercept mark and ran on into the waiting goal. The impact was instantaneous and the Dees lifted. Adelaide scrambled to claw one back before the siren, but Melbourne managed to hold them off.

It was still all to play for in the second half but it was the worst possible start for the Dees when Danielle Ponter marked right on the goal line. It was an easy conversion and the deficit was back to sixteen points.

Melbourne was marking and controlling the ball better but were still hesitant when they needed to move faster. The delays gave Adelaide plenty of time to set up behind the ball while the Dees looked around, considering their options.

Just when it looked like the Crows were going to continue their dominance, Melbourne had another breakthrough. A well targeted and weighted kick by Tayla Harris picked out Kate Hore deep inside 50. Hore marked and ran on, getting a kick away towards goal before being mowed down. The gap was back to ten points and the Dees were back in contention.

The goal energised Melbourne and within a minute, Tayla Harris had marked a Daisy Pearce kick. At 40m out, Harris opted not to try for goal, instead kicking to Karen Paxman. Paxman was a little closer but the 45 degree angle was a more difficult shot. Paxman made clean contact with the ball but her effort drifted right and only registered a minor score.

The Dees pressure continued to mount and they were causing Adelaide all sorts of problems. Melbourne made repeat incursions to their forwards 50 but were unable to finish due to the relentless tackling by the Crows’ defence. Lily Mithen had a set shot in front of goal late in the quarter but was unable to convert. Demon fans were left lamenting what could have been.

With the clock ticking Melbourne knew it was now or never as they ran out at the start of the last quarter. They were determined to not die wondering. Maddie Gay had a half chance from just inside 50 but the ball didn’t bounce back far enough and just missed the goal. A few minutes later and Gay had another half opportunity but that missed to the other side.

As so often happens, Adelaide absorbed all the Dees’ pressure before breaking out and racing up the field. Danielle Ponter took another mark just inside 50, then took the advantage to run on, take a bounce and launch a kick 20m from goal. The Crows were thirteen points ahead with only six minutes left to play.

Although Melbourne fought valiantly to the end, they were unable to notch any more points on the scoreboard and the final result was 29-16 in Adelaide’s favour.

It was a great experience for the Dees and they will have learned a good deal about what it takes to win a Grand Final. All Demon fans will be hoping that Daisy Pearce hangs around for one more effort.

Now that next season starts this August, maybe the AFLW legend and footy pioneer can be tempted to give the dice another roll?

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Round 4 – Port Adelaide V Melbourne

Liam Chambers

Playing away at Adelaide Oval is not for the faint hearted. The home fans are passionate and mostly hostile. Despite this, Melbourne took it all in their stride; even the PA system blasting out INXS couldn’t put them off.

The Dees kicked their first major within a minute, thanks to a mark taken by Bayley Fritsch, twenty metres from goal. After that, Port was able to spend a decent amount of time in Melbourne’s territory but were unable to overly bother their rivals. Each forward entry was easily dealt with by the Demons.

However we were unable to capitalise at the other end and it continued to be a low scoring quarter. Port maintained a superior inside 50 count but Melbourne’s back half proved too efficient and it was 3 – 9 at the break.

It was more of the same in the second quarter as the Power continued to play hard for no reward. Melbourne just seemed content to play their natural game and wait for the opportunities to present themselves. The chances came aplenty late in the term with Bayley Fritsch literally kick starting the process. After being awarded a free on the 50m line, he played on and launched a kick which spun into the waiting goal.

Then the floodgates opened, starting with a contested mark from Tom McDonald. Macca took a short run and converted from 30m out. Next Jack Viney had a set shot from the pocket and kicked the third of the quarter. After the bounce, Melbourne chaotically moved the ball towards inside 50 where Christian Petracca gathered up and handballed to James Harmes. Goal number five for the Dees!

Just before half time, with Port still goalless, Ed Langdon was awarded a free plus a 50m penalty. His kick, 20m from the goal line, only compounded the pain of the Power’s fans.

Then, as if they hadn’t suffered enough, Todd Marshall had a chance to kick after the siren. However the decision was reversed when Zak Butters had a rush of blood to the head and threw Jake Bowey to the ground, thereby denying Port a potential first goal.

Zac Butters had a chance of redemption early in the second half but his kick from the pocket missed to the near side. The Power kept pushing but was unable to to convert and eventually Melbourne broke back towards their forward half. Kysaiah Pickett’s vision to pick out James Harmes in front of goal, set up the midfielder’s second.

Port almost had their first major when Mitch Georgiades accelerated towards goal. Waiting until the last possible second to kick, his shot was blocked on the line by Jayden Hunt and James Jordan. Then Georgiades hand passed the rebound ball to Sam Mays whose subsequent kick was touched by Jordan. Has to be a contender for miss of the year (we need a new category at the Brownlows).

Max Gawn has developed a habit of scoring long distance goals. His effort from the 50m line to give the Demons a forty seven point lead was no exception. The silent Port fans were slowly being torn apart.

Finally though and with only four minutes remaining in the third quarter, Port Adelaide got their first goal. Sam Powell-Pepper was awarded a free kick on the 50m line. He quickly hand passed to Dan Houston who didn’t have a problem kicking from deep in the pocket.

The relief was palpable around the ground but Melbourne wasn’t ready to rest on their laurels yet. Luke Jackson marked in front of goal but was unable to convert. A minute later he had a second chance from a similar position and this time his aim was true.

Bayley Fritsch had possibly his easiest goal of the season so far when he marked Tom McDonald’s kick to the right of the posts. All Fritsch had to do was waltz through and kick his hat trick.

By now the match was beyond Port Adelaide’s reach. Facing a fifty three point deficit, they were solely playing for pride and to avoid racking up their lowest score in the Club’s history. Mitch Georgiades solve the latter when he was able to kick the ball off the turf just in front of goal.

Towards the end, Steven Motlop stepped around the Dees defence and snapped a goal. It became a late flurry for Port when Motlop was able to kick his second in the last minute.

Overall a great result for the Dees. We’re the only team to have won all of their first four games. We host the Giants in Round 5 and again nothing will be taken for granted. GWS was one of only four teams to register a win against Melbourne last season but I do fancy our chances.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!

Preliminary Final – Melbourne V Brisbane

Liam Chambers

Melbourne have made it to their first AFLW Grand Final! It was so close in the end, but the girls put in a valiant effort to produce the win.

It was a nervous start all around but the Dees managed to keep the ball in their forward half for the first five minutes. They were unable to capitalise on their advantage and the Lions started to make headway into Melbourne’s defensive territory. Brisbane also struggled to get on the scoreboard with the Dees keeping their defence tight.

Shelley Heath effected a great tackle on Jesse Wardlaw, preventing the Ruck from scoring an almost certain goal. The wet conditions didn’t seem to be favouring either side as both sets of players struggled to hold onto the ball.

Melbourne had dominated the first term in the majority of the stats but their kicking efficiency was letting them down. They desperately needed a goal to settle their nerves.

That breakthrough came when Alyssa Bannan initially had the chance to collect the ball inside 50. There were no Lions blocking her path but Bannan was unable to gather up the ball before being tackled. After the ensuing stoppage, the forward finally found enough space to drill one through the pack and into the open goal.

It didn’t take long for the Lions to respond. Taylor Smith dropped a mark inside 50 but was able to recover, gather up the ground ball, snapping a kick towards goal. With five seconds to go, Eliza McNamara was awarded a free kick 25m from goal. McNamara went back to take the kick after the siren but just missed to the far side where her shot scrapped the post.

After the break, the Lions looked the most likely to score first. Their effort was rewarded when Dakota Davidson got a kick away that sailed through the uprights from 35m out. Brisbane continued the pressure after the bounce but Melbourne was able to break clear and make their way up the field.

While Daisy Pearce was bringing the ball to ground then gathering it up, Alyssa Bannan was running on to a good position inside 50. Daisy got the kick to the waiting Bannan to collect and then outrun her opponents before kicking into an open goal.

The Dees then had the advantage after Lauren Pearce grabbed the ball out of the ruck. Turning towards goal, Pearce launched a kick, securing Melbourne’s third goal. Eliza McNamara then had another opportunity to go for goal and this time she opted to kick it along the ground and through the Lions’ defence, incredibly finding a gap and watching the ball dribble across the line.

Brisbane continued to chase a late goal but the Dees managed to hang on to their eleven point margin.

Melbourne had the perfect start to the last quarter when Alyssa Bannan again used her speed to chase the ball before picking it up and strolling into the waiting goal. Bannan had three under her belt and the Dees had a seventeen point lead.

The reigning premiers wouldn’t go down without a fight and for the next five minutes the Lions continually made inroads to their forward 50. They couldn’t manage a breakthrough though until Shannon Campbell was able to crumb the ball and snap a kick from 30m out.

Now with only a ten point lead and six minutes remaining, Melbourne needed to play some smart footy to prevent Brisbane kicking another two goals. The Dees had opportunities to extend their lead but the Lions defended well before initiating an offensive of their own but without much success until the last forty five seconds. Greta Bodey (who else?) kicked a goal from a set shot and clawed Melbourne’s lead back to four points.

The last thirty seconds was a frantic push forward by the Lions and equally frantic attempts by Melbourne to clear the ball. The Dees prevailed, securing their first win in a preliminary final.

There’s no doubt that Adelaide is the firm favourite. They are an extremely difficult team to score against and they have some very strong players. However, one thing we know about Melbourne is their ability to preform above expectations when they’re given the status of underdog.

Also, the team will want to do it for Daisy, arguably the one person who has done more than any other to promote and champion AFLW.

Go the Mighty Dees!!!