Two go 2-0 as Laukens’ ten goals light up Premier B

A ten-goal haul for Harry Laukens and a midfield clinic from Lachie Harker saw Old Camberwell head to the Easter bye in superb touch, the Wellers enjoying a thumping 154-point win over the Hampton Rovers.

Laukens, a crafty forward who can play tall or small, kicked 46 goals in 2024, with a season-best haul of eight coming in Round Two against Williamstown CYMS. 

This time around he went two better, drilling his tenth from a set shot from left half-forward in the final quarter.

“I think (the ten-goal haul) was a lot more from the efforts up the ground and the way we structure our forward line, and the way the ball came to it,” said his coach Neil Connell, in charge of one of only two undefeated teams in Premier B. 

“It might look like a ten-goal haul out of the goal square, but he worked really hard up and back.”

Laukens didn’t receive the full complement of coaches votes despite his day out – those went to 20-year-old Lachie Harker (39 disposals, 11 inside 50s, nine tackles and five goal assists) supreme in the midfield in his second senior game for Old Camberwell after arriving from Old Scotch.

“Lachie’s ball use was first rate, by hand and foot,” said Connell.

“His kicking on both sides of his body was elite, and our forwards were the beneficiaries of that.”

James Allen (32 disposals, 11 clearances and 14 score involvements) was similarly dominant, while Liam Thomas (20 disposals, 13 marks with five of those contested and six goals) feasted alongside Laukens as the Wellers ran up the score, 27.15 (177) to 2.11 (23) victors.

After last week’s final quarter fadeout against Old Trinity, Connell was particularly pleased by his squad’s adherence to team rules and structure throughout, challenging the team at the final break to stick to the task and keep the foot on the pedal.

“We took a lot of learnings from last week … this group is really coachable,” he said.

“We made some adjustments on the run early in the game but everyone adapted really well. We were able to maintain possession and use the ball properly, and not panic.”

It was a tough day for the Rovers and their coach Marty Pask after a tough start to life in Premier B.

“We have a long injury list and (are) exposing our younger players all at once to Premier B. Ideally, we would like to bring them in with a little more senior protection,” said Pask.

“We keep working and hopefully gain some more experience over the next couple of weeks.”

Old Ivanhoe is the other undefeated team in Premier B – but only just, screaming home with an eight-goal final quarter and completing a comeback win over an impressive Old Carey.

The Hoers fell behind in the first 15 minutes of the game and didn’t return to the lead until 15 minutes into the final term, Old Carey’s quality of entry and ball movement causing the home side headaches early.

“We felt our small forward line gave them issues,” said Old Carey coach Luke Giles, “as well as our ability to turn the ball over in our forward half.”

The game was on relatively level pegging in the second quarter, until a four-goal burst in five minutes towards the end of the second term saw the Panthers seize the ascendency.

Jarrod Gieschen’s side “lost (their) way a little bit,” giving away a free kick directly in front of goal to Nick Brewin as the ball was returned to the middle following a major from Old Carey’s Mitch Wooffindin.

Brewin converted the set shot, two goals from consecutive kicks, and goals from Luke Kelvie and Will Green soon after gave the Panthers a 19-point lead at the long break.

The Old Carey momentum continued through the third term, the lead ballooning to as many as 32 points before the Hoers made inroads, the margin cut to 14 points with a quarter to go.

“We were really tested at that point. I reckon a couple of years ago, the team might’ve gone into their shell a bit … to be able to respond from that point was really pleasing,” Gieschen said.

“At three quarter time, I went around to each of the groups and said, ‘who can run out this last quarter? Who’s got it in them?’ A couple of the boys said, ‘I’m ready to run a marathon’.”

With Alex Mirkov, Billy Murphy, Archie Franklin, Toby McLean and both Naishes running hot, the Hoers took charge across the middle portion of the final quarter, booting four goals in seven minutes to wrest the lead from the Panthers.

Towering ex-Blue Mirkov kicked two final-quarter goals, including an agile snap in general play that belied his 210cm frame, while stalwart Mal Mitris recovered from a dislocated finger for a last term pair of his own.

Accurate kicking in front of goal was critical for the Hoers, who ran out 19.4 (118) to 13.13 (91) winners – but the Panthers lost no admirers.

“We expect to win every game we play, including the game we just dropped,” said Giles.

“When we play our way we can gap sides fast, irrespective of the opposition, and we showed this on the weekend.

“There’s a clear gap between the two sides, but not an unbridgeable one.”

Both coaches lauded the performance of Panthers midfielder Will Green, a big-bodied recruit from Glen Eira / Old McKinnon, while exciting 19-year-old small forward Rohan McKenzie is one to watch at Chelsworth Park, the rising star leading all comers with four goals.

Panthers defender Trent Warren and wing Issy Elwood were applauded by their coach for their performances in a high quality game of football.

Old Melburnians are on the winners list after a Round One defeat, responding with a thumping of Old Geelong at Elsternwick Park.

It was new coach Nathan Brown’s first meeting with his old team – one he took to the club’s first ever Premier B mens finals campaign last year – and former co-coach Nick Dixon.

“I didn’t love coaching against my old team,” Brown admitted.

“I’d been there for five really good years, five really enjoyable years of great people – I knew them inside out.”

The most pleasing part for Browny from the 25.9 (159) to 10.5 (65) win was the Redlegs’ consistent effort.

“It was pleasing for the lads to put together four quarters … that they could see out what we’re trying to put in place,” said Brown.

“We’ve played two really good teams, but we had lapses (last week against Old Carey), lapses for periods.”

Brown’s new team is young, with seven under 19s selected in Round One, and was bolstered at the weekend by the addition of VFL-listed Noah Yze, returning to VAFA footy on his nineteenth birthday with the Casey Demons on a bye.

“My kids have all grown up with the Yzes, the boys (Noah and Brown’s son Kynan) have played footy the last few years together … they play together weekly now (at Casey),” explained Brown

“We’ve known him since a ‘bubba,’ playing my whole time (at Melbourne with) his dad (Adem Yze), one of my best mates.”

Yze the younger dominated proceedings with five goals from the midfield. and was named best on ground.

For OGs coach Nick Dixon, the 94-point drubbing is quite the return to earth after a win on the road over Fitzroy in Round One, but the coach is confident his team can brush off the loss after the break. 

“We were well below our best but we will come back and improve … it’s a great challenge for us to see how we bounce back from a really poor day,” he said.

Caulfield Grammarians joined the OMs on the winners list in 2025, enjoying a siren-to-siren victory over Fitzroy, with the Roys’ return to Premier B footy off to a shaky 0-2 start.

With VFL-listed trio Ollie Lowe (three goals and best for Caulfield), Patrick Fairlie and Josh Hutchings (four goals) all released to play – and last year’s third-place best-and-fairest finisher Noah Sutherland back into the side – it was a very strong Fields side that fronted up at Glen Huntly Park.

Coach Paul Satterley had focused on the contested side of the game after being “spanked” by Od Ivanhoe’s midfield in Round One, finding the three additions helped the team “lift a gear.”

“It was probably two contrasting gamestyles,” Satterley said.

“Fitzroy very quickly wanted to make (the game) a real scrap, and we were pretty keen to get it out in some space. I thought we did that, I thought our ball movement on the day was pretty exciting.

“To our man, all our lads contributed.”

Caulfield Grammarians’ winning score of 23.10 (148) was its highest since its defeat of Old Trinity in Round 4, 2021. The margin of victory, 77 points, is the club’s greatest since that game, where the Fields won by 82 points.

“We came up against a slick Caulfield Grammarians with a couple of polished VFL boys who certainly were the difference on the day,” said Roys coach Travis Ronaldson.

“Our intent was good and we were right in the mix up until late in the second quarter, when the hot weather started to take its toll. We had done a lot of defending and our ability to get up and down the ground was affected.”

19-year-old debutant Seb Suarez wasn’t out of place at senior level, one of Fitzroy’s best alongside Harrison Grace, Anthony Johnston and Dan Shepherd.

Finally, Old Trinity was another club to break its 2025 duck, shaking off a slow start at Fearon Reserve and defeating Williamstown CYMS by 42 points.

Neither side scored a goal in the first quarter despite warm and sunny conditions, but a five-minute, four-goal Ts run early in the second quarter, where James Heath, Hugh Beasley, Louis Davidson and Tom Wenn fired through a goal apiece, put Old Trinity clear by 22 points.

It was an advantage it would not yield over the course of the game.

“When (Old) Trinity got really clean below the knees, we got fumbly,” said CYs coach Con Terzoglou.

“They were able to find good long possession chains that put our defenders under pressure. Eventually we couldn’t hold them out.”

Old Trinity led by 25 points at half time and increased its lead at every break after, 14.13 (97) to 7.13 (55) winners.

“Our guys were pretty solid throughout the whole four quarters. (In) the previous week, Old Camberwell got the better of us through the majority of the game,” said Ts coach Donald McDonald

With eight goals from dangerous CYs forward Zac Provest fresh in the mind, McDonald was impressed with his defensive side of the game.

“Around the footy it was pretty even, but I thought our backs were pretty good. (The CYs) have got some really handy footballers up forward, so I thought our defenders did a really good job on their avenues to goal.

“That was probably the thing that gave us a great opportunity.”

With a few absentees from last year’s squad, McDonald has been impressed with the likes of Tom Ferrier, Lachie Jackson and Ben Littlefield, who have all stepped up this year, while skipper Hugh Beasley was a handful with four goals.

Williamstown CYMS and Fitzroy will resume their feature fixture on ANZAC Day when the competition returns after Easter for Round Three, the game to take place at Brunswick Street Oval next Friday.

Old Trinity continue its run of away games with a visit to the Hampton Rovers at Boss James Reserve on April 26, the Old Melburnians host Old Ivanhoe in what’s sure to be a compelling contest, Old Geelong play Caulfield Grammarians at Como Park and Old Carey will try to spoil Old Camberwell’s unblemished record at Gordon Barnard Reserve.