492 THE 1938 AUSTRALIAN CRICKET TEAM, official team sheet with 17 signatures including Don Bradman, Stan McCabe, Sid Barnes, Bill O’Reilly & Lindsay Hassett. In remarkably fine condition, with all signatures in ink. This is a fine example of Australia’s first official team sheet. It was Bradman’s first tour of England as captain. During the 1938 tour of England, Bradman played the most consistent cricket of his career. He needed to score heavily as England had a strengthened batting line-up, while the Australian bowling was over-reliant on O’Reilly. Playing 26 innings on tour, Bradman recorded 13 centuries (a new Australian record) and made 1,000 first-class runs before the end of May, becoming the only player to do so twice. In scoring 2,429 runs, Bradman achieved the highest average ever recorded in an English season: 115.66. $500–750 ❖ 493 AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL: JAMES HIRD’S 2001 RUNNERS-UP MEDAL, from the 2001 Grand Final; the medal showing two players with the MCG in the background, and text “AFL Grand Final, 2001, Runners-up/ AFL ” . Reverse has text, “To reach the Grand Final, the ultimate event in a long, arduous, and highly competitive season, is a great achievement. Congratulations on behalf of the AFL. Ron Evans, Chairman, AFL Commission” . Essendon 12.10.82 lost to the Brisbane Lions 15.18.108. Essendon captain James Hird was visibly shattered and disappointed in his post-match speech. This was Essendon’s most recent Grand Final appearance. $2,000–3,000 ❖ SPORT 490 1892 VRC STEEPLECHASE: Leather-bound “Victoria Racing Club, 1892. Autumn Meeting, Official Programme, Steeplechase Day” . Together with a dinner menu, “Welcome to Bundoora Park. The ‘Brunswick Herd’ and ‘Bundoora Park Stud’ Annual Sale 1878” . Fair/Good condition. $800–1,000 491 TOMMY WOODCOCK PHARLAP WALKING STICK, fruitwood with horses hoof handle, carved “Good luck Pharlap A.R.W. ” , carved monogram “A.R.W. ” , 93cm long $2,000–3,000 491 490 92