Round 8 Match Report
Round 8, Saturday 13 June 2026
Old Melburnians FC vs Old Carey FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 6.3.39 OCFC 0.2.2
2nd quarter: OMFC 8.5.53 OCFC 1.4.10
3rd quarter: OMFC 10.12.72 OCFC 5.4.34
4th quarter: OMFC 12.18.90 OCFC 5.4.34
Goals: Jonathan Maher (3), Charles Boston (2), Spencer Anderson (1), Hugo Dale (1), Sam Laube (1), Henry Nicholls (1), Will Richards (1), Jack Spargo (1) and Gus Williams (1)
Best players: Jonathan Maher, Jeremy a'Beckett, Sam Laube, Tom Spargo, Will Dethridge and Lachie Templeton
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Spencer Anderson (4), Charlie Boston (36), Louis Bunting (49), Andrew Chirnside (86), Harry Cooper (23), Hugo Dale (15), Louis Dalgleish (13), Will Dethridge (12), Hugo Hines (22), Sam Laube (20), Jonathan Maher (42), Henry Nicholls (25), Will Preston (11), Will Richards (14), Sam Seccull (28), Jack Spargo (2), Tom Spargo (1, Captain), Lachie Templeton (16), Ollie Tyrer (32), Gus Williams (35) and Olly Williams (18).
Match Report by Lurch
Nicky Christian, Max Jane, Ned Nichols and Miles Tyrer were replaced by Louis Bunting, Andrew Chirnside, Jonathan Maher (on debut) and Henry Nicholls.
When the OMs last met Old Carey at Bulleen a day shy of one year ago, the OMs won 94-57 but Old Carey made the finals. In the round before the rematch, Carey got within 22 points of unbeaten Collegians, suggesting that it would be a tough team to beat.
The game was played in temperatures of 13 to 16 degrees said to feel like 10 to 13 with a strong northerly for the first 90 minutes that became a lesser north-north-westerly and lastly a west-south-westerly. The wind ranged from 13 to 32km/h with gusts up to 43km/h. Almost 7mm of rain fell during the game.
Threatening grey conditions and a strong wind behind them gave the OMs the advantage as they kicked to the southern end in the opening quarter. The more goals kicked early in the game the better, with rain forecast. It was a tough contest from the start, but that was fortunately at the OMs’ end. Gus Williams’ early pressure got the ball into the OMs’ forward line where Will Preston missed a set shot from the southwest. Gus stood the mark then smothered a Carey’s defender’s kick, gathered the tumbling ball near the southwest boundary line, ran, lined up the big sticks, and kicked an awesome goal on a very tight angle two minutes in. Listen and learn, kids: always stand the mark with hands up – it makes a difference.
The OMs attacked again but Carey bottled them up in a tough congested contest. The OMs responded by moving the footy around until it ended in Jonathan Maher’s hands. With a nice snap from near the southwest point post, he had the perfect six-point start to his Senior debut – with his first kick - at the six-minute mark. Carey then got its first look with a behind a minute later and briefly threated to do more damage before the OMs went up the ground. After a brief hard battle Henry Nicholls marked and goaled from a set shot in the southwest. It was 19-1 at the 10-minute mark.
A hurried kick from outside the arc hit the goal post but the OMs kept the footy in attack and eventually Maher marked and goaled to make it 26-1. Andrew Chirnside laid a tackle that gave him a set shot from directly in front, but he missed. Jeremy a’Beckett kicked long from the southwest to right in front of goal where a battle raged for the ball until Charlie Boston showed his trademark creative style by running through the mess and banging the loose ball through for a goal. At the 20-minute mark it was 33-1. Although Carey got to within spitting distance (even against the wind!) of their goal, the OMs ran it out of defence with Spencer Anderson having come off the wing to surprise everyone. In the southeast he received a handball off the deck and wasted no time kicking it for a nice goal. It was the quarter’s last score with the siren sounding a minute later after 29 minutes of dominant OM play. It was a great start to the game, but it began to shower at the end of the quarter.
Although Carey threatened from the start of the second quarter, the OMs’ defenders and a’Beckett got things moving in the right direction. Jack Spargo received a free for being held and Dale received the kick, slotting a set shot goal from directly in front to make it 45-3 against the wind at the six-minute mark. Sam Laube received a free kick which got the bonus of a 50m penalty, and with a typically beautiful set shot he goaled two minutes later. At 51-3 it begged the question: was it game over – or would Carey find a way to maximise its time with the strong wind advantage? It goaled from the centre – its first of the game – after which the game fell into a hole during a scoring stalemate with the OMs successfully doing lots of defending and ending the 28-minute quarter with an increased lead.
With the wind for the last time in the game, the OMs instead watched Carey goal 13 seconds into the third quarter for a post-halftime response. Henry Nicholls missed a set shot but the OMs persevered until Boston snapped and fell as he kicked from the southwest to score a thrilling goal at the four-minute mark. It was 61-16 with a light shower testing players’ ball skills. The OMs dominated the play with Carey rarely able to cross the centreline. The deadlock was broken in a big goal square tussle in which Will Richards got the ball on his boot quick as a flash to put it through for a goal, either side of Carey rushing two OM attempts. It was 69-16 at the 13-minute mark. Lurch confidently noted: “Game over”.
The OMs quickly got the footy back into attack, but Carey rushed it yet again. Carey ran into goal to make it 70-22 at the 22-minute mark and added another four minutes later. Chirny seemed to have goaled in play, and it was widely celebrated – but not by the goal umpire. Dale had a set shot from outside the arc in the southwest, but it dropped short and was defended. Carey goaled again at the 31-minute mark with the siren ending the quarter a minute later.
The OMs’ 2.7 with the wind to Carey’s 4.0 in the third showed that the OMs had much more of the attack, but were far less effective, in part because many attempts were able to be rushed by Carey. That Carey was able to do so was partly due to the OMs’ efforts flagging, which was not well-received at the last break. Meanwhile, the Carey huddle had new-found confidence that it could reel in and overtake the reduced margin of only 38 points….
The lights were on in the fourth quarter, with the showers – which had come and gone and varied in intensity – soon becoming rain. Although Carey was first out of the middle the OMs quickly went up the ground where Jack Spargo won a free kick for being held and drilled his set shot from directly in front for a 78-34 lead at the three-minute mark. The wind noticeably dropped off. Despite the OMs then dominating in their half they were unable to get any opportunities to have a shot. Carey briefly had a go at the now-44-point margin but came away scoreless. The OMs had a crack at growing the margin but had a free kick paid Carey’s way on the last line. Maher was not content with two goals on debut and executed a lightning-quick intercept near the left goalpost that he converted into an emphatic goal. It was 84-34 at the 15-minute mark.
What followed could have been a huge percentage booster. Dale snapped for goal, but it was touched off his boot. Maher marked in the northwest, but his set shot was punched through the goal. Dale took a great mark in the rain from directly in front about 35m out but missed to the right. Three more scoring attempts were behinds for a 2.6 return for the quarter – and 4.13 for the half. That said, the conditions were tough and the OMs’ score was the second highest of the round, behind only unbeaten Collegians, with 14.17.101.
Ultimately, it was a much-needed win and a great team effort with much-improved forward defence that helped the real defenders keep Carey scoreless in the final quarter.
Jonathan Maher was the OMs’ best player on debut (see below) with three goals and almost four off his left boot. The Under-19s player has good body strength and pace combined with great skills that announced his arrival in an emphatic fashion.
Jeremy a'Beckett was put in the ruck due to the weather but was most effective at the stoppages.
Sam Laube is very consistent as a clever small forward who plays tall with pace and the best approach to set shots of any in the team. It’s no surprise he’s been named in the VAFA’s B-D3 Big V squad.
Captain Tom Spargo is young but is becoming a backline general. He combined well with Will Dethridge to stop Carey’s forward thrusts and was potent in setting up the OMs’ attacks from defence.
Will Dethridge was the ideal partner in crime for Tom Spargo. He took risks in opening up the ground with his kicking and executed the game plan perfectly.
Lachie Templeton was a key player in the OMs’ midfield dominance. He has continued to improve as a hard in-and-under player who regularly emerges with the footy to get the OMs underway.
On (very memorable) debut was Jonathan Maher. He attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2018 to 2025 and was a Ross boy. He was a joint best and fairest winner in the 2nd XVIII in 2024 and played in the 2025 1st XVIII. Outside Grammar, Maher played for Prahran. This year he joined the OMs in the Under-19s as a consistently top performer who thoroughly earned his call-up and proved he can play senior footy.
The OMs went from fourth place back to the second spot they had vacated with the previous round’s loss against De La Salle. It was their biggest win for the year, and a much-needed percentage-booster given that previously poor percentage has cost it ladder places in a tight competition. The improved percentage puts the OMs above other five game winners De La and AJAX.
This week the OMs take on the undefeated Collegians at Harry Trott Oval in the best test yet of how the OMs are performing this season – albeit with a less-than-full list with several players coming down with the mid-season travel bug. The OMs have the second-best defence and percentage but still only the sixth best attack. Every kick for goal will count more than ever in this contest, with some teams coming close to beating Collegians – AJAX failing by 10 points – but others being thumped. Anything could happen!
See you there.
Lurch.