Link to Photo at SLV Website
SLV Accession no. H2008.122/149
Team: Fire Brigade F.C. (Wednesday League)
People:
Garnet Campbell - fourth from left in middle row
Paddy Walsh - extreme right of top row
Location: M.C.G.
Date: 1930
Comment
SLV identification indisputable. ‘Fire Brigade F.C 1930’ is written on the negative. Photographed at MCG in front of the old members’ stand. Two players identified.
Peter Burke has noted the special relationship between Essendon and the Fire Brigade. At least six members of the 1932 Essendon team were Fire Brigade employees(1). Bad emulsion damage on left-hand side partly obscures face of one player. Nineteen players. Jumpers not completely uniform. Socks not uniform. Black shorts. Collingwood-style jumper although one player (Walsh) has black sleeves. A good clear photo apart from the emulsion damage.
1. See P. Burke, A Social History of Workplace Australian Football 1860-1939, PhD thesis, RMIT University (School of Global Studies), 2008, p. 254.
Further Work Needed
Fire Brigade played in the 1930 Wednesday League Grand Final considering that Boyles specialised in VFL/VFA it is probable that the photo is from the 1930 Grand Final. Garnet did not play in the previous game so that makes this more likely.
Players
An Argus article from mid way through the 1930 season lists players in the League who also play for VFL/VFA clubs, in part it reads... "The Fire Brigade are best off for senior players, such as Foster, Watson (Richmond), G. Campbell and Webster (Essendon), Beasley (Oakleigh), and Tyson (Yarraville)."
FOOTBALL. (1930, July 1). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 17. Retrieved July 13, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4096710
Webster is probably Essendon 1938 captain Len Webster. The player back row 4th left does look like a younger Webster when compared to a 1938 photo in the SLV Collection ref:H2008.122/238
Foster is probably 'Bert Foster'. Bert Foster appears in the 1929 Griffiths Black Crow and 1933 Wills photos. Using those two photos, maybe he is 3rd from right in the middle row. See a facial comparison below. But I am not sure.
Watson is probably Ern Watson. The Essendon F.C. website indicates that Ern Watson was a fireman. ref: http://www.essendonfc.com.au/team/player-past.asp?id=948. I cannot identify Watson from his 1929 Griffiths Black Crow card.
Other Essendon Players with links
Jack Vorsti
“Like many Essendon players of this period he worked as a fireman with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. Like many Essendon players of this period he worked as a fireman with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.” - http://www.essendonfc.com.au/team/player-past.asp?id=926
(I cannot find Vorsti in this photo or the name Vorsti in a 1930 Brigade team list)
The Argus includes a photo of Fire Brigade vs Railways from early in the 1930 season.
ref http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4087345
Duplicates - Near Identical Photos
External Links
Team List for final match of the season:
WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1930, September 2). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 12. Retrieved July 13, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4184937
Report thtat Fire Brigade won the final match and that a grand final will be played the next week at the MCG
WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1930, September 4). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 11. Retrieved July 13, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4186429
Fire Brigade Protest rejected about Yellow Cabs playing an unregistered player.
WEDNESDAY LEAGUE. (1930, September 19). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), p. 14. Retrieved July 13, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4194618