Round 12, Saturday 8 July 2023.
Old Melburnians FC vs Old Haileybury AFC at Elsternwick Park
1st quarter: OMFC 2.1.13 OHAFC 2.2.14
2nd quarter: OMFC 2.3.15 OHAFC 5.7.37
3rd quarter: OMFC 3.5.23 OHAFC 6.12.48
4th quarter: OMFC 4.6.30 OHAFC 9.16.70
Goals: Justin De Steiger (1), Tom Fuller (1), Will Richards (1), Stuart Watson (1).
Best players: Dan Coffield, Jackson Paine, Will Richards, Justin De Steiger and Stuart Watson.
Seniors.
By Lurch.
Team: Mac Anderson (68), Dan Coffield (7), Nic Daish (33), Justin De Steiger (18), Oscar Dowd (48), Tom Fuller (29), Josh Freezer (5), Mitch Golby (38), Ben Harding (8), Lachie Haysman (9), George Hurley-Wellington (31), Will McIntyre (53), Robbie Morrison (15), Jake Nicholas (72), Jackson Paine (39), Will Richards (40), Jock Roysmith (35), Ed Smart (42), Hugo Watkin (52), Hunter Watkin (11), Stuart Watson (21), Josh Wills (6).
It’s been a tough season for the OMs, with injuries and travel among the reasons for the five changes made for this game. Harry Cooper (45), Henry Nicholls (31), Ned Nichols (3), Will Nichols (1) and Nick Voyage (16) were replaced by Dan Coffield, Tom Fuller, George Hurley-Wellington, Will Richards and Hunter Watkin. It was particularly hard to learn that Cooper, our fantastic first year full back, had surgery following the previous week’s injury against Old Scotch, and won’t be seen again this season. He joins many others who have succumbed to broken bones this year, including our magnificent full forward, Tom Baker, leaving the OMs with irreplaceable losses.
The game began under sunny blue skies with a few white clouds. Temperatures ranged from 14 down to 11 degrees, said to feel like a chilly 5 to 6 degrees thanks to the wind being back to its worst. Initially a north-westerly, it soon changed to a west-north-westerly, blowing across the ground but favouring the southern end. It had speeds of 30-33km/h until late in the game when it dropped to 28, with gusts of up to 54. Apart from a few spits of rain it was a dry game – the same could not be said for the 2002 B Grade Premiership reunion lunch upstairs! It seemed only yesterday that Lurch was watching that game.
The OMs kicked to the south in the first quarter and were first to attack. The Bloods made it very congested, and every player was clustered together. In his first Senior game for the year, George Hurley-Wellington eventually broke free, ran towards goal on an angle from the SW, but missed. A long, scrappy battle unfolded on the eastern wing until Haileybury got away, missed a shot, but followed up with a goal against the wind at the 10-minute mark. It was 1-7. The Dark Blues kicked into the SW pocket, The White Ghost got the footy, ran, evaded an opponent, set sail from about 30m out and just snuck the footy through for a goal. After the OMs turned the footy over with a bad kick, Haileybury gathered the loose ball and goaled. It was 7-13 at the 16-minute mark. A long period of play followed with the footy doing big circles of the ground. The OMs spent some time mired in the SE pocket until Justin De Steiger knocked the footy to Tom Fuller, about 20m out, who threw it on the boot, snapped out of the congestion, and goaled to put the OMs only a point behind at the 28-minute mark. That said, Haileybury was in front despite kicking against the wind, and was playing better.
Three minutes into the second quarter the Bloods drew first blood with a goal. The OMs’ first look had Hurley-Wellington knocking the footy back into play from the NE boundary line, giving Jock Roysmith a mark and a set shot from about 30m out on a 45-degree angle, but he just missed to the right as the NW wind pushed back against the ball. The OMs were kept in the game as the Bloods missed several gettable opportunities. However, the Dark Blues only got as far as the NE pocket before turning it over to enable the Bloods to run up the ground and goal at the 14-minute mark. It was 14-29.
Haileybury was moving the ball better, with run, carry and long kicks, while the OMs trapped themselves by overuse handballing, resulting in inevitable turnovers. The OMs also fell into the trap of too many going into the contest, leaving unchecked Bloods ready to receive the footy and run freely. Although not as good as Collegians or Scotch, the Bloods played more like them than did the OMs, and it worked. Josh Wills broke the trend by having a great run and three bounces against the wind from halfback then kicked into the NW. De Steiger got his hands to it, received a free kick and kicked to Wills, who got it to Ed Smart in the goal square. Blocked by an opponent, Smart got it back to Captain Jackson Paine at the top of the square, but he missed his hurried kick. The OMs saved a certain Haileybury goal as it crossed the face of their goal, but it was only a temporary reprieve as the Bloods soon nailed one at the 26-minute mark. From the centre bounce the Bloods set sail for goal and seemed on track to score another, but it was touched on the line.
With the wind in the third quarter, and having played poorly to date, the OMs had to turn things around very quickly. Instead, it was all Haileybury for the first five minutes, although they were fortunately kept goalless. Roysmith eventually had a set shot, but this time missed to the left. The OMs kept the footy forward. Ben Harding sent a big kick from the SW boundary that De Steiger took in a fantastic flying mark. On a tight angle, he dished off to Mitch Golby, who missed his set shot to the left. It was 16-40 at the 12-minute mark. Roysmith missed another set shot. The OMs got to within the teeth of goal before turning it over to the fast-running Bloods, who took it up the ground in about 20 seconds and slotted a set shot goal. Now 19-46 at the 19-minute mark, Lurch noted that it was game over. Good work by Hurley-Wellington got the footy towards Roysmith, who punched it back to De Steiger. He ran, kicked, and bounced through an entertaining and much-needed goal. It was 23-46. A Blood then took a huge speccy and an awesome mark in a big pack on the NE boundary. As he prepared to take his set shot the siren sounded, and he missed.
Play went both ways in the final quarter, but Haileybury had more of it, and goaled after four minutes. It was 54-23, but could have been much worse, as the Bloods missed several potential goals. The White Ghost got the OMs moving with a kick out of the centre to Will Richards, who ran and goaled at the 17-minute mark. It was 29-68, and for the remainder of the quarter the OMs could only hope the quarter would be mercifully short. Late in the quarter the icing on the crappy cake that was the OMs’ day was the dispiriting sight of talented young ruckman Jake Nicholas going to hospital with a hand injury.
It was an ‘8 point win’ when the OMs beat Haileybury at home, but that was undone with Haileybury returning the favour. Since then, the OMs have lost significant players to season-ending and other shorter-term injuries, while others have been lost to travel. Meanwhile the Bloods apparently added reinforcements before the 30 June transfer deadline. The OMs were flat all game but could have played much better. However, their player stocks are inarguably depleted, and a win may have been beyond even their best on the day.
Dan Coffield played his first game since his Round 2 injury – one of many top-flight OMs lost to the team for an extended period. He slipped right into a key defensive role and intercepted numerous entries.
Jackson Paine stood out for giving his all from start to finish.
Will Richards’ appetite for hard work and his fitness were used to good advantage on a wing.
Justin De Steiger is gradually rebuilding his match fitness after a long time out of action and was a good target as a key forward.
Stuart ‘The White Ghost’ Watson continued his recent good form and worked very hard both ways.
On the Saturday following the game there was a bye for the VAFA rep game in which Ben Harding and Josh Freezer played big roles in the win.
This week the OMs (8th but now only a game above Haileybury, which is ninth and is in the relegation zone with Caulfield) take their first trip of the season to Melbourne University to take on University Blacks (7th), which are a game and percentage above the OMs. They last met in Round 6, when the OMs’ 81-76 win was their first of the 2023 season. It began a run that delivered the OMs four wins to date. The university is never an easy place to win at the best of times, and, in an ominous sign, the Blacks beat the Xavs (5th) at Xavier last week. Apart from Caulfield, Blacks is the only team in the bottom four that the OMs are yet to play a second time. The OMs must replicate the four-quarter effort against Brighton to have a chance of winning, as Haileybury returns home to take on Caulfield in a game that could see an OMs’ loss send it down to 9th. Every bit of support counts.
See you there.
Lurch.