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The Cordner-Eggleston Cup is the trophy for the annual Australian rules football game played between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School. The award commemorates the football rivalry between our two schools, dating back to 1858. The Cordner-Eggleston Cup was introduced in 1989 to honour two notable sportsmen and personalities who gave great service to football and to their respective schools.
What is generally regarded as the first recorded and recognisable match of Australian Rules Football commenced on Saturday 7 August 1858 between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar School.
Both teams assembled on that eventful day at the appointed time. The playing space extended from the Jolimont end of the ground, where Cliveden Mansions once stood on Punt Road, Richmond. The goalposts were about 800m apart, so with teams of 40 per side and with very few rules to hinder the game, it was only natural that the scoring would be low.
It was agreed that the team that first scored two goals would win the match. After three hours of play, Scotch kicked the first goal and Grammar responded with a goal of its own. However, with darkness descending, it was decided to resume the game on the following Saturday.
Through a misunderstanding, Melbourne Grammar did not appear on the second Saturday. The Melbourne Grammar Secretary wrote to The Argus newspaper, offering to continue the game on the following Saturday, 14 August 1858. Scotch agreed, and the game continued, but neither team managed to score a second goal.
On the next Saturday, 4 September 1858, the scoreboard still showed one goal per team, so the game was abandoned, and recorded as a draw.
One account of the match states that ‘The ball was frequently in the north-west corner of the park, and was at one time taken by a Grammar School player behind his own goal and right round the other side of the cricket ground fence. This seemed, however, carrying the thing too far, and on being appealed to, Mr Thomas Wills, who acted as umpire, decided that the ball was out of bounds, and it was accordingly brought back’. The game has significantly evolved from that pivotal pioneering match.
Through a misunderstanding, Melbourne Grammar did not appear on the second Saturday. The Melbourne Grammar Secretary wrote to The Argus newspaper, offering to continue the game on the following Saturday, 14 August 1858. Scotch agreed, and the game continued, but neither team managed to score a second goal.
On the next Saturday, 4 September 1858, the scoreboard still showed one goal per team, so the game was abandoned, and recorded as a draw.
One account of the match states that ‘The ball was frequently in the north-west corner of the park, and was at one time taken by a Grammar School player behind his own goal and right round the other side of the cricket ground fence. This seemed, however, carrying the thing too far, and on being appealed to, Mr Thomas Wills, who acted as umpire, decided that the ball was out of bounds, and it was accordingly brought back’. The game has significantly evolved from that pivotal pioneering match.
Donald Cordner was an outstanding schoolboy footballer and all-round sportsman at Melbourne Grammar School. He went on to play 166 games as an amateur with the Melbourne Football Club between 1942 and 1950. He was one of the great ruckmen of the period, winning the Brownlow Medal in 1946, and was Captain of Melbourne during its 1948 Premiership year. In 2000 he was selected in Melbourne’s Team of the Century, and in 2001 he was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.
Dr Cordner gave great service as a member of the Melbourne Grammar School Council from 1974 until his retirement in 1989. During the last four years of this period Dr Cordner was Chairman of the Council. He also served on the Melbourne Football Club and the Melbourne Cricket Club committees. He was MCC President from 1985-92. Dr Cordner died on 13 May 2009.
Michael Eggleston was an excellent schoolboy athlete, cricketer and footballer, playing in the centre with the 1st XVIII which won the APS Premiership in 1947. At Melbourne University he gained blues for cricket and football. He also played District Cricket for Collingwood, and was an outstanding footballer for the Old Scotch Football Club.
In January 1958 Mr Eggleston joined the Scotch College staff, where he served with great distinction, rising to be Vice Principal until his retirement through ill health in 1987. He coached the 1st XVIII for 14 years from 1965 to 1978. Seven APS Premierships were won by teams under his coaching, and enough Scotch boys of that era went on to join VFL clubs to form a team of their own. Mr Eggleston died on 26 February 1988.
Scotch College Melbourne:
ABN 86 852 826 445 CRICOS 00624A
