2025 ROUND 10 SENIOR MEN’S MATCH REPORT
Round 10, Saturday 21 June 2025
Old Melburnians FC vs Fitzroy FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 1.1.7 FFC 2.3.15
2nd quarter: OMFC 5.9.39 FFC 3.3.21
3rd quarter: OMFC 8.11.59 FFC 4.8.32
4th quarter: OMFC 14.13.97 FFC 7.10.52
Goals: Sam Laube (5), Hugo Dale (2), Will Nichols (2), Jeremy a’Beckett (1), Leo Curtis (1), Ned Nichols (1), Matthew Payne (1), Noah Yze (1).
Best players: Sam Laube, Jack Spargo, Will Nichols, Ned Nichols, Spencer Anderson, Leonardo Curtis
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Spencer Anderson (36), Albert Brown (29), Nicky Christian (21), Leo Curtis (88), Hugo Dale (23), Will Dethridge (12), Tom Gleeson (61), Ben Haysman (10), Lachie Haysman (9), Oscar Hanisch (27), Ben Jackson (54), Sam Laube (20), Chris Long (50), Ed Michelmore (4), Ned Nichols (3; and later 30), Will Nichols (Captain, 1), Matthew Payne (6), Jack Spargo (2), Tom Spargo (37), Olly Williams (18) and Noah Yze (13).
Match Report
The OMs welcomed back Lachie Haysman, Sam Laube, and Noah Yze, who was free to play his second game for the OMs. They replaced Tom Facy, Hugo Hines and Lachie Templeton.
The Old Melburnians (seventh, four wins) came up against Fitzroy (ninth, one win). Last year Fitzroy won both games to take the OMs down to Premier B with them, and with its strongest team of the season, Fitzroy had good reason to believe it could beat the OMs. The OMs came into the game after banking a fantastic win against Old Carey at Bulleen.
Played on a dry day under a generally blue sunny sky, temperatures ranged from 12 to 13 degrees (said to feel like 8 degrees) with mostly north-north-westerly breezes of 15-20 km/h and gusts of 20-28km that tapered off in the second half. It was very windy at the southern end in the first half, but the northern end was quite protected.
Fitzroy had the wind, kicking to the south in the first quarter, and goaled within the first two minutes. Ned Nichols marked on the northwest boundary line, played on, kicked around his body and watched his low kick touched on the line. Fitzroy was dominating the play with the OMs rarely in their half and not moving like they did against Carey. A Fitzroy goal at the 16-minute mark gave it a 1-14 lead. It continued to attack until Matthew Payne broke the shackles, running and bouncing up the western wing until he dished off to Hugo Dale, who put it on the boot in the northwest pocket and goaled. It took 20 minutes for the OMs to get that first goal. Fitzroy otherwise resumed its dominance of the play but missed a set shot five minutes later. Ben Jackson took a trademark high-flying strong contested mark but missed everything with his set shot. The 30-minute quarter ended with the OMs down, having managed only two scoreboard shots to Fitzroy’s five.
There were different views of the OMs’ first quarter. On the one hand they had little of the play, were not moving with the pace, urgency and purpose of last week’s game and missed some scoring opportunities. On the other hand, Fitzroy had the benefit of a very strong breeze, had most of the play, but had also been prevented from capitalising on it.
From the southern end of the ground in the second quarter the strength and advantage of the north-north-westerly wind was obvious. Payne burst out of the middle to give Jacko another great contested mark, but with the wind at his back, his set shot missed again. The OMs stayed forward in very contested and congested play until Jacko’s small kick off the outside of his boot found Sam Laube in the southwest pocket. He swung around and nailed the goal to make it 14-15 at the three-minute mark. The OMs continued to contest hard and three minutes later Captain Will Nichols snapped and goaled for a 22-15 lead. Jack Spargo marked Fitzroy’s defensive kick to start a chain of play that ended with Jeremy a’Beckett kicking from near the intersection of the southwest boundary line and the 40m arc and goaling. It was 29-15 and the OMs attacked again but only managed a behind before Fitzroy ran up the ground and goaled to make it 30-21 at the 15-minute mark. Laube was crunched front-on, received a free kick, and with a huge kick from outside the arc, almost directly in front, nailed his second goal. The only additional scores of the quarter were two more behinds by the OMs.
It was a much better quarter by the OMs that also proved the effect of the wind on the game. Their 4.8 was frustrating, though, as Fitzroy remained in touch.
Against the slightly lighter breeze, the OMs struck first in the third quarter with Laube awarded a free kick for being held, with a bonus 50m walk as his opponent expressed his displeasure. Laube goaled inside the first two minutes. After several stoppages Will Nichols snaffled the footy, threw it on the boot, and goaled at the four-minute mark to make it 52-21. Although kicking against the wind, the northern end was noticeably quite sheltered. The OMs touched through a Fitzroy goal attempt but then gave away a 50m penalty, resulting in a Fitzroy goal, and another at the 18-minute mark to make it 53-31. Dale played a key role in getting the footy from the centre bounce to Payne, who ran through the northwest pocket, bouncing as he went, and goaling on the run in a fantastic solo effort. It was 59-31. Will Dethridge made a timely intercept deep in defence and the siren ended the quarter at 29 minutes.
With a five-goal lead at the final change and the wind (albeit much lighter) in the final quarter, the game was within the OMs’ grasp. The first seven minutes were yawn-inducing as play went both ways until a nice kick from the middle hit up Leo Curtis, and he kicked truly. The OMs found ball-magnet Laube again, and he goaled from the southwest to make it a seemingly unassailable 72-33 lead. Fitzroy, though, goaled at the 16 and 18-minute marks. Laube beautiful kick from the southeast pocket gave Dale a set shot from directly in front. His goal at the 22-minute mark was a relief, taking the OMs to 79-46. Fitzroy goaled three minutes later. Laube was quite the adverse attention magnet all day, and after receiving a dangerous tackle in the southwest pocket near the boundary line – and his vociferous opponent receiving two 50m penalties against him – Laube put through goal No. 5 from the goal square.
The OMs burst out of the middle in search of mayo, and OM No. 30 unleashed a great kick for an exciting goal. Who, though, was No. 30? He wasn’t on the team sheet. It was the former No. 3 – Ned Nichols – whose No. 3 jumper had been shredded earlier: one of many examples of the opposition’s unsuccessful tactics. Meanwhile, the OMs continued their successful focus on playing footy, hitting up Noah Yze, who turned and snapped as the siren sounded to nail the OMs’ 14 th and last goal of the day.
It was a much better second half by the OMs, and a very welcome second consecutive win.
Sam Laube played his best game for the year. He is great both aerially and at ground level with fantastic forward craft.
Jack Spargo took on two ruckmen and helped his teammates to win the centre clearances. He followed up very well.
Will Nichols was extremely good at the clearances and on the loose ball. He runs hard and is creative.
Ned Nichols – see above.
Spencer Anderson played an outstanding game against a VFL player who was one of Fitzroy’s best inclusions. Spencer put in a huge effort to win the battle.
Leonardo Curtis did a very good job against a VAFA star, almost completely shutting him down.
This week the OMs (now up one place to sixth) go to Como Park for the rematch against Old Geelong (fifth). In their Round 2 meeting, the OMs had a huge 94-point win that surprised everyone. It will be a much closer game this time. Only one win separates the two, with the OMs having a percentage buffer of 20 points on Old Geelong. With three teams above the OMs with one more win, but all on lesser percentages, a win (depending on other results) could propel the OMs as high as third – and a loss could send them down as low as eighth. t’s effectively a 12-point game.
See you there.
Lurch.