Redlegs race into fourth, Fields outlast Roys

The Old Melburnians have made a sharp move up the ladder, taking a fifth win from six games to steam into Premier B’s highly-contested fourth spot by snaring a road win at Como Park over Old Geelong. 

The OMs have completely turned around a 1-4 start to the 2025 season – albeit, three of the losses came by under a goal – and have a 26% advantage on a glut of four 6-5 teams all pursuing one spot inside the top four following the 13.8 (86) to 8.10 (58) win.

“I keep saying it – we’re learning about each other along the way,” said OMs coach Nathan Brown, the former co-coach of Old Geelong visiting his old stomping ground for the first time since departing.

“Nothing changes in that space … therefore, we’ve probably been a bit more consistent”.

It’s three sets of brothers that have largely led the way on and off the field through the OMs’  purple patch: Ned and Will Nichols, Jack and Tom Spargo, and Lachie and Ben Haysman, with an injured Jackson Paine providing assistance behind the scenes.

It was an enjoyable visit back to Como Park for Brown, who speaks with fondness of his time in charge of the OGs.

“It was awesome (being back). Great people, great footy club. I love the place … I reckon every Ammos club in the caper would want that ground. And it was a beautiful day – couldn’t ask for a better day for footy.”

“I’ve got great respect for Nick (Dixon) and all the players.”

The OMs broke the game open in the second term, converting that momentum into a six-goal-to-one quarter that saw them clear by 40 points at the main break.

It was an even ten-goal margin at the final turn for home, before the OGs reeled off the final six goals of the match to cut the margin down to 38 points, dodging the brunt of a blow to their percentage.

“We were well below our best on Saturday, but credit to the OMs who played a really good brand of footy and thoroughly out played us for three-and-a-half quarters,” said OGs coach Nick Dixon.

“To our credit we were able to show some fight and finish strong.”

Ned Nichols led the statsheet for the OMs with two goals from his 27 disposals, while Jeremy A’Beckett was prominent with three majors from 17 disposals and nine marks.

For the OGs, Big V-nominated ruck Jack Sheridan was at his best with 19 disposals and 72 hitouts, Jack Nicholls had 31 disposals and Archie Lazzaro impressed again with 29 disposals and 11 clearances.

Harrison Reid’s run-with job on star Panther Will Green earned him maximum coaches votes from Old Ivanhoe coach Jarrod Gieschen as the Hoers rode a pair of scoring salvos, one in the first quarter and another late in the second, to skip clear of a short-handed Old Carey.

“We rate Will Green really highly, he played exceptionally well against us in Round Two. ‘Harro’ played a role on him, just tried to nullify him around the footy, but he ended up winning a fair bit of the ball himself,” said Gieschen.

“We really put some focus into matching (the Panthers’) ability on the inside with Luke Bailey and Green.”

After the strong-starting Hoers were 31 points up at the first break, the Panthers bit back in the second, in command of territory and with the first three goals of the quarter to their name.

But Old Ivanhoe was able to firstly arrest that momentum by the halfway point of the term, before cantering clear with four quick goals to lead by 33 points at the half.

And by kicking the first three goals of the third, the Hoers effectively ended the contest, continuing to hit the scoreboard on the way to a 21.13 (139) to 9.14 (68) win.

“We were really excited about this week – it’s a beautiful big ground, the weather was fantastic, and we felt like in the back half of the Caulfield game we got some of our DNA back … we carried that into training during the week and it showed in the first quarter,” said Gieschen.

“You can’t really win the Grand Final in this period, but you can certainly lose a lot of momentum. We’ve put a lot of focus into that (over) the last couple of years.”

Hoer Sam Allen, having recovered from an early-season hamstring tear whilst training with Werribee VFL, booted four goals and worked well with Mal Mitris, who put through two of his own.

Patrick Naish was everywhere with 42 disposals while Rohan McKenzie continued his stellar season forward of centre, adding two goals to his 23-disposal outing.

With a whole-squad training focus and the Under 19s and Reserves going nicely, Gieschen and his team are well positioned to navigate a tricky period before the double-bye.

“There’s a hunger amongst (players) to get that opportunity at senior level, so it gives us some choice when we have depth issues,” he said.

Despite the defeat, Panthers coach Luke Giles was pleased by his younger players’ performances against the ladder-leaders.

“I was really pleased with the way we stuck at it all day. We were rapt with the way our younger boys took their opportunity at senior level, and managed to have an impact,” he said.

“Days like that where you see so many 19 and 20-year-olds out there make me really excited to evolve with this group over the next few years. The future is bright.”

Mitch Wooffindin led the way with 37 disposals and 12 clearances and Jack Alexander stood out up forward with 18 disposals and two goals.

Old Trinity matched Old Ivanhoe’s 9-2 record by accounting for Old Camberwell at home, maintaining a two-game gap to third-placed Williamstown CYMS and a three-game gap to the four sides in the battle for fourth.

The Ts led all day on the way to a 13.12 (90) to 9.6 (60) win over Neil Connell’s Wellers, who brought in the margin with the last five goals of the game.

“The first half was a pretty tight slog- a low-scoring, pretty defensive sort of game,” said Ts coach Donald McDonald.

“After half time, like (what) generally happens in the third quarter, things open up a bit … some of our pressure work was nice (and) Boston Dowling gave us a really good focal point up forward and in the ruck.”

Tom Wenn, Ollie Scott, Christos Manoussakis and Hugo McGlashan got on top in the centre of the ground in the third to give the Ts first use and from there the Ts got moving. McDonald’s men turned a 21-point half time lead into a 48-point three quarter time advantage, and punched in the first two goals of the final term to emphasise the point.

“From our end it was a really good performance. Another huge four points against a potential finals aspirant,” said McDonald.

Old Camberwell coach Neil Connell was left impressed with McDonald’s squad, labelling the Ts “the best side in Premier B at this stage of the year” after the loss.

“Old Trinity play a style of play that we are trying to get to. They are well coached and really disciplined to play their style of football,” he said.

“We have a bit of work to do to compete with the top teams.”

McGlashan (30 disposals) and Jack Hindson (30 disposals and 10 marks) were the chief ball-winners for the Ts, while Jimmy Allen continued his stellar midfield form with 30 disposals, 16 contested possessions and 10 clearances for the Wellers.

Williamstown CYMS remains one step ahead of the chasing pack, responding to Round 10’s heartbreaking loss to the Ts with a 64-point defeat of the Hampton Rovers at Boss James Reserve – keeping its one-game hold on third place.

The Big V-nominated pair of Will Bokma and Zach Provest were excellent – Provest booting four goals on return from suspension and Bokma imperious in midfield, winning 43 disposals and 12 clearances, laying 11 tackles, kicking a goal and adding a pair of goal assists to boot.

“We were trying to be consistent with all our parameters that we spoke about with the Old Trinity and the Old Camberwell game previously,” explained coach Con Terzoglou.

“We used these four games as a block to focus on better starts in the first quarter, which we’ve done in the last few weeks and we’re happy with. (We also wanted) better statistical output in the third quarter – they seem to be our worst two quarters.”

The 18.13 (121) to 9.3 (57) win means the CYs are almost certain to head into the double-bye inside the top four – it’s worth remembering Terzoglou’s squad was two games adrift of eighth at the double-bye last season, with relegation to Premier C looking likely.

There are no easy games in this competition however, as Terzoglou is well aware.

“It feels like there’s a consistent standard … across a big glut of sides. It just makes normalising important games week-to-week – every game becomes big from a ladder perspective, but you just have to normalise the behaviour of being consistent,” he said.

“I think managing player emotions is actually really critical, in not using footy vernacular to constantly get (players) up.”

For the Rovers, Liam O’Driscoll fought hard for his 22 disposals and three goals, Christian Carnovale had 29 disposals and a goal and Chris Perkins continued his ball-winning form, racking up 34 disposals.

Finally, Paul Satterley’s Caulfield Grammarians joined the OMs, OGs and Panthers at 6-5 – but needed their very best to outlast Fitzroy in a shootout.

The Roys loom as a late-season challenge for a few sides, belying their single victory through 11 rounds of Premier B footy, and kept with the Fields in an entertaining, high-scoring game at a sun-bathed Brunswick Street Oval. 

After scores were even at 10.5 (65) apiece at the midway point, the Fields had the better of the affair in the second half, 15.15 (105) to 13.13 (91) winners to keep in step with the finals contenders.

“A really high standard of offensive football was on display, especially in the first half with 20 goals kicked collectively,” said Fields coach Paul Satterley, who was impressed with the “excellent” ball movement of his opponents.

“We wanted the game to be more contested in the second half and I think we were able to achieve that to some extent.”

Captain Joey McClelland had the job on key Roys half-back Nathan Ligris and was integral to the Fields’ success, while Matt Clarkson had another big day out, racking up 32 disposals and a goal.

Josh Hutchings was terrific with 25 disposals and two goals but it was interceptor Charlie Eerhard that earned the lion’s share of the coach’s praise, with 17 disposals, eight marks and a game-high eight spoils.

“A day of mixed feelings for us,” said Roys coach Travis Ronaldson, who couldn’t be prouder of his side’s week-after-week effort in what’s been a tough season.

“We played some really good footy where we were well on top, moving the footy well and playing the style of footy that we aspire to. However, that was punctuated by some lapses in concentration that were costly.

“A bit of fatigue crept into our game in the last quarter and we were unable to finish the way we would have liked.”

Harrison Grace had 28 disposals and a goal through the middle, Julian Turner was good with three goals and Dan Shepherd continued a promising year on the wing.

Next week, the Roys head to Fearon Reserve to play Williamstown CYMS while the Fields return to Glen Huntly Park for a date with the OGs.

It’s a ripper at Chelsworth Park with the Hoers taking on an in-form Old Melburnians squad, Old Carey host Old Camberwell and the Hampton Rovers face the Ts at Daley Oval.