Round 11 Match Report
Round 11, Saturday 4 July 2026
Old Melburnians FC vs Old Camberwell FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 3.1.19 OCFC 3.1.19
2nd quarter: OMFC 4.3.27 OCFC 6.8.44
3rd quarter OMFC 5.6.36 OCFC 8.11.59
4th quarter: OMFC 7.7.49 OCFC 12.16.88
Goals: Jeremy a’Beckett (1), Nicky Christian (1), Ben Haysman (1), Luca Reid (1), Miles Tyrer (1), Ollie Tyrer (1), James Venus (1)
Best players: Spencer Anderson, Miles Tyrer, Mac Anderson, Oliver Tyrer, Jeremy a'Beckett, Louis Bunting
Team: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Mac Anderson (76), Spencer Anderson (4), Louis Bunting (27), Toby Callaghan (24), Charlie Canty (60), Nicky Christian (21), Harvey Coleman (60), Harry Cooper (23), Louis Dalgleish (13), George Derham (29), Will Dethridge (12), Lachie Haysman (9), Ben Haysman (10), Henry Nicholls (25), Will Preston (11), Luca Reid (37), Lachie Templeton (16), Miles Tyrer (17), Ollie Tyrer (32), James Venus (20) and Gus Williams (35).
Match Report by Lurch
Andrew Chirnside, Leonardo Curtis, Tom Facy, Ryan Fowler, Johnny Maher, Will Richards, Campbell Rose, Sam Seccull and Olly Williams were replaced by Mac Anderson, Spencer Anderson, Louis Bunting, Toby Callaghan, Charlie Canty, Harvey Coleman, George Derham, Luca Reid and James Venus. Callaghan, Canty, Coleman and Venus all debuted – more on them later.
This game had a lot riding on it. Any team below second is not yet certain of staying in Premier B for 2027. The Wellers won their last two games while the OMs lost both of theirs – although every team has lost to Collegians.
The game was played in temperatures of 11 to 13 degrees said to feel like 7 to 9 degrees but colder for those of us there. The wind was unusually a west-south-westerly either side of a west-north-westerly and lastly a south-westerly that gave some benefit to the northern goal. The breeze ranged from 9 to 20km/h with gusts of 13 to 33 km/h. It was a dry day.
Under a very cloudy sky with tiny patches of blue, a stiff icy breeze and a very soft ground the OMs won at the opening chuck up, but it was the Wellers who goaled in play at the southern end after two minutes. Louis Bunting set the OMs up from the halfback flank to kick off a nice transition along the eastern boundary culminating with a kick inboard and a mark to Nicky Christian. His long set shot was on song at the five-minute mark but two minutes later the Wellers goaled in play again for a 6-12 lead. Play went both ways, but the Weller boys were better as they cleanly went forward to score a third consecutive goal in play, bouncing it through the open goal. It was 6-18 at the 12-minute mark but the OMs now improved their efforts and a long battle ensued. Miles Tyrer tried a booming kick for goal in play but unfortunately missed.
Defender Will Dethridge kicked long to a contest between Jeremy a’Beckett and the Weller masses, and although Jez couldn’t take it, he cleverly tapped the ball out of the contest and got it himself in the northeast pocket, ran briefly, pulled the trigger, and slotted it. Three minutes later Ben Haysman goaled in play at the 21-minute mark to give the OMs a 19-18 lead. Camberwell then stepped up up,d play went both ways until it hit the right goal post in play. The siren ended the 28-minute quarter with scores drawn. It was a good comeback by the OMs and was hopefully a foundation on which they could build.
Although the OMs were first into attack in the second quarter, a free kick turned it over and the Weller boys rapidly raced up the ground. A hurried centring kick from the northwest by a Weller was foiled when Gus Williams created and won a contest in front of goal that saw the ball go through for a behind. Lachie Haysman gave Will Preston a long set shot from the southwest that looked good until it wasn’t. Ben Haysman’s snap for goal also missed. In a scrappy contest along the spine, Spencer Anderson kicked to a contest where Luca Reid grabbed it and sent a shoulder-height handpass to James Venus. He ran into the southwest pocket and kicked sharply back towards goal for a memorable and well-deserved debut goal. It was 27-21 at the nine-minute mark.
Over the next seven minutes play went both ways, but Camberwell had more of it and goaled in play. It then attacked hard but only managed two behinds until a goal gave it a 27-37 lead at the 21-minute mark. Although the OMs won in the middle, there were Wellers everywhere. They had the footy when the siren ended the 27-minute quarter, adding insult to injury with a goal after the siren.
The OMs’ inability to counter the Wellers’ superior numbers and quick, clean ball movement meant that the OMs were on the receiving end of what they enabled. A second quarter tally of 1.2 to 3.7 not only showed how few scoring attempts the OMs had, but also how fortunate they were that the Wellers hadn’t maximised their opportunities. The OMs were not helped by a game-ending injury to their main playmaker, Lachie Templeton.
From the beginning of the third quarter the OMs made it a good contest although play went both ways. Miles received a free kick, but his set shot from the arc, directly in front, was offline. The OMs gifted the Wells the footy from a turnover and a goal from a tough angle. It was 29-51 at the 10-minute mark. The signs were bad, with no indications that the OMs could make a comeback. They briefly appeared to belie that, winning in the middle with Venus kicking off the ground from the northwest pocket, but missing the goal.
The game fell into a hole until Camberwell’s set shot hit the right goal post at the 18-minute mark. Henry Nicholls marked well from a very good kick by Seconds’ Captain George Derham. He kicked long for goal but missed to the left. Camberwell’s clearing kick was brought to ground in a contest by Miles Tyrer, who gathered it, handpassing out of traffic to Toby Callaghan, who got control of the bouncing ball, steadied, kicked and found Ollie Tyrer in dense traffic near the northeast boundary line. He was tackled as he got his kick away. It seemed destined to go through to the right of the right goal post, but instead it bounced high in a leg break that converted it into a thrilling goal.
It was 36-53 at the 21-minute mark and reeling in the deficit looked possible until the Wellers responded with a goal two minutes later. Venus was very good in repeated plays on the northwest boundary. The siren ended a 29-minute quarter with Camberwell deep in attack and five goals ahead: not an insurmountable margin, but it was in the context of this game - as much as the OMs had managed all day.
As in the third quarter, the OMs made a positive start, quickly getting into the teeth of goal but the Wellers flooded and gave them no scoring opportunities. When the Wellers goaled three minutes in to make it 36-66 it was game over. The OMs could only try to lessen the damage to their battered percentage. The script dictated otherwise: the Wellers missed two minutes later but goaled three minutes after that to seal their win. Another Weller goal came two minutes later and the scoreline was a terrible 36-80. Two OM attacks were foiled by being outmarked. Jez a’Beckett was moved forward this quarter and worked hard but luck was against him.
Venus also battled hard and had a set shot on a very tight angle from the southwest boundary line. It was on target but dropped into the goal square where Reid marked it on the eastern side of the goal square. His set shot snap and goal at the 17-minute mark made it 42-81 but it was cancelled by the Wellers’ goal four minutes later. The siren sounded as OT’s kick from the middle was marked by his brother MT outside the arc at the end of the 27-minute quarter. Miles took his set shot and put it through.
It was a game the OMs had to win. Unfortunately, a perfect storm ensured they could not have won it with the personnel on the field. The team had nine changes. There were four schoolboy debutants, although they put in a good effort. About half the team were regular Senior players with the other half missing through injury or choosing to go on holiday. The patched-up team had never played together but could have done better. At the post-match some veteran Camberwell supporters said that but for two key players, the Wellers were effectively at full strength. The OMs need all available players back in action without any delay to get their season back on track.
Spencer Anderson was the OMs’ best player, using his pace and superior aerobic capacity in addition to his overhead marking skills to beat opponents at both ends of the ground.
Miles Tyrer did well in the ruck to give his teammates first use and took some handy marks. His tap work is clever, but he will become even more potent if his goal kicking improves.
Mac Anderson (brother of Spencer) recently returned to the OMs. Playing on the wing he stood up well in the contest all day.
Oliver Tyrer played one of his better games. He was solid all over the ground including time in the middle.
Jeremy a'Beckett was a reliable workhorse all day around the ground. He is very strong overhead and battled hard in the last quarter.
Louis Bunting did a solid job in defence as well as setting up attacking plays on a very difficult day.
Making their Senior debuts were four Melbourne Grammar School boys.
Toby Callaghan is a Year 12 Deakin boy who has played in the 1st XVIII every year since Year 10. He is Captain of the 1st XVIII.
Charlie Canty is another Year 12 Deakin boy. He is playing in the 1st XVIII for the first time this year.
Harvey Coleman is a Year 11 in Creese House. He is in his second year in the MGS 1st XVIII.
James Venus is a Year 11 Ross boy who is in the MGS 2nd XVIII but his efforts in this game made one wonder why he’s not in the 1st XVIII, which could really use him.
The OMs’ third consecutive loss dropped them from fourth to sixth on the ladder, only two games and percentage outside the ‘drop zone’ of nine and 10 – but also only a game and percentage outside the top four. Camberwell took the OMs’ former fourth spot. It is a very even competition, but the OMs must first find two wins and percentage to ensure that Premier B is booked – as a minimum – for 2027 before finals can be considered for 2026.
This weekend the competition has a bye to enable players to rest, patch up dings and scratches, and for the OMs to think about what they will do better when they meet AJAX at Gary Smorgon Oval in the Albert Park precinct on Saturday 18 July 2026. When they last met in Round 3 it was AJAX that led at every change to win 76 to 59. AJAX is now second, two games and percentage above the OMs and a game and percentage clear of third. A monumental turnaround will be required by the OMs to come away with a win. It is in their hands.
See you there.
Lurch.