1909 Eastern Suburbs season
< 1908 1910 >

The 1909 season was the second in which the Eastern Suburbs DRLFC competed in the New South Wales Rugby Football League competition. They finished the regular season in 4th (of 8) position, before being knocked out in the semi-final by Balmain.

Players

No. Position Player
1 Australia PR Harry 'Jersey' Flegg (c)
3 Australia CE Dave Brown
5 Australia WG Dan Frawley
7 Australia PR Lou Jones
8 Australia PR Bob Mable
9 Australia PR Larry 'Jersey' O'Malley
10 Australia HK Sid 'Sandy' Pearce
11 Australia FE Albert Rosenfeld
13 Australia WG Johnno Stuntz
14 Australia CE Percy McNamara
15 Australia WG Horrie Miller
17 Australia FE Harold Kelley
20 Australia PR George Green
23 Australia PR Percy White
25 Australia PR Mick Frawley
26 Australia FB Bill King
No. Position Player
27 Australia PR Ted Briscoe
28 Australia HB Tom Bruce
29 Australia PR Eddie Griffiths
30 Australia SR Arthur Lawes
31 Australia PR Arthur 'Wicker' Surridge
32 Australia PR Wally Webb
33 Australia SR T.Oates
34 Australia SR E. Russell
35 Australia PR Arthur Hennessy
36 Australia SR George 'Babe' Hooker
37 Australia SR L. Brown
38 Australia SR F. Foran
39 Australia WG Les Abbott
40 Australia PR F. Denholm
41 Australia LK Sid Kaufman
42 Australia PR William Lenton

Season

RoundOpponentResultScoreDateVenueCrowd
Premiership 1Glebe Dirty RedsWon38 - 524 AprilWentworth-
Premiership 2Western Suburbs MagpiesWon10 - 21 MayAgricultural400
Premiership 3North Sydney BearsWon26 - 1615 MayAgricultural
Premiership 4South Sydney RabbitohsLost10 - 2222 MayAgricultural1500
  • Premiership round 5, Saturday 29 May 1909.

Eastern Suburbs 18 defeated Newcastle Rebels 16 at the Newcastle Sports Ground.

Described this way "As an exhibition the game was all that could have been desired It was fast, open, exciting and even."

Premiership 6Newtown JetsWon28-519 JuneAgricultural800
Premiership 7Balmain TigersLost3 - 1126 JuneBirchgrove1500
Premiership 8South Sydney RabbitohsLost5 - 1610 JulyWentworth2500
  • Premiership round 9, Saturday 17 July 1909.

Balmain 24 (Apploney 2, Moore 2, Halloway, Regent Tries; Fitzpatrick 3 Goals) defeated Eastern Suburbs 15 (M. Frawley, Kelley, Webb Tries; Surridge 2, King Goals) at the Agricultural Society's Ground.

This was reported to be a particularly rough affair, Easts lost a player early in the match through injury, and two more players were severely concussed, Four were sent off for fighting, and a fifth, Easts captain Larry O'Malley was sent off for kicking.

RoundOpponentResultScoreDateVenueCrowd
Pemiership 10North Sydney BearsLost14 - 247 AugustAgricultural3000

Ladder

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 South Sydney 1090121041+16918
2 Balmain 1080213062+6816
3 Newcastle 1050514493+5110
4 Eastern Suburbs 10505167141+2610
5 Glebe 1040662159-978
6 Newtown 1031673107-347
7 North Sydney 10226104157-536
8 Western Suburbs 1021742172-1305

Semi-final

  • Premiership Semi-final, Saturday 14 August 1909.

Balmain 15 (Walker 2, Edwards, Graves, Regent tries) defeated Eastern Suburbs 8 (Lenton, Surridge tries; King goal) at the Wentworth Park Ground in front of around 3,000 spectators.

Balmain were never in any danger of defeat, both Easts tries came late in the match with Balmain already leading by 15 points.

The lineups were-

Eastern Suburbs: Bill KingWilliam Lenton • Sid Kaufman • Percy McNamara • Les Abott • Harry FleggTom BruceMick Frawley • F. Denholm • Arthur SurridgeArthur Hennessy (c) • Harold Kelley • Sid Pearce

Balmain: F. Wooley • W. Smith • A. Walker • A. Latta • A Fitzpatrick • Arthur Halloway • L. Edwards • F. Woodward • B. Graves • J. Regent (c) • F. Ward • T. McFadyen • J. Appoloney

Point analysis

Offence

The lowdown: Eastern Suburbs completed the following score options in the 1908 season:

  • 37 tries
  • 32 goals
  • 0 field goals

The result:

Eastern Suburbs scored a total of 167 points in 1909.

The verdict:

  • Eastern Suburbs try scoring ability dropped by 26% on their previous season.
  • Eastern Suburbs goal scoring ability dropped by 3% on their previous season.
  • Eastern Suburbs field goal kicking ability dropped by 100% on their previous season.
  • Eastern Suburbs overall point scoring ability dropped by 16.8% on their previous season.
  • Eastern Suburbs total point score dropped by 8.74% on their previous season.

Defence

The lowdown:

Eastern Suburbs conceded the following score options in the 1909 season:

  • 38 tries
  • 21 goals
  • 0 field goals

The result:

Eastern Suburbs conceded a total of 141 points in 1909.

The verdict:

  • Eastern Suburbs try scoring defence dropped by 26.3% on their previous season.
  • Eastern Suburbs goal kicking defence dropped by 28.5% on their previous season.
  • Eastern Suburbs field goal defence was maintained on their previous season.
  • Eastern Suburbs overall defense dropped by 27.1% on their previous season.
  • Eastern Suburbs total points against defensive effort dropped by 34% on their previous season.

Season summary

Notes

  1. Many of Eastern Suburbs leading players (particularly those who had gone away on the previous year's Kangaroo tour) had taken up contracts with English rugby league clubs . Missing much of the backend of the season. Excerpts from English rugby league club Warrington Wolves's 1909/10 yearbook show that Dan Frawley, Johno Stuntz and Larry O'Malley all played with that club in the 1909/10 English season. It also reveals that they had telegrammed Dally Messenger attempting to sign both he and Sid Pearce. Another Eastern Suburbs player, Albert Rosenfeld, signed with Huddlesfied where he became one of English rugby league greatest try scorers.
  2. Dally Messenger took no part in 1909 Eastern Suburbs season.

References

    • Rugby League Tables and Statistics
    • Ian Heads, True Blue - the true story of the NSW Rugby League, ISBN 1 875471 138,
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