The year the Lions played an AFL game against Carlton – and got belted

As expected, from the first bounce of the ball – or did they throw it up, back then? – Carlton seized control.

“At a very early stage in the game it was apparent that their skill in marking was giving Carlton an immense advantage in the game,” The Age report said.

Before a crowd of 22,000, Carlton led by 16 points at quarter-time – 2.5 (17) to 0.1 (1) – and stretched the margin to 75 points by the end of the game – 14.17 (101) to 3. 8 (26).

“In the last quarter, the local men quite ran over their opponents, who are evidently not in the same excellent condition as the Carlton men,” the report said.

Winning, or losing, wasn’t everything. Money played a vital part. The Englishmen were given £382 from the £900 gate receipts, which roughly translates to $65,000 of $155,000 in today’s measure.

On top of that, there were a couple of noticeable tactics, albeit unsuccessful, that might have played a part in the development of our national game. The Englishmen, it seems, were the first to switch the ball as well as placing an emphasis on tackling pressure.

“In one instance, through an English player doing what is never done by colonial players – kicking the ball across in front of his own goal on the wing – (Carlton’s) Gellatly got a mark and a splendid shot for goal resulted in the ball striking the post,” The Age reported.

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Another excerpt revealed: “It was noticeable that the Englishmen seldom failed to bring their man to grass when once they got their hands on him, and they were much more successful in preventing their opponents running with the ball than in spoiling their marking play.

“The Englishmen, though they played with more confidence than they had done at first, never got the dash of their opponents, and the dribbling game which they tried several times, was not effective.”

In following games, the Lions also lost to Fitzroy 12.20 (92) to 3.4 (22), and to Essendon 7.16 (58) to 3.5 (23).

The Lions played 18 games of Aussie rules while on tour, and even won a couple – they defeated Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

There’ll be no drop punts or handball chains against the Wallabies at the MCG on Saturday night, but we were so curious as to how the British and Irish Lions would handle themselves against the current day Blues we asked a Carlton great.

Apart from being worried about the rugby tactic of lifting a teammate by the shorts to “mark the ball”, dual Brownlow Medallist Greg Williams said the Lions “wouldn’t be able to score”.

“We’d struggle against them, too, at union. It’s not just one way. If we had to play them at union, they would belt us, too,” he said.

“But it’s a different athlete we’re talking about here. They’ve got some really good runners on the wings and stuff, but endurance wise, there’s no way they’d be able to keep up after quarter-time. But I don’t think it’s going to happen for another hundred years.”

Cross code challenges have happened since in the UK, according The Guardian’s Robert Kitson who referenced a 1996 series between league side Wigan and rugby outfit Bath.

“Guess what? Wigan thrashed Bath at league and Bath comfortably saw off Wigan in the rematch,” Kitson said.

“The British and Irish Lions do have a few mobile loose forwards and back three players – James Lowe, Tommy Freeman, Henry Pollock, Ben Earl, Blair Kinghorn, Jamie Osborne – who might make half-decent Aussie rules footballers while the Wallabies’ Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is an obvious candidate. But, let’s face it, times have changed slightly since1888.

“The chances of today’s British and Irish rugby players defeating an AFL side are on a par with Australians suddenly developing a taste for warm beer.”

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