2025 ROUND 16 SENIOR MEN’S MATCH REPORT
Round 16, Saturday 16 August 2025
Old Melburnians FC vs Hampton Rovers FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 5.2.32 HRFC 6.1.37
2nd quarter: OMFC 8.4.52 HRFC 8.2.50
3rd quarter: OMFC 10.7.67 HRFC 10.5.65
4th quarter: OMFC 16.10.106 HRFC 13.8.86
Goals: Jeremy a’Beckett (4), Hugo Dale (3), Sam Connock (2), Oscar Hanisch (2), Adam Richardson (2), Ben Jackson (1), Sam Laube (1) and Jack Spargo (1).
Best players: Will Nichols, Hugo Dale, Jack Spargo, Will Dixon, Spencer Anderson and Tom Spargo.
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Spencer Anderson (36), Sam Connock (34), Leo Curtis (88), Hugo Dale (23), Will Dethridge (12), Will Dixon (66), Tom Facy (46), Ben Haysman (10), Oscar Hanisch (27), Hugo Hines (77), Ollie Hurley (56), Ben Jackson (54), Sam Laube (20), Chris Long (11), Will Nichols (Captain, 1), Adam Richardson (17), Campbell Rose (31), Jack Spargo (2), Tom Spargo (37), Gus Williams (50) and Olly Williams (18).
Match Report
The OMs welcomed back Leo Curtis, Tom Facy, Sam Laube, Tom Spargo and debuted Sam Connock and Will Dixon (more on them later). They replaced Wilbur Brown, Nicky Christian, Charlie Dowling, Tom Gleeson, Freddie McIntyre and Ed Michelmore.
The Old Melburnians (eighth, six wins) took on Hampton Rovers (10 th , no wins). When they last met in Round 7 the OMs gradually ground out an 84-42 win. Only 12 members of that OMs’ team played in the return match. Injuries in last week’s game and in training took out yet more players. The game was effectively a dead rubber, with the OMs unable to be demoted or to make finals, and Hampton’s place in Premier C for 2026 was already sealed. There were less than a hundred people at the ground and possibly more on the field than were watching.
Played on a mostly dry, occasionally sunny winter’s day that was a polar opposite of the previous week - in more ways than one – the temperatures of 10 to 11 degrees were said to feel like four to six degrees and at times felt colder. The wind was different flavours of westerlies, ranging from westerlies to south westerlies, west-south-westerlies and even west- north-westerlies of 24 down to 17kmh with gusts of 41 dropping down to 24kmh.
Following Camberwell’s demolition of the OMs the previous week, Hampton came into this game with an increased belief that it could score its first win of the season. Although the OMs won at the first bounce and Adam Richardson missed a set shot from outside the arc, it was Hampton that goaled first, on the rebound, two minutes into the quarter. In what began as a scrappy game, the OMs won again in the middle and set up Hugo Dale with a set shot from about the arc in the southwest, kicking truly at the five-minute mark. Yet again the OMs won in the middle, culminating in a mad scramble in the goal square that ended with Ben Jackson getting a boot to the footy as he went to ground for a memorable goal a minute after the last. Hampton goaled two minutes later to level the scores at 12 all, scored a behind to take the lead then goaled at the 11 and 12-minute marks to take a worrying 12-25 lead. Captain Will Nichols went down hard in the middle, and it looked like his day might be over, but he resurrected himself as Hampton celebrated another goal. Dale fired in play and went across the face of goal and although Richo marked it near the boundary line in the southeast, his checkside kick missed.
Hampton’s response was to run up the ground and goal to make it a shocking 13-37. If the Dark Blues failed to score the next goal the game was lost. Dale had a set shot from near the arc that fell short, but Richo marked it near the southwest point post and drilled it with a laser-like kick to make it 19-37 at the 19-minute mark. A kick deep into the southeast pocket was followed by Jeremy a’Beckett, who didn’t take his eyes off it as he followed it back to mark it near the boundary line not far from the point post. Jez screwed the footy around for a great goal two minutes after Dale’s. The OMs attacked again. Dale marked at half forward in the west and sent it through many hands including those of Gus Williams, ending up with Oscar Hanisch, who put it through at the 23-minute mark. Jez soccered the footy off the ground but missed, and Hampton was attacking as the siren sounded after 30 minutes.
Although the OMs were five points down at the first break, their comeback from being 24 points down had been admirable, and they were back in the game.
The second quarter began with play going both ways until an OM turnover in defence gave Hampton a goal after four minutes. In a sorry sight for the OMs, Ben Jackson left with an injury. Jez slotted a set shot from almost directly in front, but Hampton responded in kind a minute later. By the 16-minute mark it had almost completely clouded over, the wind had picked up and conditions were icy cold. Both sides traded blows for some time until Sam Connock treated himself to a memorable debut Senior goal with a snap out of the back of a pack from the northeast about 15m out to level the scores at 8.2.50 apiece at the 21-minute mark.
Despite the wind being mostly westerly, the southerly component of it favoured the north, and Will Nichols tried a set shot from the centre square that only just missed to the left. On debut Will Dixon was seeing lots of the footy in the middle and was doing good things with it. A short kick from Nichols gave Jez a set shot from the northeast. The siren sounded, and although he unleashed a big kick, it just fell short. The OMs finished the half two points ahead, now two players down with the loss of Tom Facy.
It began showering during halftime. Hampton made its intentions known with a goal in the first minute. The OMs countered from the centre bounce, hitting up Hanisch, who ran and goaled within a minute to get back the lead. Despite attacking for some time, the OMs were unable to find a way through the congestion up forward. The showers stopped, the sun returned, and conditions became calmer. Hampton scored two behinds to level the scores at 58 until Ben Haysman’s miss on the run regained the lead. Hampton then ran through multiple OMs rather too easily to get up the ground and goaled at the 19-minute mark for a 59-64 lead. The seesawing game continued as Jack Spargo received a free kick and from the southwest he goaled two minutes later – but a Hampton behind levelled the scores again. Leo Curtis’ free kick hit the post: OMs in front. Sam Laube received a free kick after being tackled around the neck but also missed his set shot. Connock had a set shot from outside the arc in the southwest. The siren sounded as he took his shot, moving off his line but his kick fell short in any case. After a seesawing quarter, the halftime margin of two points was unchanged.
The OMs dominated the opening minutes of the last quarter but muffed a golden opportunity to goal. Yet another player was lost as Richo left the ground. When it rains, it pours. Hampton missed an attempt at goal but goaled in the same minute to take a 68-72 lead at the five-minute mark. Connock and his opponent both went over the line beside the goal. Hampton considered it a push in the back. The umpire deemed that Hampton had rushed it when there was an alternative. In the confusion that followed, Connock received a free kick and kicked around the goal post for a goal. Hampton was on the verge of a goal but for an OM stopping it on the last line. Jez kicked beautifully from the northeast to hit up Dale, who took a contested mark on the northwest boundary line metres from the point post, goaling to give the OMs an 81-72 lead at the 13-minute mark.
Dale marked again, in the northeast pocket near the boundary line, and with a perfect kick scored his second goal in two minutes. Was it the sealer? At the centre bounce Will Nichols went down hard for the second time and the OMs now had an empty bench. The game resumed two minutes later. Jez was set to kick for goal from the northwest but when Hampton put Laube down, Jez was invited to walk 50m closer to the goal and put through his third goal. Three minutes later, Laube kicked a beautiful set shot from inside the northeast boundary line for a goal that gave the OMs a winning 99-73 lead at the 23-minute mark. Ben Haysman found space and hit up Jez in the northeast, from which he kicked a textbook Laube-style set shot for his fourth goal. Hampton had two cracks at it before goaling, and after Gus Williams had a ping and a miss, scored another at the 29-minute mark to make it 106-85. The OMs defended hard until the siren ended the 34-minute quarter.
Including the double bye, it was the OMs’ first win since 28 June, when they beat Old Geelong. Although it did not affect the outcome of the season, the win was very welcome, achieved with a greatly weakened team with no bench at the end against a team desperate to get at least one win this season.
Captain Will Nichols was yet again the OMs’ best player with his good ball hunting, playing a true captain’s game as he led from the front all day, showing the way for blokes new to the midfield.
Hugo Dale had a wonderful game with a high work rate, clean handling, linking well and getting back to score. He is an exciting young player.
Jack Spargo played as both a genuine ruck rover and also in the ruck as usual. Like Willy Nichols he led the younger players in the middle.
Will Dixon was really competitive in his first Senior game, getting justly rewarded for his consistency in the Reserves as he brought that good form into the highest level.
Spencer Anderson was very good in a different role on the wing but also dropped back to provide support in defence as both an outlet and linking player.
Tom Spargo made a welcome and a great return following the loss of key defenders. He had had a great year and brought that form back with him.
Two players debuted for the Seniors.
Sam Connock attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2009 to 2018 and was Captain of Witherby House. He played in the 2017 and 2018 1 st XVIIIs. Sam has played for the OMs since 2018, including being among the best players in the Under-19s premiership team in 2019.
Will Dixon attended MGS from 2015 to 2020 and was a member of Ross House. He played in the 2019 2 nd XVIII and was named in the 2020 2 nd XVIII that never played due to COVID-19. Will played in the 2019 1 st XI and was vice-captain of the 2020 1 st XI. He has played with the OMs since 2021.
This week the OMs (eighth, seven wins) travel to Williamstown for the first time to play Williamstown (seventh, eight wins) there for the first time in history. Willy is still vying for a place in the finals. Its home ground is one of the strongest fortresses in the VAFA and it beat the OMs 77-56 in Round 8. The OMs will welcome every supporter. Get out the Melway.
See you there.
Lurch.