[3][4][5] In a famous incident in the 1910 VFL Grand Final, a massive brawl broke out between Collingwood and Carlton players during the last quarter.
Elder settled matters by blowing his whistle and bouncing the ball.
Most of the combatants looked on, stunned, as the game recommenced without them, so they had no option but to forget about the fight.
Elder considered the pre-World War I era of 1905–14 as the golden age of football, yet it was a period where allegations of bribery led to several League investigations, and on-field violence was at its height, forcing the League to the number and powers of umpires.
In this environment, Elder stood out, with the first VFL umpires coach (Jack Worrall) referring to him as "our leading adjudicator".