MPNFL: Tyabb and Mornington will renew rivalries after 106 years

Local football history will be made this weekend when Tyabb and Mornington face each other for the first time in 106 years. We look at their last clash in 1915.

Mornington's football side in 1914. Many of the players played against Tyabb in 1915.

Season 2021 brings together for the first time since Round 8, 1915, Tyabb versus Mornington in senior football.

It is the longest gap in local football history and probably country football where two teams in

the one area have had a 106-year gap between games.

This unique record comes about after Mornington was relegated in 2019 after having the

extraordinary record of playing in the MPNFL top flight (Division 1) competition for over 110 years.

The two clubs did meet in B grade competitions since 1915 but never in senior football.

Let’s look back at 1915 and the last time these two teams played against one another.

The match was at Alexandra Park on July 3, 1915 after Mornington had won the Round 1 clash, 6.7 (43) to 2.6 (18), at Tyabb Reserve.

Mornington was coached by Tom Gibney, a former Geelong VFL player, while the Tyabb team was led by veteran George Slocombe.

The Grand Hotel in Mornington was run by the Harrison family. The three Harrison boys (Lou Jr., George and Tom) all played football for Mornington.

The 18 of Mornington on that day were: Lou Connell, Tom Gibney, William Sanderson, W. Hailes, Sam Sherlock, Peter Olsen, Albert White, George Wilson, Sam Garlick, Lou Harrison, John Connell, Jim Wilson, Arthur Thompson, Jack MacArthur, Jack Hutchins, Tom Harrison, Walter Golds and Lincoln Butler.

The Tyabb team was: George Slocombe, David Longmuir, Fred Mills, Albert Mills, Colin McKirdy, William Denham, William Longmuir, Jack Baker, Walter Hobson, Les Slocombe, John Millington, Laurie Denham, Bert Alden, Harold Mills, Frank Unthank, Ron McLaurin, Arnold Noble and Horace Russell.

Mornington’s footy side is sitting second on the MPNFL Division 2 ladder in 2021.

Mornington got away to a good start and put up a handy lead with their two big forwards playing an important role and the game was over before half time.

Tyabb did not give up trying and matched the home team after the break. Mornington won 16.12 (108) to Tyabb 6.8 (44). Mornington’s goal scorers were Lou Connell 6, Tom Gibney 3, William Sanderson 2, W. Hailes 2, Sam Sherlock 2 and Peter Olsen and Albert White one apiece.

For Tyabb, David Longmuir scored 2 goals while Fred Mills, Albert Mills, Colin

McKirdy and William Denham got one each.

Best players for Mornington were Lou Connell, Albert White, Sam Sherlock, Tom Gibney and W. Hailes, while for Tyabb David Longmuir and Colin Mc Kirdy did a great lot of the hard work as well as the reliable George Slocombe and William Longmuir.

Mornington coach Simon Goosey.

The news of the war in Europe and Australia’s involvement at Gallipoli were just filtering through to the public and many locals were joining up at the time this game was being played.

By the end of round 11 on July 31 the season was curtailed and finals then took place with Mornington taking out the premiership defeating Langwarrin Guards

TOM GIBNEY was recruited to Mornington after several seasons coaching with East Geelong he had been at Geelong F. C in 1906 where he played 7 games. Tom was quite tall and a very accurate kick at goal. It was the first coaching position on the Peninsula prior to that season

players were elected as captain and they fulfilled the role of coach. Tom ended up back at Geelong playing with North Geelong after the war ended. In 1915, his year with

Mornington, he won the P.F.A goal kicking award kicking with 31 goals.

GEORGE SLOCOMBE the Tyabb captain and veteran rover was a local champion having

played in the glory days at Hastings when Tyabb struggled to field a team. Small in

stature he made up for it with tenacity and a hard attack on the ball. Handy around

goal he was a war horse for Tyabb in an era when the club struggled. However, he was

able to be a key player when the glory years came, playing in the 1921 and 1922

Premiership teams. Played over 170 games for Tyabb, Somerville, Hastings and

Moorooduc. He was also selected to represent the P. F. A in the first Association

match against Essendon in 1914. A fine cricketer and a brilliant horseman George,

or Geordie, as he was known, is one of the legends of Tyabb Football Club.

DAVID LONGMUIR who was best on ground for Tyabb in the match against Mornington was a fine player who always led from the front and was regularly one of the best players

for the Maroons. David became captain of the side after George Slocombe and led the club to its third premiership in a row, having played in the first two. Played well into his

30s and chalked up over 200 games at Tyabb, Hastings and Moorooduc.

Several of the players in the Tyabb v Mornington game from 1915 would sign up to the conflict. Those from Mornington would be Sam Garlick, Lincoln Butler and Jack MacArthur. From Tyabb, William Denham, Laurence Denham, Walter Hobson, Ron McLaurin, David Longmuir and Horace Russell.

Sadly, Laurence Denham did not survive the war while Horace Russell was captured and spent several years in a German P.O.W camp and although he returned home and became secretary of the Tyabb club he did not enjoy the best of mental health and died in 1923.

So now after 106 years these two local historic clubs meet again to resume the contest that in 1915 nobody at that game would have ever considered taking that long to come together again.

Even now, with Covid, the crowd will be minimal — possibly reflecting the numbers at the on that day in July, 1915.