ons ' ▁ranks ", ▁and ▁that ▁" he ▁is ▁a ▁decided ▁ac quisition ▁to ▁the ▁team ", ▁remarked ▁that ▁" Re id , ▁among ▁the ▁back s , ▁played ▁almost ▁perfect ▁football ▁throughout ". ▁ ▁He ▁played ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁senior ▁V FA ▁games ▁for ▁Fitz roy ▁between ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁and ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁considered ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁game ' s ▁best ▁def enders . ▁▁ ▁V FL ▁footballer ▁( 1 8 9 7 – 1 8 9 8 ) ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁when ▁the ▁Fitz roy ▁Football ▁Club ▁left ▁the ▁V FA ▁and ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁inaug ural ▁V FL ▁competition , ▁Re id ▁was ▁already ▁well ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁def ender , ▁and ▁had ▁gained ▁a ▁reputation ▁for ▁his ▁strength , ▁his ▁high ▁making ▁and ▁his ▁long ▁kick ing . In ▁the ▁sixth ▁round ▁( 1 1 ▁June ) ▁match ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁season , ▁a ▁tor rid , ▁rough ▁match ▁between ▁Fitz roy ▁and ▁Carl ton , ▁at ▁the ▁Brun sw ick ▁Street ▁O val , ▁which ▁Fitz roy ▁won ▁by ▁four ▁points ▁— ▁ 5 . 7 ▁( 3 7 ) ▁to ▁ 4 . 9 ▁( 3 3 ) ▁— ▁the ▁match ▁report ▁in ▁The ▁Arg us , ▁spoke ▁highly ▁of ▁Re id ' s ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁last ▁line ▁of ▁defence : ▁" Re id ' s ▁mark ing ▁being ▁magnific ent ▁and