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Lacrosse in Australia

Beginnings of Lacrosse in Victoria
The pioneer of lacrosse in Australia was a Canadian, Lambton L. Mount. He came to the Victorian goldfields as a fourteen year old with his family in 1853 but it was not until 1875 that he was moved to revive his early boyhood memories of lacrosse. After watching the football final between Carlton and Melbourne in that year it occurred to him that lacrosse was a superior game.

In April of 1876 Mount wrote to the Australasian Newspaper to announce that he was arranging to import forty lacrosse sticks from Canada and intended to start lacrosse and establish the Melbourne Lacrosse Club. He succeeded and the first practice match of this club took place on 22nd June 1876 between 15-20 players at Albert Park. The Melbourne club continued to promote the sport and arranged matches between the "Reds" and "Blues" in Albert Park during 1877-78. By 1879, four clubs had been formed with some 120 players. These four clubs Melbourne, Fitzroy, South Melbourne and Carlton formed the Victorian Lacrosse Association in July 1879 for the purpose of coordinating matches. His Excellency, the Governor of Victoria The Most Hon G.A.C. Phipps, was the inaugural Patron.

WA
The introduction of Lacrosse into Western Australia was the direct consequence of gold discoveries in the Eastern Goldfields. The earliest records of playing Lacrosse in the Goldfields suggest that the game was first played in ??? It was not until 1895, when two players from the eastern states, F Parsons and F Wingrove, arrived in Perth that formal Lacrosse began in the coastal plains. These two Lacrosse pioneers helped form two Perth clubs - Perth and Fremantle in 1896. Two further clubs Mercantile (based on a merchandising warehouse) and Cottesloe (later Banks) were formed in 1897. A formal competition commenced in 1898 with Mercantile winning the first premiership in that year.

During 1899, a "Coastal" team visited the Goldfields where local devotee, Arthur O'Connor, was nurturing the sport - principally from Coolgardie. This exhibition game became a regular feature of the Western Australian sporting calander till 1914, when a downturn in the gold industry and the outbreak of World War 1 signalled the end of the Goldfields team. Later attempts to revive the game in Kalgoorlie in the 1930's and in the 1980's both failed.

The game received a boost in 1907 with a visit by a team from Canada. The local players welcomed the international competition, and relished the opportunity to learn from the Canadians who had been playing for the previous 100 years. Four matches were played in WA -two at Perth (at the WACA), one at Fremantle, and the other at Kalgoorlie. Canada won all games convincingly. One city game received particularly good attendance when authorities cancelled all local sporting events.

One critique of the four match series stated "our capless and gloveless veterans, wielding clumsy crosses tightly strung, and reaching the players shin, found their game of long throwing and hard running quite ineffective against the clever short passing with the short, loosely strung crosses and the trickery of the visitors " (1931 Historical Vol.1 History of WALA).

After an initial surge of interest following the Canadian visit, and despite Western Australia's participation in interstate competition in 1910 and 1912, Lacrosse began to languish. By 1914 only 3 teams existed. Between 1915 and 1920, due to WW1, all Lacrosse games were suspended.

Of the registered players at the time 136 enlisted and 24 did not return.Changes adopted in the local competition subsequent to the Canadian team's visit persisted for the next 50 years when further overseas developments became evident. Further, the Canadian visit exposed the absence of a national competition controlling body. The differences in the rules of the two dominions were known but nothing was organised to iron them out. The State Associations were conscious of this weakness, so in 1910 they met for a conference with the aim of setting up a Lacrosse Union. The majority of the States failed to ratify the proposal and with the oncoming of World War I the idea was not revived till 1931 when the Australian Lacrosse Council was formed.

Mainly through the vision and enthusiasm of stalwarts like Mr C E B Hickey and Mr I Taylor (the donor of the I J Taylor Shield which is still awarded to the WALA Division I premiers) lacrosse was reestablished in Perth and Fremantle regions in 1921. Both of these gentlemen became and remained dominant forces in the Western Australian Lacrosse Association and the Australian Lacrosse Council for many years. In 1930 eight clubs were involved in senior competition and a Lacrosse Old Players and Referees Association was established.

In the period 1925 to 1939 a representative Western Australian team competed (unsuccessfully) in national championships.

Senior fixtures were again abandoned in 1942 by which time most of the players had answered to the call of service. A junior competition for 8-a-side teams continued and it was players from this era who made a significant contribution to the game in the post-war period.

Full competition recommenced in 1946 with 9 clubs participating in both senior and junior grades. Western Australian teams have competed in the Australian Championships since their inception but winning at this level did not come easily. The Western Australian team won their first Championship, which it hosted, in 1947 then had to wait another 25 years to win again in 1972. At that 1947 championship six WA players were selected in the Australian All Stars team. Since annual championships commenced in 1981 Western Australia has won 10 of the 15 Australian Championships held.

By 1949 the competition had its highest ever number of registered players - 50. One reason that the numbers stayed high during the second World War was that teams were reduced from 12 down to 8 and could have unlimited reserves.

After World War 2 the game was upset in an unexpected quarter. Dollar restrictions were imposed on luxury and sporting goods, which caused a drastic shortage in available sticks. A cry went up from the WA Lacrosse Association to past players to donate their old sticks to juniors instead of having them lay idle in some back shed.

Even with these donations nowhere near enough sticks could be supplied so juniors turned away from the sport, leaving numbers to dwindle from 500 in 1949 to 350 by 1950 and the future of the sport was in doubt.

A large consignment of sticks was ordered from Pakistan in 1951 and with the introduction of English sticks the following year the sport was able to continue.

Australia's entry into international lacrosse was precipitated by a visit in 1959 of a combined US team from Virginia and Washington Lee Universities. Again it was evident that Australia was lagging in all aspects of the game.

An Australian team which toured the US in 1962 contained 3 players and an official from WA who were to make very significant contributions to the game and Australia's international competition - Laurie Turnbull, who negotiated for Australia's entry into international competition; Robert (Bob) Ramsay a veteran player, who became State and National Coach and Brian Griffin who was later acclaimed as one of the greatest ever exponents of the game. Brian is the only lacrosse player to be named the Western Australian Sportsman of the Year (1967) and is included in the WA Sports Hall of Fame. In the same year (1967) Brian was one of eight players from Western Australia in an Australian team which performed creditably in a four nation tournament in Toronto, Canada.

The official World Series of matches to be held on a 4-year rotational basis commenced in Melbourne in 1974.

WA provided 7 players to the National team. In subsequent championships WA provided 2 players in Manchester 1978, 5 players in Baltimore 1982, 7 in Toronto 1986, 11 in Perth 1990 and 8 in Manchester 1994. Players from Western Australia received international recognition in 1982 when Jeff Kennedy was named Most Valuable Player of the Series and Peter Cann was named in the World Team. At Toronto in 1986 Peter Cann received the Most Valuable Player award and he and Jeff Kennedy were selected in the World Team. In 1990 Murray Keen became the World Team goalkeeper, in 1992 David Whiteman was named attack in the World Under 19 Team and in 1994 Stephen Mounsey was Western Australia's World Team defender. Western Australia has also provided referees who have toured with Australian teams and officiated at international level.

Western Australia has hosted many Australian Lacrosse Championships, at all levels over the years, as well it has hosted many teams from other countries including USA, Canada, Japan and England which have toured and played in Western Australia. A highlight of lacrosse history in WA was the hosting of the World Series in Perth in 1990. Don Rudderham headed the organising team which planned and conducted a tournament which surpassed all previous events. Financial gains from the conduct of the Lacrosse World Series in 1990 was the catalyst for the establishment of the Western Australian Lacrosse Foundation in 1991 for the further promotion and development of the game in Western Australia.

In 2002 once again WA hosted the World Series, now known as the Lacrosse World Championships, the game had expanded from five nation in 1990 (Australia, Canada, England, Iroquois and USA) to sixteen teams compeating in three divisions in 2002 (Australia, Canada , Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Iroquois, Japan, Korea , New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden , USA and Wales)

Since World War 2 the numerical club and player strengths have been static. In 1995 competition comprised of 7 clubs participating in two senior and 3 junior divisions, the WA division of the Australian Lacrosse Referees Association and the Kuljak Club which was established in 1963 for ex-lacrosse players and supporters. Sofcrosse and modcrosse, modified versions of lacrosse developed by the Australian Lacrosse Council and suitable for younger children and adolescents, were adopted in 1982. Sofcrosse was included in the Aussie Sports Programme in 1984-85 and proved to be immensely popular. It was acclaimed in 1987 as the fastest growing sport in the programme and is included in school sports curriculum.

The Modcrosse programme has expanded from 3 clubs and 59 players in 1987 to 8 clubs and 360 WALA registered players in 1995. This does not include many thousands more players who compete in school and independent competitions.

The dedication and efficiency of earlier administrators, CEM Hickey, IJ Taylor, RW Elliot, JL Garden, AR Page, L Turnbull, W A Whiteman, HV Horner, all of whom provided a life-time service to lacrosse, established a standard which is being maintained by leaders at club, State and national level.

Women's Lacrosse
In 1962, under the guidance of Mrs. Joy Parker, the Australian Women's Lacrosse Council (AWLC) was formed. Mrs Parker became the inaugural President following the first interstate match between Victoria and South Australia with Mrs Titter Secretary and Mrs L. Rolley Treasurer.

In 1965, the Men's Lacrosse carnival was held in Perth, Western Australia and the AWLC were invited to play their annual interstate match between VIC and SA during this carnival. The Western Australians were persuaded to form an Association and at the same time to join the AWLC. (Coincidentally they also entered into what became the first Women's Lacrosse Championship).

In 1975, the Tasmania Women's Association was formed in Hobart. In 1978, Tasmania became a full member of the AWLC and entered their first official team in the Championships in Perth in 1978.

The Senior National Championships have been held on a yearly basis since 1978 with South Australia reigning supreme from 1985 through until 1996 when Victoria defeated them for the first time in the final for 12 years. A monumental win for Victoria and an end to a 12 year awesome victory stretch by South Australia.

In 1970, the first U16 National Championship was held and in 1982, the first U19 interstate match was played between South Australia and Victoria at the Senior Nationals in Adelaide.

South Australia
AULC The Blacks Club History

Lacrosse began in South Australia in 1885, practice was held by the Adelaide Lacrosse ClubAdelaide Lacrosse Club 1885 in the South Parklands. By 1887 North Adelaide, Noarlunga and Knightsbridge had joined Adelaide to play regular games in the city. Large crowds were recorded at the race course fixtures.

Lacrosse soon spread around the colony, teams were formed at Pt. Augusta, Pt Germein, Jamestown and Riverton. Noble Prize winning professor Bragg, a founding member of the North Adelaide club established University in 1889. By 1896 the Club had become a founding member of the Adelaide University Sports Association.

University 1896 After the 2nd World War the club suffered from a lack of playing equipment caused by the dollar imbargo. This nearly caused the demise of the sport in the state.

As the club entered the modern era many great players joined the Blacks under the compulsion rule. The club in the 70's boasted a large percentage of Australian team members.

At the turn of the new century the Blacks have begun to gain momentum as a club, winning 3 premierships in 2 years and beginning a junior development programme.B Grade Men

Woodville Lacrosse has its origins in the culture of the Native North Americans, and had been adopted, with modifications, as a game by white settlers, and thus, through the colonial era, found eager sportsmen to play the game in Australia. It was a vigorous field game, without boundaries, and two teams of 12 athletes competed by throwing a hard rubber ball into opposing goals. This is achieved by catching and throwing the ball with the crosse or netted stick. The game was introduced to South Australia by Professor Bragg and it followed that in 1888 the South Australian Lacrosse Association was formed, and the game grew in popularity in the small city of Adelaide and through the country towns. It has become a game without boundaries for age, gender, nationality and venue.

Clubs
EFLC est c1904 Subiaco est 1940 Wembley est 1938 (women 1966) 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960 (57 draw with Freo) Phoenix est 1989 ((Melville City & Burrendah (?-1986))=>Southern Districts (1987-8) & Fremantle LC (1897-1988) Bayswater est 1939

Camberwell (1928 - Kooyong(1909)&Canterbury(1909) absorbed Glen Iris (1929) in 1952, was Cam-Glen Iris until 1979) Caulfield est 1909 - W2005 Chadstone est 1960 from MCC players Eltham est 1964 - 2004, 2005 Malvern est 1903 - MCC Lax est 1896 Surrey Park est 1948 (Box Hill and Wattle Park) - 1981, 1984, 1988, 1993, 1995 Williamstown est 1898 - 1963-5-6-7-8-9-70-1-3-5-6-7-8-9-80-2-3-5-6-90-1-2-8