Old Melburnians Football Club Inc

Round 1, Saturday 15 April 2023.

Old Melburnians FC vs University Blues at Elsternwick Park

1st quarter:                 OMFC            1.0.6                UBFC             3.6.24

2nd quarter:                OMFC            6.4.40              UBFC             4.8.32

3rd quarter:                OMFC            8.6.54              UBFC             8.13.61

4th quarter:                OMFC            9.7.61              UBFC             10.19.79

Goals: Ed Michelmore (3), Jackson Paine (2), Spencer Anderson (1), Ben Harding (1), Lachie Haysman (1), Sam Kelly (1).

Best players: Ben Harding, Jackson Paine, Ed Michelmore, Harry Cooper, Will Nichols, Brodie Tonkin

Seniors.

By Lurch.

Team: Spencer Anderson (36), Tom Baker (17), Daniel Coffield (7), Harry Cooper (45), Will Dethridge (26) Josh Freezer (5), Ben Harding (8), Ben Haysman (10), Lachie Haysman (9), Sam Kelly (38), Ed Michelmore (20), Robbie Morrison (15), Ned Nichols (3), Will Nichols (1), Jackson Paine (39, Captain), Adam Richardson (56), Jack Spargo (24), Tom Spargo (24), Lachlan Templeton (44), Jacob Thompson (23), Brodie Tonkin (25), Stuart Watson (21).

Missing from the last team to represent the OMs were Cam Banfield (retired), Tom Cameron (VFL game), Nic Daish, Justin De Steiger (away), Chance Doultree (left), Charles Dowling (away), Sam Dunell (left), George Hurley-Wellington, Charles Lill (injured), Tom Paule (retired) and Ed Smart (away).

The grass was green but certainly wasn’t dry, the result of showers before and throughout the OMs’ game against Uni Blues in Round 1 of the 2023 VAFA Premier A season. At least it wasn’t cold, with the temperature around 18 degrees, and a stiff northerly initially favoured the southern end to which Uni kicked first.

Lurch arrived just in time for the start of the game, and to queue up for four of the best from the canteen. Although the OMs were first into attack, Uni soon turned it around, and there was little worth seeing for some time – from an OM perspective – as Uni peppered the goals. Its multiple misses kept giving the OMs a chance, but after a while it inevitably found one. It was late in the quarter before the OMs went forward with Ed Michelmore receiving a free kick for an attempted trip. He kicked from about the arc, slightly west of directly in front, and put it straight through the middle. After that, Uni resumed its offensive, and the OMs unfortunately allowed it to score two late goals. The disappointing effort in the first quarter was compounded by the early loss of Robbie Morrison, who was playing for the first time after several years away, and an injury to Ned Nichols that curtailed his output for the remainder of the game.

From the beginning of the second quarter the OMs looked a different team. The Dark Blues moved quickly, with notably more urgency and aggression, and the results soon showed on the scoreboard. With the wind – albeit lighter than in the first quarter – the OMs charged towards goal, the footy went to ground, and Michelmore pounced, gathered, threw it on the boot in the midst of heavy traffic, and goaled. Uni was quick to respond with a goal, and soon added another. At the 12-minute mark the OMs rushed forward and debutant Ben Harding dobbed the OMs’ second goal of the quarter. From the centre bounce Lachie Haysman had the footy on a string, pulled it in with one hand, ran towards goal, and slotted it with style. It was 25-31. The OMs went again from the centre, with a long kick to the SW pocket. A Uni defender misjudged the incoming missile, which Jackson Paine read perfectly, marking, and then goaling from the goal square, courtesy of a Uni player having words with the umpire. At the 15-minute mark it was 31-all.

The showers increased as Ben Haysman ran in from the SE pocket and had a shot that went across the face of goal. The OMs stayed in attack, and when Sam Kelly received a free kick for another attempted trip his long set shot from the SE gave the OMs a goal and a 39-31 lead. After the halftime siren, Brodie Tonkin took his set shot from the SE boundary outside the arc. It drifted left for a point and an eight-point halftime lead. Apart from more intensity, the OMs’ vastly improved quarter was due to greater discipline in all areas of the game and lowering eyes to find better targets. If this effort could be continued, a victory was likely.

The lights were on at the start of the third quarter. The OMs were first out of the centre bounce, and initially had the intensity seen in the previous quarter but turned it over and Uni goaled four minutes into the quarter. Uni took a 40-45 lead with another goal – from the SW boundary line - two minutes later. The OMs attacked and Ned Nichols’ sharp centering kick from deep in the NE pocket found Paine in front of goal, and he kicked truly. The OMs went again from the centre bounce, Tom Baker missed a long set shot from the NE, and when Uni kicked back into play, Ed Michelmore marked directly in front. He had a long set shot and kicked beautifully to maintain his goal-per-quarter effort. At the 12-minute mark it was 53-45. Against the flow, Uni goaled two minutes later. The OMs counterattacked. A large pack of players ran into goal, with Sam Kelly appearing to soccer it through off the ground. Uni players and spectators (yelling from their cars) insisted that it was touched. Following a conference between goal and field umpires it was deemed touched. It was 54-51 until the 24-minute mark when Uni kicked a goal that was also the subject of debate over whether it had been touched, only this time Uni was awarded the goal. It kicked three points after that to have a seven-point lead at the last change.

The start of the fourth quarter was marked by lacklustre and sloppy play by both sides although the OMs were noticeably worse, letting opponents 20m away take strings of uncontested possessions. It took until the 14-minute mark for a goal to be scored – by Uni. It was 55-70 and it was probably game over for the OMs, given their inability to get near goal. The wind had died down to nothing, giving them no advantage, and Uni was handling the wet conditions much more cleanly. More lacklustre play followed until the 29-minute mark when Uni goaled again to end any doubt about the outcome. A brief ray of OM sunshine came from Spencer Anderson taking a set shot and goaling at the 33-minute mark, with the siren sounding soon afterwards.

Across the VAFA, most teams have had significant changes as a result of players retiring, leaving for professional suburban or country leagues, or changing to other VAFA teams. Consequently, most VAFA sides bear little resemblance to the sides that represented them last year and the OMs were typical of that. With many new (and many young) players, it will take time for this Dark Blue side to gel. That said, this was a winnable game, helped by Uni Blues’ inaccuracy, which kept the OMs in contention. However, they trailed off towards the end of the game and did not cope as well in the wet conditions against Uni’s bigger bodies and better wet weather skills.

Ben Harding was the OMs’ best player in his debut game. His 36 disposals and a goal were testament to his huge preseason efforts to get himself into superb shape for the rigors of Premier A footy.

Jackson Paine’s first game as OMFC Captain saw him in a new midfield role that harnessed his big body and aggressive play to garner 20 possessions and two goals when he worked up the ground.

Ed Michelmore also found himself in a new midfield role with 18 touches and three goals, the result of his flexible skillset being applied to new territory.

Harry Cooper debuted against former Hawthorn and Essendon player and the VAFA’s 2022 leading goal kicker, Sam Grimley. The solidly-built tall redhead - who looks like he’s straight out of a 1950s VFL team – held Grimley to a solitary goal and kept improving as the game progressed.

Will Nichols worked hard all day in a typically super competitive game off half back.

Brodie Tonkin played in the midfield and up forward, racking up 26 possessions. Clean and consistent all game, he will no longer be lost to VFL duties from time-to-time, having committed to representing the Dark Blues fulltime.

Debuting this week were:

Harry Cooper. Harry attended Melbourne Grammar School (MGS) from 2009 to 2021 and was 2021 Vice-Captain of Ross House. He was a member of the 2021 1st XVIII. Harry also played 1st Tennis for Grammar from 2019-21 (2021 Vice-Captain). He began playing for the OMs in 2021.

Ben Harding. Ben attended Scotch College, Perth. He played footy for East Freemantle and Peel Thunder in the WAFL, and more recently for University in the WAAFL (the Western Australian Amateurs). Ben is a mate of Charles Lill and brings a wealth of footy experience to the OMs.

Adam Richardson. Adam attended MGS from 2015 to 2020 and was a member of Morris House. A member of the 2018 and 2019 1st XVIII, he was also in the 2020 1st XVIII, which never played a game due to COVID-19 lockdowns. He was also a member of the 2018 Athletics team. Adam began playing for the OMs in 2022.

Tom Spargo. Tom attended MGS from 2007 to 2019 and was 2019 Vice-Captain of Ross House. He was a member of the 2018 1st XVIII and was Vice-Captain of the 2019 1st XVIII. Tom was a member of the 2017 and 2018 1st XI and was Vice-Captain of the 2019 1st XI. He began playing for the OMs in 2019 and was a member of that year’s premiership Under-19s.

Lachlan Templeton. Lachlan attended MGS from 2015 to 2020 and was 2020 Vice-Captain of Miller House. A member of the 2019 1st XVIII, he was also a member of the 2020 1st XVIII and 1st XI. Lachlan began playing for the OMs in 2021.

Jacob Thompson. “JT” is a former teammate of Josh Freezer from their time in Essendon’s VFL team. A nuggety moustached forward, he played for the Calder Cannons and for Greenvale in the Essendon District Football League. JT brings much-needed experience into the OMs’ forward line.

This week the OMs trek out to Xavier College, Kew, where the displaced Old Xavs have returned to their spiritual home due to the redevelopment of Toorak Park. It was at Xavier that they were defeated by Collegians, and the Red and Blacks will not want to suffer consecutive home losses. It will be a great challenge for the new-look OMs.

See you there.

 Lurch