2025 ROUND 3 SENIOR MEN’S MATCH REPORT
Round 3, Saturday 26 April 2025
Old Melburnians FC vs Old Ivanhoe Grammarians FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 4.4.28 OIGFC 3.2.20
2nd quarter: OMFC 7.4.46 OIGFC 10.4.64
3rd quarter: OMFC 11.8.74 OIGFC 12.8.80
4th quarter: OMFC 14.9.93 OIGFC 14.12.96
Goals: Ned Nichols (5), Ben Haysman (3), Jeremy a’Beckett (2), Ben Jackson (2), Sam Laube (1), Fletcher Teelow (1).
Best players: Ned Nichols, Ben Haysman, Will Nichols, Tom Spargo, Charlie Dowling, Chris Long.
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Albert Brown (29), Wilbur Brown (14), Oscar Cheetham (56), Charlie Dowling (25), Ben Haysman (10), Lachie Haysman (9), Ben Jackson (54), Sam Laube (20), Chris Long (50), Ed Michelmore (4), Ned Nichols (3), Will Nichols (Captain, 1), Matthew Payne (6), Adam Richardson (17), Arthur Rush (7), Jack Spargo (2), Tom Spargo (37), Lachie Swaney (64), Lachie Templeton (44), Fletcher Teelow (42), Gus Williams (51).
Match Report
The OMs welcomed Oscar Cheetham (on debut – more on him below), Lachie Haysman and Ned Nichols who replaced Harry Cooper, Charlie Nairn and Noah Yze.
Although only two rounds had been played before this game, Old Ivanhoe’s performance saw it being widely considered to be the premiership favourite, making this game a real test of where the OMs stand in that consideration.
The game was played on a dry overcast day of 17 to 18 degrees with a southwest to south-south-westerly breeze of 17 to 22km/h with gusts of 22 to 32km/h that sometimes played havoc with goal kicking, but which did advantage teams kicking to the northern end.
Kicking to the north, the OMs were first into attack, but Ivanhoe scored first, with a behind inside two minutes. Matt Payne ran, kicked, and missed and Ivanhoe rushed another OM attempt. Ned Nichols – making a welcome return from injury – marked on the western wing, ran, unleashed a mighty kick, and scored a magnificent long goal to make it 8-1 at the five-minute mark. The game was reasonably quick and open, and changed little all day. A very nice OM transition from the SW to the NW saw Captain Will Nichols hitting up Jeremy ‘Jez’ a’Beckett, who quickly sized up the goals and kicked – but missed – from about 20-25m out. Charlie Dowling then ducked, weaved, ran, and kicked for goal, but also missed. When the returning Lachie Haysman dished off to Ned in the NE, he threw it on the boot and scored his second. It was 16-1. Albert Brown kicked a beautifully weighted cross from the western wing to Ben Haysman, directly in front, and he goaled from near the top of the 40m arc. At the 11-minute mark it was 22-1 but Ivanhoe goaled five minutes later.
It was gusty as Ben Haysman and Will Nichols set up Jez in the NE, but his set shot missed everything. Ivanhoe goaled at the 19 and 22-minute marks to make it a worrying 22-19 but a chain of play by the OMs from the middle, around the NE boundary line finished with Albert Brown kicking to the top of the goal square, where Ben ‘Jumping Jack’ Jackson flew high, took a great pack mark, took his time and goaled from 20m. Although the OMs – kicking with the wind – finished the quarter on top, it was not as convincing as it should have been. A few gettable misses might yet come back to haunt them, and Ivanhoe was noticeably superior in its spread and numbers at every contest.
The second quarter began with play both ways until Ivanhoe goaled four minutes in, taking a 28-32 lead four minutes later, and goaling again another four minutes later. Ben Haysman received a short pass in the SW, and with a perfect kick on a tight angle from near the boundary line about 30m from goal, scored truly at the 14-minute mark. Ned then marked and kicked a long goal from directly in front to regain the lead, 40-38, one minute later. Ivanhoe, though, goaled in play at the 18-minute mark, adding another two minutes later before the OMs failed to score from a forward thrust. The Hoes goaled again at the 24 and 26-minutes marks to make it four unanswered goals, with the OMs losing their grip on the game. When Sam Laube received the benefit of a 50m penalty and kicked to Ned, Ned was given the shove of the century as he went for the mark. While his opponent effectively stood there with a smoking gun in one hand and a bloody knife in the other, telling the umpire he didn’t do anything, Ned kicked a long goal from directly in front. The siren sounded as it sailed through, ending a 31-minute quarter.
It was a worrying quarter for the OMs as Ivanhoe stepped up to show its quality, kicking 7.2 to 3.0 against the OMs’ badly depleted backline, including four in a row. The OMs were also starved of opportunities, making the most of all but one forward foray. Unless they took decisive action and made the most of the wind in the third quarter, the game might be put beyond their reach. As the half ended, a few spots of rain appeared, suggesting it could get wet and more challenging.
The rain didn’t come. The OMs were quick to score, with Jez soccering through a goal in a contest from the NW 18 seconds into the quarter. It was 52-64, and hopefully the start of a big comeback, but Ivanhoe goaled a minute later. Play went both ways for some time, but Ivanhoe had more of it. Eventually Laube received a free kick for a high tackle and scored truly from a long kick directly in front. It was 60-72 at the 18-minute mark. From a hard-fought battle, Ned’s tackle was rewarded. Taking a set shot from the NW near the boundary line, he was called to play on, snapped around his body, and put it through. It was 66-72. A ruck infringement gave Jez a free kick and his goal from the NW, about 15m out, gave the OMs a 73-72 lead at the 22-minute mark. However, Ivanhoe goaled in play seven minutes later to retake the lead, and had a set shot after the siren that fortunately missed everything.
The OMs really needed to have a three-quarter time lead, and although they were in touch with Ivanhoe, it had the wind and the proven ability to answer every challenge. It would take a monumental effort by the OMs to win the game. During the final break the lights were turned on.
From the first bounce, Will Nichols took the OMs out first but a great battle followed in the OMs’ forward line that ended when Ben Haysman gathered the lose ball, chucked it on his boot and goaled to make it 80-81 at the eight-minute mark. Ivanhoe then launched multiple heart-in-mouth attacks but kept missing, although it was only a matter of time until it goaled, doing that at the 17-minute mark to make it 80-90. Due to being a low-scoring quarter it was likely to be a short one, and that margin seemed potentially insurmountable. Another hard-fought battle ensued, with Adam Richardson – newly shorn and unrecognisable without his long blonde hair – hit up Fletcher Teelow, who took a great contested mark and followed up with a coolly-kicked goal from about 25m out in the SE. It was 86-90 with little time left for another. The OMs won in the middle, Teelow juggled the ball but received a free for holding, and then took a set shot from the SW, missing to the left. Ivanhoe received a free for a push and goaled at the 23-minute mark to make it 87-96, setting an almost impossible challenge for the OMs. Jack Spargo had a set shot from the top of the arc but missed everything. Coming out of the middle the OMs hit up Jackson, who ran, kicked to an empty goal square, and watched it bounce through to make it 93-96 at the 29-minute mark with surely almost no time left. It had to be a goal from the centre bounce, but there was no quick exit, and after a short period the siren ended the OMs’ hopes of a great win.
It was a fascinating game against the competition favourite – which led the OMs in all statistics - and yet the three-point loss could so easily have been a win with any one of several easy changes. In the first quarter, in particular, there were several shots for goal that were taken too lightly – perhaps with the confidence of the previous two games that there would be many more on offer. More care with one would have won the game. Ivanhoe had the spread and the numbers most of the game, with too many OMs not taking responsibility for their man. More attention to this would have won the game. Due to the loss of fullback Harry Cooper last week, the already depleted defence was further compromised, although it did a huge job in the fourth quarter to give the OMs a good chance. The OMs also finished the game with only two on the bench. Despite all these factors, it was oh-so-close. The defeat was hard to take – but also showed how little needs to change to potentially take the OMs deep into the finals this year – all else going well.
Ned Nichols made an extremely welcome return for his first game of the season, giving his coach a first look at him – and a very impressive look it was. Full of energy, quick on his feet and very nimble, Ned also hit the scoreboard to make an enormous impact on the game.
Ben Haysman was a real fighter, working hard and getting absolutely everything out of himself.
Will Nichols came up against one of the best on-ball brigades in local footy but helped to hold the OMs’ mids together to give them a chance to steal the game.
Tom Spargo played in defence on a really good player, working hard to keep him to two goals.
Charlie Dowling did everything right, defending hard with quality rebounds and using his considerable skills to good effect.
Chris Long showed lots of upside as he fought hard in defence while also being creative out of it with his outstanding kicking.
On debut was Oscar Cheetham. He attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2014 to 2024 and was a member of Deakin House. A member of the 2022 Athletics team, he played in the 1st XVIII in 2023 and 2024. Oscar also played for the Sandringham Dragons in 2023 and 2024 and joined the OMs this year, playing in the undefeated Under-19s.
Next week the OMs (seventh) travel away from home for the first time this year – to Old Trinity’s (third) Bulleen ground. The OMs’ current ladder position (it was third before this game) does not reflect its ability, but this needs to be proven to others in this must-win game.
See you there.
Lurch.