This is how I found out about Wilding's history of the Mornington Peninsula in about 1906. I tried to submit the journal yesterday (oops two days ago) but it would not submit so I'll play it safe and make a start only this time.

MORE FOOTY ON THE MORNINGTON PENINSULA.
In trying to find which land was first settled by John Buckley in the parish of Bittern, I found this treasure. It discusses some of the Peninsula's champions at a time when they were unlikely to be mentioned in the pages of the Mornington Standard because the editor of the time considered historical articles and serialised novels to be more worthy content. The Gomm mentioned was Herbert (Paddy) Gomm, father of Billy and George, two legends of the Somerville Football Club and Billy Monk was also part of the extended Gomm family, Paddy's father Henry Gomm, having married Margaret Monk while both families were living in Balcombe Rd, Mentone circa 1860. Box was a name very prominent in the Frankston Fish Company and Frankston church circles. It is possible that Footscray's Brownlow Medallist, Peter Box, who went to the Bulldogs from the Rosellas (Cheltenham), followed shortly afterwards in Teddy Whitten's first year by Ron Porta*, was a descendant of the Frankston pioneers.
(* Descendant of Joseph Porta, Victoria's first manufacturer of bellows. (See journal.)

My thanks to the person from the Frankston Library who corrected the digitisation.
PAGE 4, FRANKSTON AND SOMERVILLE STANDARD, 22-7-1921.

Football Reminiscences
The Peninsula's Past Champions Recalled
CONDUCTED BY OUR SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE
I was standing in the Frankston Park , watching Hastings being comfortably thrashed by Frankston, and two old-time players ? one from the shores of Westernport and the other from the silvery sands of Port Phillip ? got into the demesne of reminiscence, and, with sparkling eyes and smiles on their faces, recalled the days when Hastings were the champions of the Peninsula. "Those were the days," one observed, and the other agreed. "Hastings were invincible in those roaring days," remarked the Hastings veteran. His chest puffed out with pride, as he pointed to "Nipper" Floyd, and said, "Ah, he was a great lad in those days."
The Frankstonite agreed, but, not to be outdone, reminded his old opponent that one season the only time that Hastings were defeated the feat was achieved by Frankston! And then they laughed, and declared once more that "them wuz the days. " As they talked of the past, the happy thought came to me that it ought to prove interesting to give a short and concise review of the past. But The Standard's space is limited to some extent, and I shall only be able to delve into history a decade before Australia's athletes tackled Abdul and the Hun overseas. Many names will be mentioned ? and some that should be mentioned might be omitted ? but every name in itself may revive a dormant memory, for many of these players shone with brilliance in League football for many years.
Since 1900 the Peninsula has been one of the principal football territories in the State and the League clubs sent "Invitations" lavishly to these parts. Hastings won the premiership five years running.
THE SHEEHAN TROPHY In 1905 the Sheehan Trophy was captured by Hastings, who won the premiership by forfeit, as Sorrento did not put in an appearance. The teams in the Peninsula contest were Hastings, Sorrento, Mornington, Flinders and Dromana. Hastings defeated the whole lot, and annihilated Tooradin also the day they had the bye. The Perriams, McCartney, A.Moffatt (who captained Hastings the year before) and Sheeby were about the most prominent exponents of the game. McCartney and Moffatt were snapped by St Kilda that season, and they proved themselves worthy of the honor bestowed upon them.
ATTORNEY- GENERAL'S PATRONAGE Dromana, who enjoyed the patronage of Mr Justice Higgins* ? at that time he was Attorney General of Australia ? were a very able team, being captained by that really great player, Ernie Rudduck, whose exploits with Richmond, and later with Collingwood, used to send the crowds into the realms of delight. Gibson and Evans were Dromana's formidable ruck, but the "Black and Golds" lost them both to Fitzroy.
(*Higgins spent much time at his ?Heronswood? at Dromana, where he probably wrote much of his ?Harvester Judgement? , relating to workers at H.V.McKay?s workers at Braybrook Junction (Sunshine) not being paid an adequate wage, which led to the establishment of the basic wage. After his usual daily swim at ?The Rocks? (Anthony?s Nose) and a hike up Arthur?s Seat he passed away at Heronswood and was buried at Dromana near a monument to his son who was killed in W.W.1.)

N.B. I DO NOT FORGET APOSTROPHES OF POSSESSION BUT DO DELIBERATELY LEAVE THEM OUT OF PLACE NAMES SUCH AS ANTHONY'S NOSE AND ARTHUR'S SEAT, AS IS THE COMMON PRACTICE; (SEE MELWAY MAP 159.) I NEVER LEAVE OUT APOSTROPHES OF CONTRACTION! I DEPLORE THE STANDARD OF GRAMMAR, SPELLING AND PUNCTUATION DISPLAYED ON FACEBOOK AND WOULD NEVER INFLICT SUCH SLOPPINESS ON THOSE WHO READ MY JOURNALS. IF I HAPPENED TO BE A CHOOK AND A GREMLIN DROPPED A BASKET OF EGGS THAT I'D LAID, I WOULD REFUSE TO REPLACE THEM. MY GREMLINS DELETED SOME APOSTROPHES IN THE ABOVE, AS WELL AS DELETING THE LINE SPACING BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS THAT I INSERT TO MAKE READING OF LENGTHY PASSAGES MORE COMFORTABLE, AS WELL AS CHANGING ITALICS BACK TO THE STANDARD FONT. WITH APOLOGIES,I ASK YOU TO ACCEPT THE GREMLINS' TRANSLATION BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THE TIME TO RECTIFY IT.

A SPEEDY WINGSTER. Mr W. S. Cook was Mornington's president in 1905. Mornington then possessed some fine individual players. Bentley, who went to the South Melbourne district, was exceptional, and is reputed to have been the fastest wingster the Peninsula has ever produced. Besides Bentley, Mornington lost Harrap to St Kilda, L.Kirkpatrick to Williamstown, and G.Delemere, a crack forward, who performed great deeds for Perth in the Western Australian League. Whilst not so strong as a team, Flinders had one or two outstanding players, more particularly Naylor and Willett. The first named went to New South Wales and stripped for Paddington under Rugby rules, whilst Willett went to Tasmania, and was one of Launceston's best for many years.
THE MOORABBIN CONTEST . As may be remembered, in 1905, Frankston were not in the Peninsula Association. They were, with Manchester, Cheltenham and Elwood, in the Moorabbin Association. Dr. S.Plowman was Frankston's president, and the late Chief Justice of Victoria (Sir John Madden) was the principal patron. Charlie Lawrey was the captain, the previous year's captain, Charlie Box, having gone to Mirboo. Besides competitive games, Frankston defeated D. & W. Murray's team by 55 points, the Railways Department by 74 points ? the match being umpired by Charlie Willox ? and the Fitzroy district by 50 points, the bulk of the job against Fitzroy being done by "Joker" Cameron, Baxter, Tom Wenbourne (of South Melbourne fame) and Gravenall, a Wesley Collegian. Wenbonurne was at his best in those balmy days.

CAMERON AND BAXTER. The present "village blacksmith" made his debut in League football in 1903, going to South Melbourne, and Ben Baxter started with Essendon in 1900, but they were at their best in 1905, when Cliff Bourne went to Melbourne. Cameron starred in a game against Melbourne, and "The Australasian" styled him champion, as he followed practically throughout. He also starred against Geelong, "The Age" reporting that he was a decided acquisition to the game. When Fitzroy and South Melbourne joined forces and played a match in Sydney, Cameron was one of the elect. Ben Baxter starred for Essendon against Carlton, and was amongst those selected to represent the League against Ballarat. Baxter (whose son, Ray, now plays with Frankston) afterwards went to Collingwood. As a cricketer, Baxter was also a success. In 1907, for instance, he scored 1,035 runs (highest score 140) at an average of 64.6. Ted McComb knocked up 107 not out that season. In 1908, Baxter scored 102 against Hastings and 218 against Prahran; in 1909, he averaged 48.8 for a total of 782 runs, including 102 against Tyabb, 161 against Somerville, 108 against Balnarring and 118 against Hastings. In 1910 he scored 654 runs in 12 innings, averaging 54.5 runs per innings.

EDDIE DROHAN SHINES "The Standard," strange to say, devoted but little space to football reports in 1906. I have an idea that the editor of those days had visions of running contemporary to Munsey's and Pearson's of magazine fame; he was featuring Wilding's "History of the Mornington Peninsula and Charles White's "History of Bushranging," besides one of Louis Tracy's lengthy stories.
Still, there was a memorable match at Hastings. The Collingwood prince, Eddie Drohan, brought a League team along, and defeated Hastings by 19 points. Drohan was in fine fettle, but the luminous star of the match was Coutie, the famous Melbourne player, who was invincible. Jim Sharpe, then with Fitzroy, but President of Collingwood today, and Ted Rankin, of Geelong, and father of Bert and Cliff Rankin, also shone out. "The silvery tenor," George Castles, brother to Amy Castles, the gifted soprano, also played. Tom Knox and Whitehead were Hastings' best, and, I believe, Essendon secured their services at a subsequent date.

THE MAGPIES DEFEATED. In 1907, Collingwood sent a fairly strong team down to play Frankston, who were the premiers that year, and mainly through the efforts of Charlie Lawrey (who later played for Prahran), Edgar Kneen, Ben Baxter, Bill Gregory and Bert Shannon, the Magpies were defeated by 47 points. The Tigers also sent along a Richmond team, which included Brierly, the St Kilda star, and they were downed by Frankston by 49 points. At the end of the season, the Old Bull and Bush Camp played the Victorian Hardware Association at Frankston, and some notable League champions took part,......

JOURNAL ABANDONED BECAUSE OF TROUBLE SUBMITTING. Full copies of the article(published as detailed below)with my comments have been sent to the LOCAL FOOTY SHOW and appropriate historical societies; Somerville's email address was outdated.

PAGE 1, FRANKSTON AND SOMERVILLE STANDARD, 29-7-1921.

PAGE 1, FRANKSTON AND SOMERVILLE STANDARD, 5-8-1921.









TO BE CONTINUED.