Round 16 Match Review, 2023
Senior Men's Match Report
Brought to you by William Buck
Old Haileybury 06.06-42
Collegians 14.10-94
Round 16 and we took on Collegians away at Harry Trott Oval.
With a combination of player injuries and some boys going back to VFL duties, we were pleased to offer first games of Senior Footy to Bailey Yates & Nick Giustiniano up from the Under 19s.
Our opposition were sitting on top, so we needed to be at our best to compete against them.
Just as the game started the heavens opened which made for slippery conditions and this meant it was difficult to move the footy. In the first team we competed hard, but they took their chances and lead at the first change by 15 points. In the 2nd quarter we struggled with our discipline and gave away some frees that cost us goals, but we managed to hang in there but still trailed by 19 points at the long break.
It was important that we started the 3rd term well and with a bit of luck could have kicked the first 2 goals of the quarter but Collegians were a bit cleaner with ball in hand and took their opportunities to extend the lead to 39 points with a quarter to play.
The last term was important as although we were unlikely to get the win, over the next couple of weeks percentage is going to be crucial. Pleasingly our group played the game right out but were eventually defeated by 52 points. Lots of lessons to take out of the game against the best team currently in it and a great opportunity for some young boys to pit themselves against some quality opposition.
Individually Brede Seccull was unbelievable and led the way all day. Duz Seccull & Mitch Kirkwood Scott did fine jobs down back on 2 of the best forwards in the competition.
In the middle Trevo, James Magner and Sam Gilbert tried their guts out and special mention to Nick Gooda who a played a different but valuable role for the team in his 150th game.
Next week we have a weekend off and then we host Old Xaverians on August 26 for a crucial clash that will help to determine the Bloods playing in A Grade next year. We would love to see as many supporters there as possible.
Go Bloods.
For full pictorial coverage of the Seniors' match against Collegians, go to the Gallery
Men's Reserves Match Report
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Old Haileybury 18.16-124
Collegians 10.08-68
Round 16 vs Collegians
In Round 16, the Magoos faced off against Collegians in a game held at Harry Trott Oval in St Kilda. We donned our orange clash jumper for the occasion. This match marked another instance of bringing in some new players into our lineup, boosting our total count of reserves players to 88 this year. Notably, 48 of these players had participated in only one game so far. Despite the challenge of many team members meeting each other only on the morning of the game, I was incredibly pleased with the dedication and performance displayed.
During the first quarter, Nick Van Der Linden showcased his talents by scoring both of our first-quarter goals. Meanwhile, Tom McPhee exhibited unrelenting effort on the wing. Our relentless pressure visibly unsettled Collegians, as we concluded the first quarter trailing by a mere 3 points.
However, in the second quarter, our team struggled against Collegians' effective ball movement and lacked the transitional running required, leading to them amassing 10 goals during this period. Cooper Nolan valiantly defended our backline, repelling a significant portion of their advances.
In the third quarter, our team made a strong resurgence, outscoring Collegians by putting 5 goals on the board. Notably, Jarrod Hewitt's exceptional performance throughout the latter half of the season persisted, with his remarkable fitness being a standout against a tired opposition. Will Barrie's introduction into the midfield during this quarter had a considerable impact, marked by his physicality and aggressive pursuit of the ball. His return from Denmark proved to be a valuable addition.
As the fourth quarter unfolded, our team continued to fight valiantly, despite being reduced to a single bench player due to unfortunate injuries to Ryley Cairns, Tom Heyward, and Jerry Zhou. Jacob Gown's return from Europe was seamless, as he consistently secured contested marks throughout the game, utilizing his size advantage across the field.
In the upcoming week, we will enjoy a well-deserved bye, allowing us to regroup and hopefully welcome back more players from Europe, Fiji, and injury, as we prepare to face Xavier at Princes Park. The performance this week was truly commendable, and it was a delight to witness a complete squad on the field, all enjoying the game together.
Best Players: Jarrod Hewitt, Nick Van Der Linden, Will Barries, Seve Stefanakis, Cooper Nolan, Jacob Gown
Goals: Nick Van Der Linden (4), Will Barrie (2), George Aivatoglou, Tom McPhee, Jacob Gown, Seve Stefanakis
Women's Match Report
Brought to you by The OHA
Old Haileybury 9.13-67
Hawthorn AFC 03.03-21
The Hearts ventured to Hawthorn for our final game of season 2023. Everyone was impressed with the recently renovated changerooms and there was a great buzz amongst the group pre match. The girls knew that Hawthorn would be competitive on their home ground and were reminded not to have any complacency about this one.
The Hawthorn girls came out all guns blazing as expected and the Hearts were on the back foot early on after conceding 2 early goals. Our girls were able to work their way into the game and momentum shifted the Hearts way and we went into the first change with a 7 point lead.
Holly was winning the hits outs as our mids led by Junior, Ella & Eloise began to exert their influence in the second. Our forwards were seeing a lot of the footy and Serene, who ended the game 4 with goals, was getting on the end of many forward thrusts. Despite some inaccurate kicking, our girls had this one in their keeping with a half time lead of 35 points. A highlight of the first half was Nicky Nowlan kicking her first ever goal after receiving a free kick 20m out from goal.
The second half played out in a similar fashion to the first. Hawthorn started off strongly but our girls were able to get on top. Peta showed her aerial dominance after moving into the ruck and our wings, led by Amy, Ari and Pearl were all getting heaps of the footy. We moved some regular defenders up forward for the last term and Bec Brown kicked her first ever goal in a Hearts jumper after marking strongly. It was a fitting end to the season as the Hearts ran out 56 point victors.
The song was sung with gusto as season 2023 came to a close. This was certainly a challenging year for the group with lots of injuries and players away leading to a constant battle to field a side. The Hearts had 63 different players pull on a jumper this year and a big thanks to those that answered our calls for help, including many current school aged girls. A big call out to Gracie and Eloise who are the only 2 girls who played all 16 games this year.
A huge thanks to Dee, senior assistant coach, for all of her help and support this season. Lea, our physio, has also been a tremendous support to the group and she has dealt with a huge amount of injuries this year. G, our runner, didn’t miss a game all year and her efforts are also greatly appreciated. Thanks also to our Captains and leadership group – Junior, Bella, Tay & Chelsea for their support and leadership both on and off field. Loz was also a great support as our committee representative as well as acting as our Team manager most weeks. Thanks also to Maddie who supported Loz in this role as we juggled so many new players.
Go Hearts !
Under 19's Match Report
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Old Haileybury 16.09-105
Mazenod 09.08-62
The U/19’s played Mazenod at home on Saturday in another tough and physical game. Although Mazenod’s were second last on the ladder, their last month of football had been very good and with Bailey Yates and Nick Giustiniano promoted to the seniors this loomed as a danger game for our lads. Mazenod came out swinging early and it took a great response from our boys to finally get over the top of them. 5 goals to 1 in the last quarter ended with a 43-point win. Our lads have shown great fight over the last few weeks with no real easy games and to come away on top again on Saturday showed terrific fright and resilience. They are a pleasure to coach because they never give up and have a real desire to win and play finals this year. Liam Riedel was again terrific in front of goal kicking 6 goals and James Connell backed him up with 3 goals after coming back from a recent hamstring strain. Our skipper Gus Bonwick led the way on ball and is slowly getting back to his best football after an extended lay-off. Max Walstab was another that stood up on Saturday and played an amazing game through the middle and Josh Gillon is getting back to his best as well.
There is no senior football next weekend so if you are out and about looking for your fix of Old Haileybury football, get down to T H King Oval (High st Glen Iris) at 11.20am to support the U/19’s.
Final Scores
OHAFC 16-9-105
Mazenod 9-8-62
Goal Kickers: Riedel 6, Connell 3, Reid, J Tuffley 2, Williamson, Fuleky, Bonwick 1.
Best Players: Riedel, Bonwick, Adams, Connell, McKenzie, Walstab, J Tuffley.