2025 ROUND 2 SENIOR MENS MATCH REPORT
Round 2, Saturday 12 April 2025
Old Melburnians FC vs Old Geelong FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 8.3.51 OGFC 2.1.13
2nd quarter: OMFC 14.6.90 OGFC 5.2.32
3rd quarter: OMFC 20.8.128 OGFC 7.4.46
4th quarter: OMFC 25.9.159 OGFC 10.5.65
Goals: Jeremy a’Beckett (5), Noah Yze (5), Sam Laube (3), Charlie Nairn (2), Fletcher Teelow (2), Wilbur Brown (1), Will Nichols (1), Matthew Payne (1), Adam Richardson (1), Jack Spargo (1), Lachie Swaney (1), Lachie Templeton (1), Gus Williams (1).
Best players: Noah Yze, Will Nichols, Lachie Swaney, Jack Spargo, Charlie Dowling, Matt Payne.
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Albert Brown (29), Wilbur Brown (14), Harry Cooper (23), Charlie Dowling (25), Ben Haysman (10), Ben Jackson (54), Sam Laube (20), Chris Long (50), Ed Michelmore (4), Charlie Nairn (47), Will Nichols (Captain, 1), Matthew Payne (6), Adam Richardson (17), Arthur Rush (7), Jack Spargo (2), Tom Spargo (37), Lachie Swaney (94), Lachie Templeton (44), Fletcher Teelow (98 - 1st quarter and thereafter 42), Gus Williams (51) and Noah Yze (13).
Match Report
The OMs welcomed Chris Long, Charlie Nairn, Gus Williams and Noah Yze (on debut – see below for more), who replaced Nicky Christian, Lachie Haysman, Jackson Paine and Luca Reid.
This was a challenging game for coach Nathan Brown, as he coached against the team he coached for the past five seasons. He was delighted, though, to have Noah Yze playing – the son of his Melbourne Football Club teammate, Adem.
The game was played on a dry sunny day. There was a south-south-westerly breeze of about 17km/h and the temperature reached a ridiculous 28 degrees.
Old Geelong won at the first bounce, but Charlie Dowling quickly sent the OMs into attack from the western wing. A big kick in play to the southern goals was adjudged to have been touched just before the goal line by a lunging Geelong player – albeit disputed by a nearby OM! Albert Brown kicked to the goal square, where there was a brief battle for the loose ball until Jeremy ‘Jez’ a’Beckett soccered it through. It was 8-0 at the five-minute mark. Albert saw lots of action as he helped the OMs fight hard to stay in attack. Eventually Jez kicked into the goal square, where Sam Laube went after the loose ball under hot pursuit, toe-poking it through just before it reached the goal line. Debutant Noah Yze was seeing a bit of action as he worked hard, and due to a bad tackle, he received a free kick that he converted with a beautiful set shot about 35m out from the SE side. Fourteen minutes in, it was 20-0.
Laube kicked out of heavy traffic from the SW with a centring kick. Yze went after the loose ball, gathered, twisted out of trouble in front of goal, and hammered it through from about 20-25m out, directly in front. Geelong goaled from the centre bounce then Yze kicked into the goal square, where Jez soccered through his second goal in another contest. It was 32-6 at the 18-minute mark. Yze then got the footy on the SW boundary line, perhaps 10-15m from the point post. He could see a narrow gap between the posts, but with confidence and skill, kicked arrow-straight for his third goal. The OMs won the centre bounce, Yze marked on the lead and took a set shot from the SW during a very purple patch for him. His fourth goal from a relatively straightforward kick seemed a foregone conclusion, but he missed. Adam Richardson was being held and received a free kick, goaling from the SE at the 20-minute mark. Captain Will Nichols’ raking kick from the SW to the goal square was soccered (for the third time) through for a goal (for the third time) by – of course – Jeremy ‘Maradona’ a’Beckett. The score was an astonishing 51-6 after 24 minutes. Geelong attacked for some time, managing only a behind, but then a goal at the 31-minute mark. The OMs attacked as the siren sounded, the ball going through for a behind that was too late to be counted.
It was an extraordinary first quarter that the OMs almost completely dominated as they kicked to and from good positions and scored accurately as a result. Yze and Jez had three goals apiece, which gave the OMs a red-hot start. All that said, the OMs did something similar last week – and lost – so the second quarter began with what was otherwise surprising trepidation.
Although the OMs were first out of the centre square in the second quarter, through Will Nichols, a stalemate followed until Geelong goaled four minutes in. The OMs attacked for a while but when a Geelong kick out of defence went to ground, a Geelong College boy in Dark Blue, Gus Williams, took on opponents with his head down, won the loose ball, turned, threw it on the boot, and goaled from about 30m out in the NW. It was an effort that truly deserved the fantastic goal, for a 58-19 lead at the eight-minute mark. An elite kick by Dowling found Laube on the lead, but he missed his set shot from directly in front. Wilbur Brown sent a long kick to Charlie Nairn in the NE, but he was unable to take it, and it went over the boundary line. From the stoppage, Jez was infringed, given a free kick and goaled from about 25m out, almost directly in front.
Play then went both ways until Richo’s attempted mark was knocked out of his hands, but he still managed to get it to Fletcher Teelow, who chucked it on his boot from about 30m out in the NW and scored a classy goal. It was 71-20 at the 23-minute mark, but Geelong was awarded a free kick and the benefit of a 50m penalty to get that goal back. A nice long kick from the middle by Nichols was marked by Wilbur Brown on the lead, and from about 25m out in the NE he slotted the goal. The OMs went again, received a free, advantage was paid, and Laube ran in and goaled to make it 83-26 after 26 minutes. Geelong goaled four minutes later and battled hard for more, but the OMs turned the tide and Lachie Swaney put the ball on the boot towards an empty goal square from the NW, with the footy beating everyone for a memorable goal at the 32-minute mark. Jack Spargo had a set shot from outside the arc in the NW after the siren but did not score.
It was 28 degrees at the start of the third quarter. In the first minute, Yze kicked a beautiful long set shot for goal from the SE to score his fourth. Matt Payne got the footy, ran, steadied and drilled his first goal for the OMs two minutes later. It was 102-32. Tradition holds that the first team to 100 usually wins, but Geelong then goaled and bounced another through from a long way out to cause a bit of nervousness. Jack Spargo steadied the Dark Blue ship, receiving a handball over the top, then running and goaling to make it 110-45 at the 23-minute mark. Payne ran and bounced three times, got the footy over the top towards Nairn, who worked hard under pressure to gather the loose ball, eventually getting in an awkward kick off the ground on an angle from the SE, with the footy bouncing through the goals just ahead of a chasing Geelong boy. The OMs attacked again, with a brief battle before Lachie Templeton goaled in play out of traffic to make it 122-46 at the 29-minute mark. Teelow ran out of the middle and kicked perfectly to set up Jez, who took an awesome one-handed contested mark. From about 25m out, directly in front, he drilled the set shot for his fifth goal two minutes before the siren ended the 34-minute quarter.
Such was the score – and the heat – that the third quarter had seemed like the final quarter. It was now obvious that the game was already won, with the only questions being: 1. Would the OMs keep up the standard of play and the scoring? and 2. What would be the final margin?
Old Geelong goaled two minutes into the final quarter. Laube received a free kick for a dangerous tackle and easily got the distance on his set shot from the 40m arc but missed to the right. Wilbur Brown kicked from the midfield to Ben Jackson, who went over the top to hit up Yze, who marked and kicked his fifth goal from about 20m out in the NE to make it 135-52 at the six-minute mark. Geelong goaled three minutes later. Payne worked hard in the NE, hoping to score a goal, but had to dish off to Nairn, who had to throw it on the boot for a quick checkside goal, but Geelong responded in kind at the 18-minute mark to make it 141-64. Payne took a free kick and hit up Teelow on the lead. His booming kick from the arc was dead straight, and his second goal was as classy as his first. From a stoppage in the NW at the 25-minute mark Will Nichols received the hit out, was urged to go for goal, took a few steps, steadied, and drilled it from about 20m. Two minutes later the game stopped for a few minutes after a Geelong player went down hard and had to be helped from the ground. Teelow kicked from the centre square to Gus Williams, who kicked beautifully to Laube, and he kicked goal No. 3 on the run at the 30-minute mark. The siren sounded two minutes later, denying the OMs a 100-point win, but the 94-point win had been a very good day at the office.
It was an extraordinary game in so many ways. Last week the OMs lost some key players in addition to the too many already out with long-term injuries. A very young, inexperienced side had taken the field. With Old Geelong beating Fitzroy by 30 points the week before – a side that had beaten the OMs both times last year – the signs had looked ominous for the OMs before the game. However, as they did last week, they came out firing, blowing the opposition away in the first quarter. To their credit in this game, they went beyond the first quarter, and played all four quarters extremely well, despite the hot day, and despite Geelong keeping the pressure on. That the OMs kicked eight, six, six and five goals per quarter shows little dropping off, which they could have been excused for doing given the margin and the conditions. Their 25.9 was laudably accurate and was the round’s second highest score. The midfield succeeded where it had failed the week before. Some of the youngest players showed off their natural skills. After dropping a game that should have been won last week, this game was a welcome result, especially for the four-quarter effort that has been missing too often in recent years. Any four-quarter effort with that quality should win most games this year. The challenge is for the young OMs to maintain that effort and standard – and to do so especially when the score is against them.
Noah Yze was the OMs’ best player. He played in the midfield and up forward in a superb game that helped inspire and lift the team. Noah’s three goal first quarter helped give the OMs the momentum that never flagged. He celebrated his 19th birthday with style.
Will Nichols leads from the front at training and did so too in this game with his ability around the ball outstanding as he played a true captain’s game.
Lachie Swaney works his derriere off every week and this time had a tough role on a top opponent, with his fitness and strength helping him win the battle.
Jack Spargo was in good form against a quality ruckman, with great follow-up efforts. He is becoming a great leader in a very short space of time.
Charlie Dowling bobbed up everywhere although he was playing in defence. He is a great decision maker, and helped link both ends of the ground.
Matt Payne was exciting to watch as he ran everywhere, creating scoring opportunities for others, and scoring a goal of his own.
Debuting for the OMs was Noah Yze. He attended De La Salle College and then Caulfield Grammar School from 2022 to 2024, where he played in the 2023 and 2024 1st XVIIIs. Noah played for the Oakleigh Chargers in 2023 and 2024. He is currently playing for the Casey Demons in the VFL and has nominated the OMs as his VAFA club when not playing VFL games.
There is a bye for Easter and then the OMs (third) return to action at Elsternwick Park on Saturday 26 April 2025 against Old Ivanhoe (second), which is regarded as a favourite for the finals. It will be a real test of the OMs’ quality and ability to reproduce the effort and consistency of the game against Old Geelong
See you there.
Lurch.