2024 ROUND 17 SENIOR MEN’S MATCH REPORT
University Blues FC vs Old Melburnians FC at Melbourne University Oval, Parkville
1st quarter: UBFC 6.4.40 OMFC 1.1.7
2nd quarter: UBFC 9.7.61 OMFC 4.2.26
3rd quarter: UBFC 13.8.86 OMFC 7.3.45
4th quarter: UBFC 13.13.91 OMFC 10.6.66
Goals: Sam Laube (2), Jackson Paine (2), Jeremy a’Beckett (1), Ben Haysman (1), Lachie Haysman (1), Charlie McKay (1), Henry Nicholls (1), Adam Richardson (1).
Best players: Lachie Templeton, Jarrod Lienert, Jackson Paine, Harry Cooper, Spencer Anderson.
Team*: Jeremy a’Beckett (26), Spencer Anderson (36), Harry Cooper (25), Will Dethridge (38), Ben Harding (8), James Harrold (41), Ben Haysman (10), Lachie Haysman (9), Sam Laube (20), Jarrod Lienert (30), Chris Long (31), Charlie McKay (19), Ed Michelmore (4), Ned Nichols (13), Will Nichols (1), Henry Nicholls (32), Jackson Paine (Captain, 39), Adam Richardson (29), Jack Spargo (24), Lachie Swaney (40), Lachie Templeton (44), Sam Wundke (5).
*As this game was played in clash jumpers, many jumper numbers were not the players’ usual numbers.
Match Report
The OMs welcomed back Jarrod Lienert, Adam Richardson and Sam Wundke, who replaced Andrew Chirnside, Oscar Hanisch and Gus Williams.
The game was played on a mostly dry day with occasional drizzle on a much-improved University ground compared to the OMs’ last outing there. It was a cool day despite a temperature range of 16-17 degrees, because the wind made it feel like 10-12 degrees. The consistently north-north-westerly was in the 22-32kmh range all game, with gusts of up to 63kmh, making it considerably worse than last week’s windy game.
The OMs had to win this game, and then hope that other results went their way to keep alive their hopes of booking a place again in Premier A next year. In contrast, the University Blues were in no danger of being relegated or of playing finals.
It briefly drizzled as the game began, without having any noticeable effect. In a game the OMs had to win, it was University Blues that dominated from the outset without doing anything extraordinary. Their star forward, ex-AFL player and Scotch boy, James Stewart, had recently returned, and was on song early in the game, helped by having the wind advantage to the eastern end. The Blues goaled at the 8-, 10- and 11-minute marks and continued from there, with the OMs’ only score a behind from hitting a goal post on the run. It was looking likely that it would be a goalless quarter until Sam Laube got the footy in heavy traffic about 10-15m out in front of goal, wheeled around, threw it on his boot, and scored truly at the 27-minute mark. It had been a really poor quarter by the OMs, who were not doing much right and did not look like the team that had everything to lose.
The OMs took charge at the start of the second quarter. Ed Michelmore did good work in the NE, soaking up tackles to help keep the footy forward. Eventually Adam Richardson received a free kick for a high tackle and took his set shot from the NE with the wind directly behind his back, drilling it from about 30 metres out, just under two minutes into the quarter. The Blues then took over and goaled four minutes later. It was 47-19. The OMs won in the middle but were unable to conjure a shot at goal. When Blues goaled at the 10-minute mark to make it 53-13 it was game over. There were simply no signs from the OMs that they could turn it around.
An OM’s tackle stopped a Blues’ goal on the goal line, but they continued to dominate, against the wind, and bounced through a goal minutes later. When the OMs next went forward, Mich soaked up more tackles to force stoppages, with Ned Nichols eventually winning a free kick. His set shot from about 40m out missed to the right. The OMs quickly took back possession and a smart kick found Henry Nicholls in the goal square. His goal at the 26-minute mark made it 61-20. The OMs won in the middle and Ben Haysman ran, blazed, and missed everything to the right. Charlie McKay marked on the northern wing, won a 50m penalty that put him about 20m out from goal, and he put it through at the 32 minute-mark for the last score of the quarter. Kicking with the wind, the OMs had been outscored, despite showing signs of life not seen in the first quarter.
The wind dropped right off at the start of the third quarter, but it proved to be a temporary reprieve. The OMs quickly went into attack, with Ned kicking from the SW pocket to Jeremy a’Beckett, directly in front, and his kick from about 25-30m out, inside two minutes, was perfect. An infringement gave Captain Jackson Paine a free kick from the centre square. Richo soon marked on the NW boundary line but his set shot was too tight. The OMs fought hard to keep the footy forward and when Jacko received a free kick in the SW he converted his set shot from about 30m out with a really good kick against the wind. It was 61-39 at the six-minute mark and the OMs had all the momentum. Had it gone from game over to game on?
The Blues answered that question by taking control of the quarter, goaling at the 10-minute mark and again five minutes later, with the wind blowing hard again as the sun broke through the dark clouds. From the centre bounce the OMs emerged, and a free kick to Henry Nicholls saw him dish off to the passing Laube, who snapped and goaled to make it 73-45 at the 18-minute mark. One or two further attacking sorties were made without any avenues to goal presenting themselves. Uni Blues goaled at the 24 and 29-minute marks to emphatically rule out any prospect of an OM comeback.
The OMs had the wind in the final quarter and – theoretically – a last chance to win the game against all the odds. Play went both ways with behinds scored at each end until a clever OM kick from the southern wing found Lachie Haysman at the top of the arc, and he scored the quarter’s first goal at the 11-minute mark. McKay had a long set shot from the SE that went across the face. Laube snapped and missed. Nicholls’ quick, long kick in play also missed. It was 94-54 at the 25-minute mark, but the OMs kept working hard. Ben Harding got the footy and chipped it to Jacko in the SE, who put through a long set shot 27 minutes into the quarter.
The last scoring play was a memorable one, with Jarrod Lienert’s massive kick from close to the NW boundary line going into the centre square. In a brief contest, Laube burst through with the footy, ran towards goal, handballed over to Ben Haysman, and he trotted in and finished the job at the 29-minute mark. Through a combination of hard work and the Blues’ inaccuracy, the OMs had kept them goalless in the final quarter but had pulled up five goals short of victory.
It had been another frustrating patchy game by the OMs, who effectively gave away the first quarter. That quarter’s deficit was greater than the final losing margin. At other times in the game, the OMs showed glimpses of their best, but glimpses don’t win games. A four-quarter effort would almost certainly have seen a different result.
Lachie Templeton played his best game for the OMs thus far. He put in a true four quarter effort and got better every minute.
Jarrod Lienert struggled up forward early in the game but was very effective in defence.
Jackson Paine laid 18 tackles and had 24 disposals in a true captain’s game, giving everything to try and secure a win.
Harry Cooper effectively negated Sam Grimley, keeping the dangerous forward to one goal and five possessions.
Spencer Anderson yet again played his role as a lockdown defender and continued his improvement as a genuine Premier A performer.
This weekend the OMs travel out to the ‘Snake Pit’ to take on St Bernard’s in the season’s last game. St Bernard’s (eighth) and Fitzroy (ninth) are both vying to avoid joining the OMs in Premier B in 2025. While the result won’t change the OMs’ fate, they can kick start a season of redemption next year with a win against a team with everything to lose.
See you there.
Lurch.