Round 10, Saturday 24 June 2023.
Old Melburnians FC vs Collegians FC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 0.0.0 CFC 5.3.33
2nd quarter: OMFC 2.0.12 CFC 10.3.63
3rd quarter: OMFC 2.2.14 CFC 13.9.87
4th quarter: OMFC 3.7.25 CFC 14.11.95
Goals: Ben Harding (1), Ben Haysman (1), Brodie Tonkin (1).
Best players: Will Richards, Ben Harding, Josh Freezer, Nic Daish, Ben Haysman.
Seniors.
By Lurch.
Team: Spencer Anderson (36), Tom Baker (17), Harry Cooper (45), Nic Daish (33), Oscar Dowd (48), Josh Freezer (5), Sam Gibbons (14), Ben Harding (8), Ben Haysman (10), Lachie Haysman (9), Jake Nicholas (72), Henry Nicholls (31), Ned Nichols (3), Will Richards (40), Adam Richardson (56), Jock Roysmith (35), Ed Smart (42), Brodie Tonkin (25), Nick Voyage (16), Hunter Watkin (11), Stuart Watson (21), Josh Wills (6).
Due to the usual reasons, but increasingly affected by those going on holiday, Will Dethridge (26), Chance Doultree (2), Ed Michelmore (20) and Arthur Rush (58) were replaced in this week’s team by Ned Nichols, Ed Smart, Stuart Watson and Josh Wills.
The game started under blue skies with white clouds, but it was another horrible windy day. Although not quite as bad as last week, it still had winds that were consistently 35-37km/h and north to north north-westerly in the first 90 minutes, dropping no lower than 28km/h, with gusts of up to 57km/h. Despite the temperature range being 10-14, the ‘felt like’ temperatures were an icy 3-7 degrees with rain as the crappy icing on the weather cake.
Having lost 49-162 against Collegians five rounds ago with no losses since then, this game should have been a good test of how much the OMs had improved. Unfortunately, Collegians kicked with the wind first, but the OMs managed to hold them off for five minutes before the Lions scored their first goal. It had all the hallmarks of the previous first quarter played against them, with the OMs spirited and having a good go at it but struggling to score. Tom Baker sent a raking long kick forward against the raging wind, but the OMs couldn’t trouble the scoreboard. Collegians scored their second goal at the nine-minute mark. Harry Cooper stopped an otherwise certain goal, and The White Ghost (Watson) comically upended his opponent, bringing him to a crashing halt. The OMs’ tackling was good, with the game congested at times, but the Lions always positioned themselves better, and always had a few blokes metres in the clear without an OM near them. To have any chance of winning, the OMs had to replicate the winning Brighton game – manning up on opponents and playing all four quarters.
For some time the OMs pressed hard to score but had no chance of doing so. The Lions worked their way forward and scored their third goal at the 20-minute mark. That it took that long was a testament to the OMs’ hard work. Tragically, as that goal was being scored, Baker left the ground clutching his wrist in agony following an innocuous contest that left him with a potentially season-ending injury. It was upsetting and depressing to see a good bloke and the OMs’ most potent forward leave the field that way. All OMs can only hope he has a quick and a complete recovery. The Collegians hit the post but followed up with a goal in play at the 28-minute mark to make it 0-27, with a bad OM turnover in the SE pocket giving them another goal three minutes later. After a generally solid effort, those last two goals came a bit too easily.
Although the OMs had the wind in the second quarter, it seemed unlikely that scoring with it would be as easy as it was against Caulfield the previous week. It had become so dark that the lights were turned on. Although Jake Nicholas won in the ruck at the first bounce, it was Collegians that goaled 43 seconds into the quarter. As rain began to spit, they goaled again, against the incessant wind, two minutes in. The rain then came down, to help protect their 0-45 lead. The OMs began getting more of the ball. Ed Smart centred from the SW to Ben Haysman, who missed his set shot, but a goal square infringement gave him another go from the top of the square, giving the OMs their first goal. At the 14-minute mark it was 6-45. Rain splattered Lurch’s notes as Brodie Tonkin’s tough set shot from near the intersection of the SE boundary and the arc was beautifully threaded through. It was only very briefly 12-45 at the 20-minute mark, as Collegians goaled from the centre bounce, and added another goal from the next one. The OMs then attacked for a while, with Nic Daish in a lot of the contests, but no opportunities for shots on goal presented themselves, and the Lions went up the ground and goaled immediately before the siren sounded.
At 63-12 at half-time, it looked like the game was over. The Lions had more than doubled the OMs’ score against the wind in the second quarter, and the OMs were simply not playing well enough to look like threatening the Lion’s lead.
In typical Melbourne style, the third quarter began with blue skies and some sun, with the rain mercifully gone, but the wind was still brutally present. A much tighter contest took place despite the improved conditions as the OMs worked harder, and when Ned Nichols’ tight running shot missed from the NE the score only crept up to 14-66 at the 14-minute mark. The Lions were long in attack with the wind but took until the 20-minute mark to score their first goal of the quarter, but unfortunately scored two more rather too quickly before the siren announced the final break.
The wind dropped ever so slightly for the OMs with the wind in the final quarter. When Ben Haysman missed a set shot six minutes into the quarter, it was 15-88. After a Collegians’ goal, defender, ruckman and wingman Harry Cooper tried to complete the set by having a set shot from directly in front for his first goal, but just missed to the right. The OMs missed again and made several more attempts. Ben Haysman attempted a kick around the body from the SE that went straight across the face of goal, but inside the final minute of the game, Ben Harding won a free kick, was brought into the goal square, and scored the OMs’ third and final goal.
On a dirty day at the office, only five players were ultimately named as the OMs’ best.
Will Richards racked up 28 disposals on the wing with fine touch in tough conditions. When not playing for the Bullants his form for the OMs has been very good.
Ben Harding’s OMFC jumper took three ‘tough’ Collegians ganging up on him to rip it in the opening minutes in a failed attempt to put him off his game. His final tally was over 30 disposals despite lots of close attention as he maintained his high standard despite the quality opposition.
Josh Freezer took seven intercept marks in a standout performance in defence despite the persistent onslaught by the Lions.
Nic Daish played as an additional midfielder, doing lots of good work at the stoppages.
Ben Haysman worked really hard to keep the footy in the forward line. A sling tackle impacted his game but gave his opponent a two-week suspension.
This week the OMs (7th) have another tough challenge, playing Old Scotch at Scotch College. Last year the OMs beat Old Scotch at Scotch, but that was by a stronger team against a then-weaker team. Old Scotch topped the ladder until Old Haileybury (9th) beat it last week, dropping it to third. The Scotchies scored an appalling 3.18 and the Bloods kicked straight and often enough to beat them on the Scotchies’ home turf. No doubt those in red will be feeling the sting and will want to redeem themselves on their spiritual home ground. The OMs must start strongly, go hard and kick straight to sow seeds of doubt to have a chance of an upset victory.
See you there.
Lurch.