Round 1 Match Report
Round 1, Saturday 18 April 2026
Old Melburnians FC vs Beaumaris FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 2.1.13 BFC 7.4.46
2nd quarter: OMFC 6.5.41 BFC 8.6.54
3rd quarter OMFC 7.6.48 BFC 10.13.73
4th quarter: OMFC 10.9.69 BFC 13.17.95
Goals: Jeremy a’Beckett (3), Nicky Christian (2), Hugo Dale (2), Sam Laube (1), Will Richards (1), Liam Witts (1).
Best players: Miles Tyrer, Will Dethridge, Ned Nichols, Hugo Dale, Jeremy a’Beckett, Liam Witts.
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26),Spencer Anderson (4), Andrew Chirnside (86), Nicky Christian (21), Sam Connock (87), Hugo Dale (15), Louis Dalgleish (13), Will Dethridge (12), Charlie Dowling (25), Lachie Haysman (9), Ben Jackson (8), Sam Laube (20), Charlie Nairn (34), Ned Nichols (3), William Preston (11), Will Richards (14), Sam Seccull (28), Tom Spargo (1, Captain), Miles Tyrer (17), Oliver Tyrer (32), Olly Williams (18) and Liam Witts (5).
Match Report by Lurch
The OMs’ first team for the year had 15 changes from the side that played in the final round of 2025 including debutants William Preston, Miles Tyrer and Liam Witts (more on them later). With the retirement of Will Nichols, Tom Spargo took on the captaincy of the OMs as a stalwart of the club.
It was also the first game for new Senior coach James Byrne (more on him later too).
Dry sunny conditions with a maximum of 15 degrees and a prevailing south-westerly of around 17km/h made conditions reasonably good for footy but for the wind pushing the footy to the northeast.
The first quarter did not follow the script. It began with a Beaumaris blitzkrieg as the team sought to prove it deserved its promotion following its 2025 Premier C premiership. It had three goals and one behind on the board before Liam Witts took a nice mark and slotted a goal at the 10-minute mark to make it 6-19. Beaumaris resumed scoring goals until Hugo Dale marked near the top of the southern arc and kicked against the wind for a skilful set shot goal. It was 12-31 at the 19-minute mark. Beaumaris hit the post then spent a long time in attack until an OM handballed to an opponent, resulting in another goal at the 28-minute mark. The quarter ended with a 33-point deficit with the OMs reeling.
Although the OMs were first out of the centre in the second quarter, Beaumaris quickly took possession. However, it was Sam Laube who goaled first, marking and dobbing his set shot from the top of the arc about seven minutes into the quarter. A booming kick from the midfield sent the footy into the OMs’ goal square but it came off a Beaumaris player and Laube couldn’t get his foot to it before the goal line. The forward line was very congested, but Nicky Christian harried his opponent until he dropped the ball, giving him a free kick and a goal from the northeast. It was 27-47 after 12 minutes’ play. Soon after, the OMs suffered a great loss when Laube went down hard in a collision that ended his day. Jeremy a’Beckett bobbed up with a nice goal from the northeast at about the 21-minute mark and from the centre the OMs set up Hugo Dale, who threw it on the boot from the northwest and watched his kick sail through the goals. At the 22-minute mark it was 40-48 and the OMs were dominating, having recovered from being stunned in the first quarter. Dale had a long set shot from the northeast but missed, and Beaumaris countered with a goal after the siren.
At halftime the OMs were back in the contest with a solid comeback through taking greater responsibility and showing what they could do. Had a few missed opportunities gone their way they would have been a couple of goals ahead. They now faced the second half with two down, losing Charlie Dowling to injury.
The OMs dominated the first nine minutes of the third quarter with a’Beckett scoring his second goal four minutes in. Sam Connock marked but missed his set shot. a’Beckett took a free kick from the intersection of the southwest boundary line and the arc but hit the eastern goal post from the tight angle. It was 48-54. Beaumaris ran into goal but hit the post then the OMs suffered another loss when Witts went down in a hard clash and hobbled off the field. Beaumaris was forward for a long time until running in and goaling at the 19-minute mark to make it 48-64. It dominated until scoring another five minutes later after which the game became a stalemate fought between the two arcs.
At the last break the OMs needed a minimum of five goals to win and had the wind but needed to get back their second quarter form and reduce the number of turnovers. The OMs were first into attack with Miles Tyrer missing a set shot from the northeast but a’Beckett got it in front of goal and snapped truly for his third goal, a minute into the quarter. It was 54-73. The OMs ran out of the centre and Christian got the footy in the northwest, ran along the boundary, kicked on the tightest of angles and scored a fantastic goal two minutes after Jez. It was 60-73, but Beaumaris goaled from the centre. The OMs attacked again, with Dale snapping and only just missing to the right. The breeze came and went, and Beaumaris responded with a goal at the nine-minute mark to make it 62-85, making an OM win look increasingly unlikely. For a long time, the OMs were not within cooee of goal, and it was not until the 25-minute mark that Will Richards – in a welcome return from injury – unleashed a big kick from the northeast that just snuck through for a goal. It was 69-88 but the siren sounded three minutes later, and Beaumaris kicked a goal after it.
It was a tough challenge for a very new team missing several injured key players who watched on, many of whom should soon be back in the team. Beaumaris was a finals-hardened team that proved it had earned its place in Premier B. More is learned from a loss than from a win, and the OMs know what needs to be done to appear on the other side of the ledger.
Debutant Miles Tyrer was the OMs’ best player. A very imposing ruckman, he was very efficient in the ruck with lots of hit outs with very good follow up work. Miles also worked hard around the ground.
Will Dethridge defended first and then launched OM attacks from defence. He won many one-on-ones.
Ned Nichols worked hard between half back and the midfield where he was very effective at setting up his teammates. He performed very well in tandem with Dethridge.
Hugo Dale presented well all day in the forward line and kept coming up with the footy. When he didn’t get it, he halved many contests. His work rate was exceptional.
Jeremy a’Beckett played in many positions including in the ruck, where he worked very well with Miles Tyrer, and also up forward, top scoring with three goals. Like Dale, he led well and halved contests.
Liam Witts made an immediate impact with a goal on debut in a sensational game. Starting in the centre he won 50-50 balls then came off his man, was super in the air and worked hard in the contests.
Three players debuted for the OMs.
Will Preston attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2016 to 2021 and was a co-Vice-Captain of Bruce. He played in the 1st XVIII in the truncated COVID season of 2021. Will played for University Blues from 2022 to 2025 and this year came home, playing his first game for the OMs.
Miles Tyrer attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2020 to 2025 as a member of Miller. He played in the 2024 1st XVIII and in the 2025 1st XVIII he was a Vice-Captain and won the best and fairest as a ruckman. Miles played for the Sandy Dragons from 2023 to 2025. This was his first game for the OMs.
Liam Witts attended St Kevin’s College from 2012 to 2019, where he played in the 1st XVIII from 2017 to 2019. He played for the Sandy Dragons in 2018 and in 2021 he played for St Kevin’s Old Boys’ Under-19s. This was his first game for the OMs.
Also new to the OMs was Senior coach James Byrne. Hailing from Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, he was an athletic midfielder who played 24 games for the Crows and kicked four goals in 2000 and 2001, but injuries intervened. James won best and fairest awards playing for Glenelg in the SANFL and South Fremantle in the WAFL. In 2007 he captained Geelong’s premiership VFL side and won the JJ Liston Trophy as the VFL’s best player then retired the following year. James joined the staff at Essendon before becoming the Old Xaverians’ coach (2020-23).
This week the OMs (eighth) return to Elsternwick Park to take on Old Ivanhoe (10th) which played in the 2025 finals but which in Round 1 suffered a 57-point loss to the other new promoted Premier B side, Ajax. With both teams looking for redemption and a first win for 2026 it is bound to be a good contest.
See you there.
Lurch.