1907 Pre-Season Training
	Pre-season training has become more and more intensive as the physical demands of our game place more demands on players.   But back in 1907, a player could sometimes get a game without a lot of pre-season work (or even a train ticket) ...

"Late in 1907, the V.F.A. refused to allow matches to be played at Port Melbourne because of continual problems with crowd behaviour.   The first match following the disqualification of the ground was between Preston and Port Melbourne, switched to Williamstown."

"I was living at Seddon at the time and walked across to try and have a word with my cousins, "Son" and Edgar Yeomans, Preston players, as their train was en route to Williamstown.    I couldn't see them in the front carriages where I thought they would be, but as the train started to move off, I was greeted with "Jump in, we are a man short" from a carriage further down the track."

"I managed to scramble aboard, and one of the cousins hastily explained that Hedley Tomkins, afterwards Melbourne's champion rover (who was in one of the carriages) had injured his ankle and would not be able to play.    There were no emergencies in the team".

"I broke two railway regulations - I boarded the train while it was moving, and travelled without a ticket!. Fortunately the Preston boys had a group excursion ticket so I got past the gates at Williamstown with no problem."

"I borrowed Hedley Tomkin's "togs", and played in my own boots which were certainly not built for football, and made was perhaps a unique debut in senior football."

"F.M".  The Age, March 24, 1934

In 1933 and 1934, The Age ran a fascinating series of articles on the history of many of Melbourne's leading sports grounds, mostly the League, but with a few Association venues, including Port Melbourne, thrown in for good measure.    Unfortunately Preston, re-established in the V.F.A. just seven years earlier, didn't rate a mention, but at least the mysterious ex-player gave us a plug!

"F. M" can run, but he can't hide!

The Herald on the evening of the match noted both teams struggling for players after the late switch of grounds and the Presto line-up includes "F. Major" the forward pocket (and probably second ruck).  

Major's claim of a unique "debut in senior football" could well be true, but equally it was also the end to his brief career.   Coincidentally Preston were drawn to the regular fixture play Williamstown at their ground again the following Saturday, but either a few more regulars turned out, or the train didn't stop at Seddon and our correspondent went into retirement as a one-game wonder!

(For the record, Preston lost both matches : on August 24 to Port Melbourne 9-12-66 to 3-11-29, and the following Saturday when the eventual premiers Wlliamstown won 14-12-96 to Preston 5-8-38.

Fred Major was the son of Gilbert Frederick Major, a well-known Northcote identity and manager for many years of the town's only bank, the London Chartered, originally on the corner of High and Lawry Streets.    The bank later moved to rather grander premises next door which ultimately became better known as the English, Scottish and Australian Bank (E. S. and A.)