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 headto the Easter bye in superb touch; the Wellers enjoying a thumping 154-point win over the Hampton Rovers, 27.15 (177) to 2.11 (23).

“I think (the ten goals) 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. 

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.”

“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 Rover Coach Marty 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.”

Old Carey led by as many as 32 points before the Hoers made inroads, the margin cut to 14 points with a quarter to go.

“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?’” said Old Ivanhoe coach Jarrod Gieschen.

“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.

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.

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

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

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 Men’s 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.

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, 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 game styles,” 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.

“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,” said Roys coach Travis Ronaldson.

“We had done a lot of defending and our ability to get up and down the ground was affected.”

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.

“Around the footy it was pretty even,” said Ts coach Donald McDonald, “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.”

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 continues 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.