Round 5 Match Report
Round 5, Saturday 16 May 2026
Old Melburnians FC vs Old Geelong FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 5.4.34 OGFC 3.0.18
2nd quarter: OMFC 9.5.59 OGFC 7.3.45
3rd quarter: OMFC 11.8.74 OGFC 8.4.52
4th quarter: OMFC 13.9.87 OGFC 11.8.74
Goals: Jack Spargo (3), Hugo Dale (2), Ben Haysman (2), Ned Nichols (2), Nicky Christian (1), Hugo Hines (1), Lachie Templeton (1), Luca Reid (1)
Best players: Lachie Templeton, Jack Spargo, Hugo Dale, Will Dethridge, Olly Williams, Ben Haysman
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Charlie Boston (36), Nicky Christian (21), Leonardo Curtis (88), Hugo Dale (15), Louis Dalgleish (13), Will Dethridge (12), Ben Haysman (10), Lachie Haysman (9), Hugo Hines (22), Max Jane (27), Sam Laube (20), Ned Nichols (3), Luca Reid (37), Will Richards (14), Sam Seccull (28), Jack Spargo (2), Tom Spargo (1, Captain), Lachie Templeton (16), Miles Tyrer (17), Gus Williams (35) and Olly Williams (18).
Match Report by Lurch
An injury to new OM defender Liam Witts in the previous game was confirmed during the week to be very serious, putting him out of action for a lengthy period. He will be working hard on his recovery in the hope of returning later this season.
Olly Williams returned to the side in Liam’s place.
The return to Elsternwick Park (the OMs’ fourth home game in the first five rounds) brought with it a return to windy weather. Mostly sunny earlier in the game, with temperatures of 21-23 degrees said to feel like 17-19, the wind ranged from 19-26km/h with gusts of 28-41km/h. Apart from a brief northerly mid-game it was a predictable north-northeasterly that favoured the southern goal, to which the OMs kicked first. It was a dry day.
Myles Tyrer got first touch at the opening chuck up. The OMs had a brief battle up forward, where Hugo Dale did well to hold on to the footy and bust through traffic to dish off to Ned Nichols. He threw it on the boot from near the top of the arc and dobbed the first goal inside two minutes, but Old Geelong responded with a goal a minute later. Play went both ways with Geelong threatening but getting nothing on the scoreboard. Jack Spargo received a free for holding and took his set shot from near the arc and the southeast boundary for an excellent goal. It was 13-6 at the 12-minute mark in what was a very even contest. In a hard-fought scrap in the OMs’ half, the OMs cleverly kicked backwards to Ned, in space, and he goaled from about the same place he’d scored his first goal to make it 20-6 at the 22-minute mark.
The game was well contested in the midfield until Geelong goaled three minutes later. Nicky Christian extracted beautifully in the middle to hit up Charlie Boston, who gave Ben Haysman a set shot, but he missed. Louis Dalgleish then kicked from the middle to Nicky Christian, who put it on the boot from directly in front, near the arc for a goal and a 27-12 lead at the 29-minute mark, but Geelong responded with a goal from the middle a minute later. Sam Laube almost got beheaded in a high tackle, but his set shot from the southwest missed to the right. The wind had strengthened. Jack Spargo took a strong contested mark in the southwest near the boundary line. The siren sounded before his set shot but it did not faze him as he put it through with 35 minutes on the clock.
It was a good start to the game but for a few missed opportunities and Geelong being allowed to score a bit too easily.
With the wind in the second quarter, Geelong goaled in the second minute and although the OMs then attacked, Geelong defended hard and then went up the ground and goaled two minutes after their first. It was suddenly 34-30 and Geelong raced forward from the middle. Although the OMs repelled this attack, Geelong took a 34-36 lead with a goal at the seven-minute mark – and - most worryingly – did it far too easily. Despite the OMs occasionally getting into their half, they never had an opportunity to take a shot, and when Geelong went coast-to-coast and goaled again it took a 34-43 lead to put the OMs well and truly on the back foot.
Something quite remarkable then happened. It started with a tackle by Lachie Haysman but rather than attempting an unlikely shot for goal against the wind from the northeast, he kicked short to Lachie Templeton. He was not much closer, but played on around the man on the man, went long and scored an excellent goal – and circuit-breaker – at the 14-minute mark. It was 40-43. The OMs attacked immediately, and amid much hard-contested congestion Hugo Dale received a free kick. He took his set shot from the top of the arc against the wind and kicked truly. Seventeen minutes in, the OMs had regained the lead, 46-43. Once more the OMs went into the breech, with Ben Haysman’s kick from the western wing going further than anyone expected. Hugo Hines got the footy in the northwest pocket and began running into goal, but his opponent had the misfortune of grabbing him around the ankles in his diving tackle, giving Hines a free kick. He played on from near the goal square and put it through, extending the lead to 52-43 at the 19-minute mark.
Ned kicked out of the midfield, and in a two-OMs to one Geelong contest, Luca Reid took a well-judged contested mark and drilled his set shot from the northwest, making it 59-43 three minutes after the last goal. It had been a long time between drinks for Geelong, which got the footy to the teeth of goal but the Dark Blue Rock of Gibraltar that is the OMs’ defence ensured it went no further. Geelong later had a set shot miss and the siren at the 32-minute mark cut short Geelong’s last attack. It had been a remarkable turnaround shortly before the midpoint of the quarter, after Old Geelong had all the momentum.
Despite the OMs having the wind, play went both ways early in the third quarter with Geelong closest to scoring but taking until six minutes in to score a behind with a goal following a minute later. Its set shot at the 10-minute mark was touched on the line. The wind was very gusty. A late bump on Laube gave him the benefit of a 50m penalty on the western wing and his centering kick was juggled and marked in a contest by Jack Spargo in the southwest. His powerful long kick went through the goal at post height for a 65-52 lead at the 12-minute mark. A kick by Ned on the run from the southwest missed. Geelong then threatened to score was but strongly defended. The OMs had much more of the ball and although Christian snapped and missed, Hugo Dale marked a minute later and from just west of the top of the arc he goaled to give the OMs a 72-52 lead at the 22-minute mark. A Lachie Haysman snap around the body missed, and a set shot was touched in a goal square battle. The quarter ended after 29 minutes with the OMs 22 points ahead – but would it be enough with Old Geelong having the wind in the last?
Geelong goaled with only 36 seconds played in the final quarter. Jeremy a’Beckett set up Dale with a set shot in the northwest about 30m out but he just missed. The OMs twice stopped Geelong attacks on the last line. Eventually Jack Spargo hit up Ben Haysman in the clear at the back, and he was able to trot into goal and put it through. It was 81-58 at the eight-minute mark, making it very hard for Geelong to win. Despite Old Geelong spending a long time attacking, it took until the 16-minute mark to goal. It then spent another lengthy period in attack but a’Beckett out marked his opponent on the last line. Although play then went both ways it was still mostly Geelong that had the ball and it goaled at the 26-minute mark, but at 81-73 it was too little, too late, and to make sure of it, the OMs won in the middle, got the footy to Ben Haysman, once again in the clear out the back, and he ran in and goaled, with Geelong adding only a behind after that.
Although Old Geelong was better at going coast-to-coast with superior ball movement for much of the game, the OMs’ defence made the difference. Despite Geelong seeming to take control of the game in the early stages of the second half, for the second successive week the OMs found a resilience that they have lacked in recent years, working hard until the lead was regained and ultimately retained. Much work remains to be done, but games like this would have been lost 12 months ago. It is one of several signs of ongoing improvement in what is a very young side.
Lachie Templeton was damaging in the midfield and up forward with his pressure and skill. He kickstarted and inspired the mid-second quarter recovery that ultimately won the game.
Jack Spargo was the OMs’ most damaging forward. His imposing size, ability to read the ball and contested marking could not be countered by Geelong’s defenders.
Hugo Dale is a young bull from the Under-19s and apart from bullocking through traffic he read the play and the ball well and was reliable in front of goal.
Will Dethridge was the OMs’ best defender and saved the OMs on the last line countless times with his strong overhead intercept marking before quickly rebounding.
Olly Williams was very solid in defence and through the middle. He was aggressive at the contest and in his tackling.
Ben Haysman did a good job of predicting the future to be in the right position at the right time, giving himself space to maximise his impact.
The win and other results moved the OMs from seventh to fifth on the ladder, joining the second to seventh teams on three wins from five rounds. The OMs’ defence remains the second best in the competition, but its forwards are sixth best, with its sub-100% percentage 10% behind the team above.
This week the OMs travel to Williamstown to play the team that trounced its greatly weakened side in the second-last round of 2025, 143 to 77. Currently, Williamstown is immediately below the OMs on percentage. In Round 1 it soundly beat Old Carey (which beat the OMs), was well-beaten by the unbeaten Collegians, beat Old Geelong by only four points and at home narrowly beat Beaumaris (now seventh). Williamstown is exceptionally good at home, and this game will be a real test of how far the OMs have come since they last met.
See you there.
Lurch.