2025 ROUND 8 SENIOR MEN’S MATCH REPORT
Round 8, Saturday 31 May 2025
Old Melburnians FC vs Williamstown CYMS at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 2.4.16 WCYMS 2.2.14
2nd quarter: OMFC 3.8.26 WCYMS 6.4.40
3rd quarter: OMFC 5.11.41 WCYMS 7.7.49
4th quarter: OMFC 7.14.56 WCYMS 11.11.77
Goals: Jackson Paine (2), Lachie Haysman (1), Ben Jackson (1), Sam Laube (1), Ned Nichols (1), Adam Richardson (1).
Best players: Albert Brown, Sam Laube, Ned Nichols, Arthur Rush, Lachie Haysman, Nicky Christian.
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Albert Brown (29), Nicky Christian (21), Leo Curtis (88), Charlie Dowling (25), Tom Gleeson (61), Oscar Hanisch (27), Ben Haysman (10), Lachie Haysman (9), Ben Jackson (54), Sam Laube (20), Chris Long (11), Ed Michelmore (4, acting Captain), Ned Nichols (3), Jackson Paine (39), Matthew Payne (6), Adam Richardson (17), Campbell Rose (31), Arthur Rush (7), Jack Spargo (2), Tom Spargo (37) and Ollie Tyrer (32).
Match Report
The OMs welcomed Ed Michelmore, who replaced Captain Will Nichols.
The Old Melburnians (eighth, three wins) came up against Williamstown (fifth, four wins) for what was possibly the first time, with no-one with memories dating back 50 years remembering the two clubs having competed before. With two consecutive wins it was a good opportunity for the OMs to take on a quality opponent and try to consolidate their momentum.
It was a dry, sunny day with a few white clouds played in temperatures of 12 to 14 degrees said to feel like 10 to 11. The breeze varied from west-south-westerly to south-westerly to south-south-westerly and favoured the northern end to which the OMs kicked first. Unlike the howling wind of last week, this week’s game was played in breezes of 11 to 13 km/h with ‘gusts’ between 15 and 17 km/h. Conditions were good for footy.
When the Williamstown boys took the field it was clear that – in comparison to the young OMs – they were generally taller and more solid. They went in hard and fast to make it a very quick, contested game from the outset. Play went both ways before Jackson Paine took a good leading mark, kicked from inside the top of the 40m arc – and hit the goal post. While the OMs had most of the play, it was hard to get effective use in the congestion. It took 13 minutes for Williamstown’s first score, when it missed a set shot to make it 3-1. The OMs had the footy deep forward but turned it over and Williamstown was dangerous in running it up the ground, where its snap for goal was touched. However, it stayed forward to goal in play for a 3-8 lead at the 16-minute mark. The OMs had an intense, highly congested battle up forward with lots of tackles but no score.
Williamstown goaled at the 24-minute mark. The OMs won at the centre bounce and Paine marked on the top of the arc, handballed off to Lachie Haysman and he threw it on the boot for a big kick and a welcome goal. The OMs went again, and in a tough battle in the north- west pocket, Adam Richardson got a quick kick away on a tight angle from the boundary line, about 15 metres around from the point post, to score a fantastic goal and give the OMs a 15-14 lead at the 27-minute mark. Richo had a kick off the ground from almost the same spot for what would’ve been a goal to bring the house down, but it was intercepted in the goal square. The OMs kept attacking until the siren but only scored another point.
The OMs were first into attack in the second quarter but got nothing from it, and Williamstown missed a set shot. An opponent was all over Ben Jackson when he didn’t have the footy. His free kick from the southwest boundary line, about 20 metres out, looked good despite the tough angle but hit the nearer goal post. The OMs had several pings and misses at the goal before Williamstown went up the ground and goaled at the 11-minute mark for a 19-21 lead. It goaled from the centre bounce two minutes later with another from the centre a minute later. With a string of consecutive goals against them it was unfortunately par for the course for the OMs in the dreaded second quarter. The score was 19-33. Sam Laube took a nice mark at the top of the arc but couldn’t nail his set shot. Jackson Paine then marked inside the arc and dobbed a set shot to make it 26-33 at the 24-minute mark, only to see Williamstown respond in play three minutes later. A handball found Jack Sparks within striking distance of goal as the siren sounded.
The third quarter opened with Charlie Dowling kicking from the centre to Tom Gleeson, whose big kick forward found Ben Jackson. He took a wrestled contested mark in the northwest. He dobbed his set shot goal from about 25 metres out. Williamstown then attacked for some time, scoring a behind and then a goal at the 15-minute mark for a 34-47 lead. The game then fell into a funk with the ball mostly at Williamstown’s end with little happening other than a set shot that hit the goal post. OM goals were looking increasingly unlikely, but eventually the OMs forced their way forward and Laube laid a great tackle on an opponent running away from the goal into the northwest pocket. Laube called his set shot banana before it went through for a classy goal, which he’d earned after several misses. It was 40 to 49 at the 26-minute mark. There were multiple stoppages in the OMs’ forward line until the siren sounded.
The scoreboard showed that the OMs were having more scoring shots but were wastefully inaccurate. OM goals were incredibly hard to find, and Williamstown had always been ready with a response.
In the final quarter Nicky Christian took an awesome mark in the southwest then hit up Ned Nichols, who scored a very nice goal with a tough kick from the arc near the boundary to make it 48-50 at the five-minute mark. Williamstown threatened to respond, but missed, and the OMs attacked and hit up Paine, who ran on and snapped a classy goal to regain a 54-50 lead at the 11-minute mark. Williamstown delivered its trademark response: two goals and a 54-62 lead after 16 minutes of play. The game was stopped for several minutes when a Williamstown player went down in the OMs’ forward line. Play resumed, and Ned snapped from a stoppage and missed. Williamstown hit the goal post but then ran into goal at the 28-minute mark to score the sealer, with another goal three minutes later, and the siren ended the quarter after 33 minutes.
It was a frustrating game that the OMs did not play well. They were not clean and turned it over more than usual. Although Williamstown ultimately had one more scoring shot that registered than did the OMs, the OMs’ inaccuracy was yet again a key reason for the loss. It did not help that too many opportunities were set up with kicks deep into the pockets, making kicking for goal needlessly difficult. The result was the OMs’ biggest loss thus far. That said, the OMs continue to be within touch of every team in the competition and just need to make minor changes to what they’re doing to get the victories that have too often been oh-so-close.
Albert Brown was the OMs’ best player. He was consistently competitive for a young, inexperienced Senior player in a tough game.
Sam Laube was combative, competitive and consistent.
Ned Nichols was the OMs’ best midfielder. He was exciting when he went forward.
Arthur Rush is having a good year and played on a very good opponent. He is another young and inexperienced Senior player who is progressing well and becoming really reliable.
Lachie Haysman is in good form both on the training track and on game day.
Nicky Christian has taken on the challenge of becoming a better defender. He is getting more creative as he wins more possessions and is yet another young and improving player.
After a bye for the King’s Birthday long weekend the OMs return to action this Saturday against Old Carey at Bulleen in an unusual fixture that sees the teams clash for a second time before the OMs meet Fitzroy at all (they meet the following round). In the first game against Carey the OMs’ inaccuracy resulted in a five-point loss. Carey now has five wins and is third on the ladder, with the OMs still in eighth place with three wins, two games clear of Fitzroy in ninth. The OMs showed in that first game that they had the ability to win it, and by heeding the lessons from it and other losses this season, they could show a reversal of form in the rematch – but Bulleen has always been a challenging venue.
See you there.
Lurch.