2025 ROUND 6 SENIOR MEN’S MATCH REPORT
Round 6, Saturday 17 May 2025
Old Melburnians FC vs Old Camberwell FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 4.6.30 OCFC 1.0.6
2nd quarter: OMFC 8.7.55 OCFC 5.3.33
3rd quarter: OMFC 11.8.74 OCFC 7.5.47
4th quarter: OMFC 13.12.90 OCFC 9.7.61
Goals: Adam Richardson (5), Ben Haysman (2), Ned Nichols (2), Tom Gleeson (1), Lachie Haysman (1), Sam Laube (1), Matthew Payne (1).
Best players: Adam Richardson, Ned Nichols, Jack Spargo, Lachie Haysman, Will Nichols, Sam Laube
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Albert Brown (29), Nicky Christian (21), Leo Curtis (88), Charlie Dowling (25), Tom Gleeson (61), Oscar Hanisch (54), Ben Haysman (10), Lachie Haysman (9), Sam Laube (20), Chris Long (50), Ned Nichols (3), Will Nichols (Captain, 1), Jackson Paine (39), Matthew Payne (6), Adam Richardson (17), Campbell Rose (31), Arthur Rush (7), Jack Spargo (2), Tom Spargo (37), Lachie Templeton (44) and Gus Williams (53).
Match Report
The OMThe OMs welcomed Tom Gleeson and Campbell Rose (both on debut – more on them below) and Gus Williams who replaced Ben Jackson, Lachie Swaney and Fletcher Teelow.
Autumn weather was bypassed by a wintery day with game temperatures between 10 and 13 degrees said to feel like 5 to 10 degrees. There was a mostly southerly breeze that was occasionally a south-south-easterly or south-south-westerly with wind speeds from 13-22km/h and gusts of 19-33kmh and ‘rainfall’ of 0.4mm.
The OMs (eighth) took on the mighty ladder-leading Wellers in what looked like – on paper – lambs being sent to the slaughter. Due to Camberwell’s dark blue, light blue and gold being considered a clash with the OMs’ dark blue, it turned out in lairy pink VAFA clash jumpers. There was no mistaking them.
Under a dark grey cloudy sky in blowy conditions with spits of rain the game got underway with the OMs winning the first bounce and heading north with the wind advantage. However, play went both ways for the first six minutes until Adam Richardson missed a set shot for the first score by either side. The OMs then gave Sam Laube a chance to mark near the top of the goal square. He juggled the footy but was unable to complete the mark in a contest and was then held by his opponent, won a free kick and finished the job. From about the north-east boundary line Ben Haysman launched a nice big kick for a goal at the nine-minute mark. Laube snapped and missed, Jackson Paine missed a set shot and Laube missed a set shot from the top of the 40m arc. When the Wellers marked in the goal square their goal made it 16-6 at the 16-minute mark. At the other end, Ned Nichols intercepted a defensive kick, snapped – and missed. There was no doubt the OMs were getting more than their fair share of scoring opportunities, but the ugly spectre of the previous week’s loss against Caulfield due to inaccuracy unavoidably came to mind.
Lachie Haysman straightened up the OMs. He snaffled the footy as the Wellers tried to clear it out of defence, threw it on the boot from the northwest, went long, and goaled. The drizzle became a shower as debutant Tom Gleeson received a free kick, taking it from the northeast boundary line about 30m around from goal. The kick was initially straight, then took a right turn and at almost post-height went through for a well-executed and memorable goal on debut at the 28-minute mark. He was mobbed by every OM within cooee – and some beyond it. The 30-minute quarter ended with the inaccurate OMs leading by four goals against the top Premier B team – but was it only due to the wind advantage? The next quarter would answer that question.
Richo belatedly vowed to give up inaccuracy for Lent - and nailed his set shot just over a minute into the second quarter. Two minutes later he got the footy again and was to have kicked from the southwest about 10m from the corner of the goal square, but a Weller gifted him the benefit of a 50m penalty, which he turned into his second goal, from the top of the goal square. Although the Wellers spent some time in attack, it was in vain.
Matt Payne then did something possibly unique in a footy match. Not far from the middle, he chased after the footy bouncing in a straight line towards the goal, with Wellers in hot pursuit. With no-one ahead of him, pursuers on his tail, and the footy out in front of him, he couldn’t readily grab it, but he could keep paddling it along. The ball bounced high, he paddled it again, and so it continued for several dozen metres. OM hearts were in mouths, sensing that the next paddled bounce would be off kilter. Miraculously, the ball continued to bounce high and straight towards goal: Payne soccered it to put it through but the footy hit the goal umpire standing on or slightly over the goal line. In the circumstances the goal umpire had no choice but to signal it as a very unusual, enthralling and unique goal at the eight-minute mark. Against the wind and against the ladder leaders, the OMs were 48-8.
The Wellers scored their second goal of the game two minutes later, but Richo responded with his third goal five minutes later to outscore the opposition on his own. Things turned quickly and worryingly, though, as the Weller boys goaled at the 18, 25 and 30-minute marks before the siren ended the 34-minute quarter. With the wind they had only closed the gap by two points. It was a great effort by the OMs, and only the second time this season that they had a good second quarter – usually the quarter that has set up the OMs’ losses.
In the third quarter the OMs were first out of the middle. The rain stopped and the OMs dominated play but were unable to score until Richo missed a set shot from the top of the arc at the eight-minute mark. The Wellers pressured the OMs with goals at the 10 and 12-minute marks until Richo intervened, hitting up Ned, who finished the job with a goal. Play was even until a battle in front of goal ended with Richo scoring a remarkably clever goal at the 25-minute mark. About two or three metres out, standing to the left of the goal square with his back to the goal, deep in a pack of players, he kicked backwards with the footy on the outside of his left foot, somehow getting the angle right for the unseen target over his left shoulder.
Ned then got the footy in the northeast and was urged by the large peanut gallery behind the goal to go for it. He ran and scored truly with ripping kick. It was the last score of the quarter. Although the OMs had probably not scored as much as they would have wanted, having the wind for the last time in the game, at three-quarter time there was no wind. The OMs had also lost at least two players to injury.
The OMs dominated the fourth quarter in the early stages, but it took until the five-minute mark for Richo to take an awesome juggled contested mark. From a tight angle close to the southwest boundary, he threaded his fifth goal with skill and class. The lights came on and rain returned. The Wellers goaled at the 12 and 16-minute marks to close the gap to 81-61. Would their class yet overwhelm the OMs? In a great effort the OMs won at the centre bounce with Jack Spargo kicking forward along the ground, where it was gathered and kicked to Ben Haysman, who marked and produced a nice set shot goal at the 18-minute mark. The OMs won again in the middle and Richo marked and seemed destined to nail his sixth goal, but his set shot missed to the right. A few late shots missed their targets, but the OMs finished with a fantastic 29-point win.
After so many near-misses this season, characterised by going missing for much of the second quarter, wasting opportunities in front of goal, and not taking responsibility for opponents, the OMs turned everything around to perfection in this game. Playing four quarters was the single biggest difference (inaccuracy was still an issue at times) and the consistent and focussed effort was noticeable. At the last break the Wellers spoke of the OMs thinking they had the game in the bag, leaving the door open for a Weller comeback that would shock and overwhelm them – but it never came. After the game, one of the Wellers said that they were aware before the game that the OMs’ ladder position belied their ability and that they were not to be taken lightly. Despite that, overconfidence may still have played a role in their defeat. It was understood that the Wellers had a very strong team for the game, but it was unable to overcome the OMs, with every challenge being met. The confidence this win should give the young, inexperienced OMs will hopefully convince them to back themselves and get the results of which they have shown they are capable.
Adam Richardson was without doubt the OMs’ best player. He had lots of contested possessions in tough conditions not conducive to big men playing their best.
Ned Nichols was relentless, and his finishing was sublime.
Jack Spargo continued the good form he has shown this season. He put in a strong performance and gave inspiring on-field leadership.
Lachie Haysman successfully put the brakes on an opponent playing his 150th game.
Will Nichols played much like Jack Spargo with his willingness at the contest and his great leadership.
Sam Laube performed at a really high level in his best game of the year, with his tackling outstanding.
Debuting were Campbell Rose and Tom Gleeson.
Campbell Rose attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2012 to 2021 and was 2021 Ross House Captain. He played in the 2020 1 st XI and opened the batting in the 2021 1 st XI. Campbell played in the 2021 1 st XVIII. He first played for the OMs in Year 12 and more recently has been playing in the Reserves.
Tom Gleeson also attended Grammar, from 2015 to 2020, as a member of Morris House. He played in the 2019 2 nd XVIII and in the 2020 APS football season-that-never-was he received second colours. Tom first played for the OMs in 2023 and also earned his call-up from the Reserves.
This week the OMs (still eighth, but with a percentage that would put them fourth on the ladder if it had more wins ) take on Hampton Rovers (winless, and 10 th ) at Boss James Reserve, Hampton, for the first time since about 2007 or 2008. The OMs will be well-advised not to take the struggling Rovers lightly – look what happened at Elsternwick Park last Saturday….
See you there.
Lurch.