Round 7 Match Report

Round 7, Saturday 30 May 2026

Williamstown CYMS FC vs Old Melburnians FC at Fearon Reserve, Williamstown

1st quarter:                DLSOCFC 3.1.19 OMFC 3.2.20

2nd quarter:              DLSOCFC 8.3.51 OMFC 5.3.33

3rd quarter DLSOCFC 10.3.63 OMFC 8.4.52

4th quarter: DLSOCFC 12.6.78 OMFC 10.9.69

Goals: Sam Laube (4), Hugo Dale (2), Charlie Boston (1), Will Preston (1), Jack Spargo (1), Ollie Tyrer (1)

Best players: Lachie Templeton, Sam Laube, Ned Nichols, Will Preston, Hugo Dale, Thomas Spargo

Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Spencer Anderson (4), Charlie Boston (36), Nicky Christian (21), Harry Cooper (23), Hugo Dale (15), Louis Dalgleish (13), Will Dethridge (12), Hugo Hines (22), Max Jane (27), Sam Laube (20), Ned Nichols (3), Will Preston (11), Will Richards (14), Sam Seccull (28), Jack Spargo (2), Tom Spargo (1, Captain), Lachie Templeton (16), Miles Tyrer (17), Ollie Tyrer (32), Gus Williams (35) and Olly Williams (18).

Match Report by Lurch

Lachie Haysman and Luca Reid were replaced by Will Preston and Will Richards. 

Following three consecutive wins and second place on the ladder, the OMs fronted up for the considerable challenge of De La at De La’s Waverley Oval ground. Like Williamstown’s ground it’s on a northwest-southeast axis but it is a more uniformly oval shape. 

This game was played in very overcast conditions that became progressively darker with the threat of rain. The centre was a bog. The temperature range of 15-17 degrees was said to feel like 12-14 degrees with light west-north-westerly but mostly north-north-westerly breezes of 9-15km/h with gusts of 19-24km/h. Only at the very end of the game did a light shower begin. 

The OMs were first out of the blocks kicking with the wind to the southeastern end, but Jack Spargo’s snap from a stoppage in the second minute was a behind. De La did likewise two minutes later but goaled two minutes after that for a 7-1 lead. The OMs responded from the centre chuck up with Lachie Templeton taking the De La ruckman’s misdirected tap down, kicking to Jack Spargo, and he handballed to Sam Laube who goaled on the run to level the scores at the six-minute mark. The OMs then dominated the next ten minutes of play. A handy intercept on the southwest wing resulted in a kick to Hugo Dale, and he marked and goaled at the 11-minute mark. Dale received a free kick after being tackled and produced a great set shot goal from the southeast to give the OMs a 7-19 lead at the 16-minute mark. 

From that point De La took back control of the game and although the OMs successfully defended one De La shot for goal, it only delayed an inevitable goal at the 24-minute mark. Following an OM behind, De La goaled three minutes after its last goal to trail 19-20 and was attacking when the siren ended the 30-minute quarter. 

Having started the game with confidence and good pressure, the OMs lost their momentum to give away the early advantage earned with the breeze at what was the scoring end. 

Although the OMs were first out of the centre square in the second quarter it was not until the footy went back into the square to Charlie Boston that he was able to set up Jack Spargo, and his set shot from about 25 metres, directly in front, gave the OMs a 19-26 lead after three minutes’ play. De La goaled from the centre and a free kick gave it a goal and a 31-26 lead at the seven-minute mark. A third De La goal two minutes later showed how much it was dominating the game. The Blue and Gold had aerial supremacy, was better at the ground ball, and had players lined up in a wall from one side of the ground to the other, ready to either flick the ball over to the next teammate in the chain or to peel off into attack. 

Eventually the OMs won in the centre and Sam Seccull took a nice mark near the northeastern wing. He had good vision and footy sense to spot and hit up Will Preston in the northwest, and he scored his first Senior goal for the OMs to close the margin to 37-32 at the 11-minute mark. A stalemate then ensued on the southern wing. Dale put in a good hard effort to get the footy to Preston, who kicked the footy off the ground towards the open goal from about 30 metres out. It bounced and bounced – and cruelly missed to the right. A long contest in De La’s half ended with it goaling in play for a 43-33 lead after 23 minutes’ play. When an OM slipped over and lost the ball, a free kick was extraordinarily paid against him, and De La’s goal gave it a worrying 51-33 lead. The OMs were attacking hard when the 29-minute quarter concluded. 

In the context of the game, it was a big margin, and the OMs were not playing well. The only upside was that as that was not their best, they had room to improve – and could take back the game. 

Although the OMs won at the start of the third quarter, they were quickly repelled. Max Jane went down hard and limped off, leaving the OMs a man down. De La gradually worked forward and goaled at the six-minute mark for a 57-33 lead. In response Lurch scribbled down “Critical that OMs get next goal(s) or all over from here”. The OMs had several forward stoppages before Laube won a free kick and goaled from the south at the 11-minute mark. The OMs attacked again, and Boston marked in the northeast and dobbed his set shot goal two minutes after Laube’s. Laube received a free kick and from the southeast he goaled to reduce the margin to 57-52 at the 23-minute mark. It was an extraordinary turnaround that showed what the OMs could do when they were switched on. De La goaled at the 28-minute mark to steady its ship and the siren sounded a minute later with the Blue and Golds heading back for more. 

De La had the breeze in the final quarter, but the very ominous dark clouds were the greater worry, and the lights were turned on but had little effect. The OMs needed goals and the lead before the rain came. From the centre chuck up came another free kick for Laube for holding. He hit up Jack Spargo, but his set shot missed to the left. De La then dominated until goaling at the five-minute mark for a 69-53 lead. Was it game over? The OMs then set up well through Jeremy a’Beckett to Myles Tyrer, but his set shot just missed. Jack Spargo marked in the northwest but missed to the left. At the 12-minute mark it was 70-55. Another behind was added two minutes later. Myles worked hard to keep the footy in until Dale had a quick kick at close range – that hit the right goal post. Could the OMs score enough behinds to win? Or was an OM win not what the Fates had planned? 

The OMs having spent too much time forward for De La’s liking, the Dees then attacked, missing at first then goaling at the 18-minute mark. It was game over. However, the OMs did not give up, with Laube doing some great evasive running, beating several opponents before dishing off to Ollie Tyrer who juggled the contested mark and then from about 20-25 metres goaled from the northwest. At the 22-minute mark it was 72-63. Was there still hope? If there was, De La was determined to crush it, goaling two minutes later as raindrops were followed by a light shower to make winning harder than ever. Preston set up Jack Spargo with a set shot from the northwest that went across the face of goal without scoring. Laube was then taken high and with his free kick slotted a goal from the northwest at the 27-minute mark for what proved to be the last score of the game. It was too little, too late for the OMs. 

At the post-match drinks a De La clubman said that it was the best four-quarter effort by De La this season. It had taken that to beat the OMs, whose best was very good but brief, but which had otherwise played poorly and quite unlike previous weeks. Although the OMs’ inaccuracy was ultimately the reason for their loss, with 2.5 in the last quarter showing that the opportunities to win were there, their departure from their recent structured, controlled play contributed to the result. There was also the evening’s OMFC social function that was doubtless on their minds….  

Lachie Templeton was a mudlark who revelled in the conditions in the middle. He was the king of clearances and had clean execution (with muddy hands) all day. 

Sam Laube had a huge third quarter with his two critical goals to keep the OMs in the game. He had an immense work rate with his head over the ball and took his opportunities. 

Ned Nichols was described (in a good way) with the single word ‘freak’ for his running off halfback and for his incredible efficiency. 

Will Preston was very competitive all day, both forward and in the ruck, having recently been dominating in the Reserves. 

Hugo Dale had a great work rate up and down the ground to help connect the two ends. He was strong overhead and took good set shots. 

Captain Tom Spargo was an uncompromising unbeaten defender who took intercept marks that kept his team in the game. 

In an extremely even competition, the loss sent the OMs from second on the ladder down to fourth, with AJAX and De La also with four wins but a superior percentage. The OMs’ amazing defence remains the competition’s second best, but its forward line ranks sixth. More consistently setting up forwards in better positions (as has been done well in some recent games) would assist scoring in addition to forwards making more of those opportunities. The De La game had a few too many hurried failed attempts in stark contrast to the patient set-ups of the previous week.  

This week the competition has a bye. The OMs return home for the next game, on Saturday 13 June 2026 against Old Carey. Last year the OMs lost the first game at home and won the second by a bigger margin at Bulleen, but Old Carey played in the finals. It is currently sixth, with three wins including pummelling AJAX and beating De La yet losing to Old Ivanhoe, and its defence and attack are very evenly balanced. To have any chance of success the OMs will need to return to playing with the structure and focus that gave it three consecutive wins before the De La game. 

See you there.

Lurch.