Round 11, Saturday 1 July 2023.

Old Scotch FC vs Old Melburnians FC at Scotch College, Hawthorn

1st quarter: OSFC 5.3.33 OMFC 0.2.2

2nd quarter: OSFC 10.5.65 OMFC 2.2.14

3rd quarter: OSFC 11.10.76 OMFC 5.4.34

4th quarter: OSFC 13.13.91 OMFC 6.4.40

Goals: Jackson Paine (2), Lachie Haysman (1), Henry Nicholls (1), Ned Nichols (1), Josh Wills (1).  

Best players: Stuart Watson, Jackson Paine, Ben Harding, Jake Nicholas, Josh Wills, Ed Smart, Justin De Steiger. 

Seniors.

By Lurch.

Team: Mac Anderson (68), Harry Cooper (45), Nic Daish (33), Justin De Steiger (18), Oscar Dowd (48), Josh Freezer (5), Mitch Golby (38), Ben Harding (8), Lachie Haysman (9), Will McIntyre (53), Robbie Morrison (15), Jake Nicholas (72), Henry Nicholls (31), Ned Nichols (3), Will Nichols (1), Jackson Paine (39), Jock Roysmith (35), Ed Smart (42), Nick Voyage (16), Hugo Watkin (52), Stuart Watson (21), Josh Wills (6). 

The OMs went to Scotch College for this game, which the OMs won, 106-81, in the corresponding round in 2022. Before that game, the OMs were third on the ladder, and Old Scotch was seventh. This time, those ladder places were reversed (although Scotch was on top of the ladder before the previous week’s loss to Old Haileybury). Of the OMs’ best players and goal kickers in 2022, Captain Jackson Paine and former Captain Josh Freezer were the only ones to play in the rematch. 

It’s been a tough season for the OMs, with injuries responsible for most of the eight changes made for this game. Spencer Anderson (36), Tom Baker (17), Sam Gibbons (14), Ben Haysman (10), Will Richards (40), Adam Richardson (56), Brodie Tonkin (25) and Hunter Watkin (11) were replaced by Mac Anderson, Justin De Steiger, Mitch Golby, Will McIntyre, Robbie Morrison, Will Nichols, Jackson Paine and Hugo Watkin (brother of Hunter). 

The game began under white clouds with patches of blue sky. Southerly to SSW to SW winds stayed in single figure speeds but made the 11 to 12-degree temperatures feel like 9-11 degrees. It was drizzling immediately before the game, and showers at times made conditions tricky. 

Although the OMs won in the middle, with Jake Nicholas in the ruck, it was Scotch that missed a sitter inside the first two minutes. It missed again, and could’ve been on track to repeat its 3.18 of the previous week but it straightened up and added two goals by the six-minute mark. Jock Roysmith made a great attempt in a marking contest and received a free kick, but missed to the left at the western end, kicking against the slight wind. A lengthy battle followed in the OMs’ arc. It was very congested and impossible to get a look at goal. Josh Wills had a snap from the NW pocket that would’ve brought the school down had it gone through, but he missed, and Scotch went up the ground and goaled. It was 20-2 at the 17-minute mark. Four minutes later the OMs kicked to the enemy in Scotch’s forward line and their turnover was punished with another goal. Scotch bounced through a goal at the 24-minute mark to show that luck was with it. Eventually Roysmith took a nice mark two minutes later and prepared to take his set shot, but a teammate’s ill discipline saw a free kick given to Scotch instead. 

Although the OMs had been full of energy, it was misused in the first quarter, with too many going into the one contest, leaving Scotchies 5-10m away from their nearest opponent to do as they pleased. There were few tackles, and turnovers gifted Scotch most of its goals.  

Old Scotch goaled early against the slight wind in the second quarter. A long stalemate followed, fought mostly between the arcs, until Scotch goaled at about the 12-minute mark. After it missed a shot two minutes later, it was 46-2, and looking increasingly grim for the OMs. Mitch Golby then went forward, Scotch tapped the footy back, and Golby went at it again, to set up Ned Nichols. He threw the footy on the boot and scored a stylish first goal for the OMs at the 22-minute mark. Scotch cancelled that out with a goal minutes later, helped by the OM on the mark not jumping to increase the difficulty or potentially touching the footy off the boot (a draggable offence, in Lurch’s opinion….). After good tackling on the southern wing the OMs won a free kick and sent the footy into the middle, where it soon found Henry Nicholls inside the attacking edge of the centre square. A quality centre-half forward early on in his Senior School years at MGS before he stopped growing, Nicholls took a strong mark and followed up with a beautiful long kick from directly in front for the OMs’ second goal at the 28-minute mark. It was 52-14 but Scotch goaled two minutes later, and added another one from the centre bounce. At 64-14 it was undoubtedly game over. 

Although the Dark Blues found the goals, it had otherwise been yet another extremely disappointing quarter. As the showers came in, the OMs were overusing the footy while Scotch played wet weather footy. The tackle count remained very low, helping Scotch to play its well-structured game. Will Nichols had been lost to a head injury during the quarter, and his brother Ned soon followed him off the ground. Something had to be done by those remaining to resist Scotch. 

The third quarter began with a long, strongly contested battle that showed the OMs were fighting hard and smartly. Harry Cooper kicked out of defence to start the OMs on a rare string of possessions right up the ground, where the OMs unfortunately failed to goal. A free kick gave Scotch its only goal of the quarter to make it 74-15 at the 12-minute mark. Eventually the OMs worked brilliantly out of the centre through good work by Oscar Dowd, and with Justin De Steiger hitting up Paine on the SW boundary line about 20-25m around from goal. His banana went through the middle at the 14-minute mark. Great team work starting from a terrific mark by Ed Smart got the footy forward via many hands, with The White Ghost handballing to Paine in the goal square and he toe-poked it through. Seven minutes later, after a failed Scotch attempt to goal, Lachie Haysman gathered the loose ball outside the top of the arc, wheeled around, snapped and scored an exciting goal to make it 76-34. The OMs had completely turned their game around and had outscored Scotch against the breeze, albeit the Scotchies’ wasteful 1.5 was helpful. 

As unlikely as it seemed – 42 points down, with the breeze but not a gale for the final quarter – at the last change there was a positive feeling among the boys in Dark Blue that maybe – just maybe – the impossible could be achieved. 

The final quarter was a stalemate for the opening six minutes. The OMs had a nice chain of possessions that took them from the SW to the NE, where Hugo Watkins took 45-degree angle set shot from outside the 40m arc that centered the ball to the top of the goal square. Wills got it, and the South Aussie threw it on the boot, snapped, and got the goal he could’ve had in the first quarter. It was 74-40 at the seven-minute mark, and if the OMs had gone on with it, that margin could’ve been cut down by the minute. However, Scotch responded with a goal. The game then slowed down to a stalemate that ate up valuable minutes and made it clear no miracle win was on the OMs’ cards. Already down two valuable players, they were further cruelled when star defender Cooper limped off at the 13-minute mark. The game continued to be a lacklustre affair both ways until Scotch goaled at the 28-minute mark. After a game that had seen some long quarters, this one ended then. 

Scotch was nowhere near as strong as Collegians were the previous week, having also been somewhat depleted by injuries and travel. However, the OMs’ first half made Scotch look far better than it would otherwise have been. Had the OMs played a four-quarter game as they did against Old Brighton, the result could have been very different – perhaps even a narrow win. That said, the massive and constant changes to their personnel each week, largely due to injury, has had an undeniable and unavoidable impact on what is a team of mostly young players with little Senior experience. Had COVID-19 not prematurely ended the 2020 season, the Scotchies would almost certainly have been relegated to Premier B, but that reprieve gave those young players the opportunity to get more Premier A game experience together and to become a genuine contender. The young OMs who have debuted this year include many with genuine talent. A few years together – and following the coach’s instructions – should make them an exciting combination. 

Stuart ‘The White Ghost’ Watson turned back the clock with a scarily good performance. In more recent times he has played a few more Reserves’ games, but he reminded us of what he can do at his best – which is creative, fearless, crash and bash running and tackling. He racked up 24 disposals with run, carry and a few sore Scotchies en route off half back.

Jackson Paine spent the first half up forward but was starved of opportunities. When moved to the midfield after half-time he was able to change the game, getting 19 of his 26 possessions in that half, and 10 of his 15 tackles. 

Ben Harding showed what a Perth Scotchie can do against Melbourne Scotchies, showing his close-checking opponent how through combative midfield play he could still pick up 24 possessions and win 10 clearances. 

Jake Nicholas looked like a (very tall) boy against men yet fought hard all day in the ruck to win clearances for the OMs.

Josh Wills returned to form in his best game since his recent return to the team. With the loss of some midfielders, he was moved into the midfield and had some fun, collecting 26 possessions and winning eight clearances. 

Fellow South Aussie Ed Smart helped spark the second half improvement with his movement providing a valuable link in his role as a high half forward.

Justin De Steiger played his first Senior game for the year. Starting out in defence to warm up, he was clearly a stranger in a strange land, and looked and was much better once back in his happy hunting ground up forward, where his aerial skills and work-rate benefitted his Dark Blue brothers. 

Debuting in this game were:

Mac Anderson attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2016 to 2021 and was a member of Bromby House. He was a member of the 2021 2nd XVIII in the COVID-shortened season of that year and was 2021 Vice-Captain of Athletics. Mac joined the OMs in 2022 and before his Senior debut he played in the Under-19s. 

Mitch Golby played for TAC Cup team Gippsland Power (2008-09) and in 2010 played for the Brisbane Lions’ Reserves. He played for Brisbane in the NEAFL (2011 and 2014-15), for Port Melbourne (2016-17) and for other clubs before joining the OMs as a player this year, working his way up from the Thirds. 

Will McIntyre attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2014 to 2019 and was 2019 co-Vice Captain of Bruce House. He played in the 2018 and 2019 2nd XVIIIs and was a 2018 member of and 2019 Captain of Water Polo. Will played his junior footy at the East Brighton Vampires and joined the OMs in the Under-19s in 2021. 

This week the OMs (now 8th) return to Elsternwick Park to take on Old Haileybury (9th). In their last meeting the OMs overcame a slow start against a fast-running Bloods’ team to have an incredible 131-98 victory, with Tom Baker’s eight goals throughout the game a key part of that win. Baker is out injured, along with many other valuable players. The Bloods won an incredible game against Old Scotch two rounds ago, and – being two games and percentage behind the OMs in the relegation zone – will consider this a game they can win. The OMs must win to stay out of relegation contention and will welcome all the support they can get. 

See you there. 

Lurch.