Round 8, Saturday 3 June 2023.

Old Melburnians FC vs Old Brighton Grammarians FC at Elsternwick Park

1 st quarter: OMFC 1.4.10 OBGFC 2.1.13

2 nd quarter: OMFC 3.8.26 OBGFC 4.2.26

3 rd quarter: OMFC 6.10.46 OBGFC 6.6.42

4 th quarter: OMFC 11.11.77 OBGFC 7.8.50

Goals: Tom Baker (3), Ed Michelmore (2), Ned Nichols (2), Lachie Haysman (1),

Jock Roysmith (1), Ed Smart (1), Hunter Watkin (1).

Best players: Harry Cooper, Jackson Paine, Ed Michelmore, Robbie Morrison,

Will Dethridge, Josh Freezer.

Seniors.

By Lurch.

Team: Spencer Anderson (36), Tom Baker (17), Harry Bede (41), Harry Cooper

(45), Nic Daish (33), Will Dethridge (26), Josh Freezer (5), Ben Harding (8),

Lachie Haysman (9), Sam Kelly (38), Ed Michelmore (20), Robbie Morrison (15),

Jake Nicholas (72), Henry Nicholls (31), Ned Nichols (3), Jackson Paine (39,

Captain), Adam Richardson (56), Jock Roysmith (35), Arthur Rush (58), Ed

Smart (42), Hunter Watkin (11), Stuart Watson (21).

As has been unavoidable this year, several changes had to be made to last week’s

team, with Albert Brown (60), Will Nichols (1), Jack Spargo (24) and Josh Wills (6)

being replaced by Spencer Anderson, Jake Nicholas, Henry Nicholls and Ned

Nichols.

Returning home to Elsternwick Park after a second consecutive win, the OMs (8 th )

faced the might of Old Brighton (3 rd , and last year’s grand final runner up). When the

teams last met it was a 113-34 trouncing of the OMs at Brighton Beach Oval in the

last round of the regular season, denying the badly undermanned OMs a place in the

finals.

The rematch was played in 12-13 degrees said to feel like 10-11 degrees, courtesy of

light breezes, mainly from the SSW, giving Old Brighton the advantage, as it was first

to kick to the northern end. Apart from a few spits of rain early in the game, it was a

dry, overcast day that became darker by halftime.

Stringbean Jake Nicholas, on debut, won the first ruck contest but it was bottled up.

The OMs were then long and hard in attack. A snap by Captain Jackson Paine missed

before last week’s eight goal star, Tom Baker, took a great pack mark and slotted his

set shot from directly in front, inside the arc, at the seven-minute mark. Jock

Roysmith missed his set shot, and the Tonners rushed another. When they finally

attacked, they comically dropped a mark on the goal line that spilled over for a point.

Play then went both ways, but the OMs looked really good and had control of most of

the quarter. It was 22 minutes in before the Tonners soccered through their first goal,

but it was 9-7 due to the OMs’ inaccuracy. Previously common, in this game an OM

turnover was a rarity, which was nice, but for the fact one gave Brighton a quick

break, a mark in the goal square, and a goal to take a 9-13 lead. The OMs got the

clearance at the centre bounce but Arthur Rush’s rushed kick was another OM miss.

Overall it had been a very good quarter, with the OMs dominating, tackling often and

well, and not letting the third-placed Tonners do as they pleased. However, the

inability to put that dominance on the scoreboard was a real frustration that had to be

overcome quickly lest Brighton start having more scoring opportunities. Harry Bede

was also lost to injury during the quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Baker had a hurried kick forward as no-one was home,

but it bounced and hit the left goal post. Brighton threatened, but the OMs still had

more of the play. A nice kick over the top to Baker’s advantage put it in front of him.

He kept running, stayed in front of his pursuer, and drilled the goal. As for last week,

he had the OMs’ first two goals – but would they once again be the first two of eight?

It was 17-13 at the seven-minute mark, ironically the same time of his first quarter

goal. A free kick to the OMs on the west wing saw a long kick sent forward to

Roysmith in the NW. Under pressure, he handballed to Lachie Haysman, who evaded

his opponent, snapped from in front of the left point post, and threaded the goal. At

the 11-minute mark it was 23-13 but five minutes later the OMs had a free kick paid

against them in defence, and made matters worse by giving away a 50m penalty that

saw Brighton score an otherwise undeserved goal from the goal square.

It was now Brighton’s turn to be inaccurate, turning a likely goal into missing

everything. The OMs went forward in a brief but intense battle that only gave them a

behind, with no way of getting a clean possession and a shot at goal. The Tonners

goaled at the 29-minute mark to take a 25-26 lead. The quarter was still going at the

35-minute mark when Paine’s hurried snap from the NW was a near miss that levelled

the scores at halftime.

The lights were turned on at the start of the third quarter. The scoreline showed that

the game was in the balance, but it was the OMs’ inaccuracy that kept Brighton in the

game. Unless the OMs could find the goals more often, Brighton remained a very real

threat to take the game away from them.

Play went both ways early in the third quarter. Harry Cooper made a great save but it

only delayed a Brighton goal by a few minutes. It was 26-32 at the seven-minute

mark. Former soccer player Baker attempted a soccered goal, but he missed to the

right, and should stick to playing footy. The OMs strung together some quality

possessions and Hunter Watkin marked. His long set shot from slightly east of

directly in front was a great goal. Even better footy was to come. From the centre

bounce Ed Michelmore grabbed the footy, unleashed a monster kick, watched as an

OM and an OB chased after it and the Tonner lunged for it in the goal square, but it

incredibly sailed through. The Tonner insisted he’d touched it. The field umpire

instructed the goal umpire that Michelmore had done something so wonderful that it

deserved to be signalled as a goal – so it was. Now 39-33, with two goals in as many

minutes, could this be the fourth quarter against Haileybury all over again: a blitzkrieg

to end the game?

Unfortunately, although the OMs charged forward again, it was only for Baker to be

his own worst enemy in a comedy of errors in the goal square. He had one confused

opponent circling the wrong way, giving Baker time to put it through, but he missed

the unmissable. The Tonners were soon celebrating a goal at the northern end, but that

celebration died in their throats as the umpires decided the OMs deserved better than

that, and called it touched. The Dark Blues celebrated their reprieve by rushing

forward, where Roysmith – on a day when at least most of the umpiring decisions

were miraculously going the OMs’ way – received the rarest of VAFA frees – for

holding. From about 30m out, directly in front, he nailed his set shot at the 22-minute

mark for a 46-35 lead. The OMs felt comfortable only long enough to turn it over and

gift Brighton a goal six minutes later. OM hearts were in mouths as Brighton had a

shot for a certain goal from a set shot only to miss, immediately after which the siren

sounded the arrival of the last break. The OMs led, but despite all their hard work, it

was a mere four point lead, with the ever-present threat that Brighton would find a

way to win.

The Dark Blues had the breeze in the final quarter, which was a dangerous omen for

the Tonners, as the OMs are the Elsternwick Park last quarter breeze-loving

specialists. Although early play went both ways, the OMs had more of it, and

launched a long, intense attack. It took a Brighton clearing kick to turn it over to the

OMs, who moved it quickly by hand from one to another on the edge of the centre

square to get it to Michelmore. He ran straight towards goal, kicked, and scored an

exciting goal at the eight-minute mark. It was 52-42. A lengthy battle on the western

wing eventually saw a long kick to the NW pocket, where Baker and Ned Nichols

went after the footy. Ned did a 360 to evade an opponent and get a clear look at goal

from near the NW boundary line, and threaded it beautifully through the sticks that

matter. In what had been a tight game, it was 58-42 at the 13-minute mark and Lurch

noted: “Game over?”. Ned, who had gone down hard in the second quarter and had

looked unlikely to get up, and who was hobbling at halftime, won a free kick and took

a long set shot from about the arc, west of directly in front. He snuck it through for a

wonderful goal. At 65-42 at the 20-minute mark it was obvious – there and then – that

it was the sealer. This version of the OMs was too good to let that margin go, and

Brighton wasn’t good enough.

Former Captain Josh Freezer cut off a penetrating Brighton kick and started an OM

attack that saw Baker and Ed Smart going after the footy. Smart got clear of his

opponent, ran in from the NW, threw it on the boot, and got the angle right for a

fantastic goal. Now 71-42 at the 22-minute mark, could the OMs go on and make it an

even more impressive victory, winning back some of the massive percentage lost

against Collegians? Unfortunately Brighton goaled four minutes later: its first and – as

it would turn out – only goal of the final quarter. The OMs seemed to have backed off

the pressure a bit as the Tonners had another shot but missed a sitter. Gradually

working up the ground via some hot contests, the OMs through debutant Henry

Nicholls crossed the footy to Baker in the NW, and his long set shot gave him his

third goal. The ball had no sooner gone back for the centre bounce than the siren

signed off on an incredible victory to the OMs.

Defeated by 48 points by ladder leaders Old Scotch last week, Brighton’s 27-point

loss against the OMs could and should have been even more. Although down to nine

grand final players in this team, Brighton was not third on the ladder without good

reason before this loss against a team that was ninth two weeks ago, eighth on the eve

of the game, and now seventh. On so many levels it was a fantastic win. While the

OMs have a few older and experienced players left, most are young and inexperienced

Senior players – albeit some of whom are developing very quickly into extremely

good players. The team has had multiple changes each week, many of them forced by

injury, with 14 players debuting thus far (only the Collegians’ game was without a

debut).

The most obvious factor in this win was that it was the OMs’ first four quarter effort

of the year, and possibly actually its first since COVID-19 (as good as the team was

last year). The pressure on Brighton was almost relentless, with no noticeable periods

when the OMs fell asleep and let the Tonners do as they pleased. The closest to it was

late in the final quarter when Brighton spent some time in attack for a goal and almost

a second one. Second to the OMs’ pressure was the long-overdue and heart-warming

sight of players manning up, taking responsibility for their opponents, and rarely

letting them off the chain. Coach Paul Satterley’s message had finally sunk in – and

what a difference it made. Although the OMs still gave away some avoidable free

kicks and a 50m penalty, they otherwise did what good teams do – played hard and

fair and consquently won more free kicks. When doing things right, everything else

goes right. After last week’s extraordinary accuracy until late in the game, inaccuracy

cost the OMs the opportunity to ice this game earlier, to potentially demoralise

Brighton and pile on goals to win back much-needed percentage. That said, it was

potentially a season-changing win against a top opponent, and it could – and should –

give the young OMs confidence now that that they know what it takes to win against a

quality opponent. Meanwhile, the aforesaid young OMs just keep getting better.

Harry Cooper was the OMs’ best player in only his eighth Senior game, having

debuted in Round 1. His biggest problem is deciding whether to mark or spoil, being

so good at both that he took nine marks and leads the competition for spoils. Coops is

quite rightly growing in confidence with every game he plays, and the improvement is

obvious to see.

Jackson Paine’s outstanding form over the past three weeks parallels the OMs

winning three in a row. A coincidence? Hardly. In the midfield against Brighton he

racked up 29 disposals and laid 14 tackles. Increasingly better by foot, Jacko has

given his teammates more opportunities. He leads the competition for tackles and for

smothers.

Ed Michelmore received the gift of tagging the Tonners’ best player, Darby Hipwell,

whose release (due to a bye) from Sandringham’s VFL team bolstered the Tonners.

Mich quelled Hipwell, picking up 20 disposals and slotting two crucial goals along

the way.

Robbie Morrison form has improved weekly with his growing confidence. This

week his target was Brighton’s best small forward, Michael Karayinnis, who managed

only one goal, while Morrison racked up possessions.

Will Dethridge was tasked with taking on Sandringham VFL player Jordan Segar and

keeping him off the scoreboard. Playing well beyond his age and 21 Senior game

experience, Dethridge did just that.

Josh Freezer returned to his vintage defensive form, taking 10 marks and

intercepting any inbound high balls.

Two players debuted in this game.

Jake Nicholas attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2013 to 2022 and was a

member of Rusden House. He played in the 2021 and 2022 1 st XVIIIs. Jake joined the

OMs as an Under-19s player this year.

Henry Nicholls attended Melbourne Grammar School from 2016 to 2021 and was a

member of Hone House. Henry played in the 2021 1 st XVIII. He was a member of the

2020 1 st XI and Captain of the 2021 team. He joined the OMs as an Under-19s player

last year.

This week there is a bye for the King’s Birthday long weekend. Following that, the

OMs travel to Glen Huntly Oval, North Caulfield, to take on Caulfield Grammarians

(10 th ) on Saturday 17 June 2023. Two games clear of those in the relegation zone and

– incredibly – now only two games and percentage out of the Top Four, the OMs

cannot afford to be complacent against a desperate Caulfield, particularly with all

teams losing players to overseas travel.

See you there.

Lurch.