The OHA Aerobics squad commenced the 2026 season with strong focus and determination, as athletes prepared for their opening competition on 9–10 May at Rowville Performing Arts Centre. With sights firmly set on qualifying for the National Championships in September, the team was eager to build on the momentum of previous years and continue striving for excellence on the national stage.  

Following the success of recent seasons, the standard at training has remained exceptionally high, with athletes demonstrating commitment, resilience and a shared drive to perform at their best. The 2026 season also marks a significant milestone for several athletes, as it represents one of the final competition years for some of our longest standing OHA Aerobics members, making this season even more meaningful.  

 This year, we are proud to have two strong entries in the FISAF Aerobics competition:  

* Adult International Petite Fitness Team: Jessie Radford (OH 2014), Olivia Jenkins (OH 2016), Tess Scott, Roisin Selvarajoo and Elise Burt  

* Adult National Petite Fitness Team: Molly Back (OH 2015), Ash Stafford (OH 2016), Amy McCulloch (OH 2020), Tara Traficante (OH 2022), Alexie Briggs (OH 2023) and Sarah DeGregorio  

In addition to competition preparations, our Adult National Petite Fitness Team performed at the inaugural Haileybury Dance and Aerobics Display Night on Monday, 18 May at Aikman Hall, Keysborough.  

We are incredibly proud of the dedication shown by these athletes, all of whom balance their training alongside full-time work, university study or roles as teaching staff at Haileybury. We look forward to supporting them throughout what promises to be a memorable and exciting season, one that celebrates both performance and commitment of our OHA Aerobics community.  

In our latest year, our fifth since establishment, the Old Haileybury Bowls Club (OHBC) has enjoyed continued significant progress and achievements.  

The number of OHBC players in 2025/2026 grew to 59, up 44% on last year, reflecting our positive culture and momentum. In addition, our club continues to diversify, welcoming more female and younger-aged members, expanding our inclusive and vibrant community.  

This year OHBC had three teams participating in the Tuesday night SDELBA pennant competition for the first time; a great achievement!  

Team results  

Our second side, the Blacks team (Div 4) had an extremely strong season, finishing in the finals. For a few players, this was first taste of finals in the Tuesday competition. The team showed great spirit in the semi-final against top-placed Caulfield Park on their home indoor turf, and who ultimately went on to win the Division. The game was played against a very experienced team with a number of Caulfield Park players who compete in Division 2 Pennant on a Saturday, so it was a great effort.  

Our Magentas team (Div 2) and Golds team (Div 5) both had tougher seasons.  Whilst the teams did not quite get the results on the board, from all reports everyone enjoyed themselves and games were played with great spirit. With several new bowlers being introduced into the sport, there is no doubt the team and players will be better placed for next season and as a result the club’s depth will continue to build.   

Club Championships  

OHBC conducted its club championships for Singles and Pairs, with the Triples championships to be played at its upcoming presentation day and AGM.  

The singles were a super tight, well contested match between John Kingsley (OH 1978) and Russell Davidson (OH 1986). With one shot in it with two ends to play, final score 13–12 saw John take victory in what was a highly skilled display of bowls, enjoyed by many of the members watching and supporting. It should be noted that John also won the singles championship at his nearby club, Malvern BC where he is also a member. An outstanding effort. 

In the club Pairs, it was the combination of Mick Constable (OH 1984) and current OHA President Clayton Ford (OH 1991) who were too strong for last year’s champions, Ian Clydesdale (OH 1977) and Russell Davidson (OH 1986). The final score was 14–6.  

OHBC members also proudly represented the club in a range of other competitions including Bowls Victoria Saturday Pennant, mid-week events, local tournaments, other club championships and social bowls.   

The APS Past Students Tournament was held in March 2025 at Glen Waverley BC. While we did not secure victory, our team showed commitment and passion, with Old St Kevins taking the win. The best performing rink for OHBC was that of Lisa Biffin, Russell Davidson (OH 1986) and Scott Doran (OH 1984) who took out the John Cracknell Trophy on the day.  

At this point we would like to thank the significant contributions of many dedicated individuals. On behalf of all our members, I extend our heartfelt thanks to the OHA Council and Russell Davidson (OH 1986) for their ongoing and generous support over the years. We are also grateful to Cheltenham Bowls Club for their continued backing and collaboration. A sincere thank you must go to our OHBC committee members for their dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of the club. To everyone who played, participated in, or supported our teams and events last year, our team managers thank you. 

Although Tuesday night competition is finished, over winter Monday night social bowls, various practices and other fun events are always being organised by the club.   

New members are always welcome and in the first year it is easy to join in. The first-year membership is free, bowls shirt, cap and gear are all provided, club bowls are available to try and there is free coaching/induction.  

If you are interested or want to find out more about Old Haileybury Bowls Club visit our website  https://oha.org.au/oha-bowls-club/ or get in touch by calling Scott Doran on 0438 064 819.  

Here’s to another successful year ahead. Go Bloods in 2026–27!   

The Old Haileybury Cricket Club had a fantastic 2025/2026 season. The Club welcomed a host of new players and expanded from two teams to three. The firsts team won the Division 1 Premiership for the second consecutive year while the seconds narrowly missed out on making the grand final due to a technicality when their semifinal was rained out.  Other highlights were the annual match between the Club and the School, the inaugural match against the Old Haileybury Football Club and the end of season presentation night. Special thanks must go Vinay Lakshman (OH 2012), Ethan Hardeman (OH 2022) and Nirujan Vijayarajan (OH 2022), who captained the three teams; our generous sponsors, The Dingley Hotel, 24 Hour Business Plan and Andrew Baxter (OH 1985); and of course, the OHA and School.  

Old Haileybury Cross Country has had a strong start to season 2026. In our quest to return to Division 1, we recorded a strong team victory in the opening event of the season, the Williamson 5km at Haileybury, Edrington. With four premiership events to come, and fine early season performances from some of our club stalwarts, David Bayley (OH 2010), Dean Gasson, Olsen Gasson and Scott Peacock (OH 1993), the Club is optimistic for further success this season.   

For anyone keen to get involved, the APSOC competition caters for runners of all levels and there are plenty of events to come. Please contact Club President, Andrew Scott on 0425 711 390, if you are keen to get involved.  

As we enter the 2026 season, the Old Haileybury Amateur Football Club (OHAFC) continues to build strong momentum both on and off the field, with an exciting year ahead for our Bloods and Hearts programs.  

Pre-season has been outstanding, with strong engagement across all teams and a clear focus on connection, development and performance. As a club, we remain committed to being more than just a football program. We are focused on building a genuine community that not only supports our players throughout all stages of their lives, but provides a genuine community for all our supporters, past players, families and volunteers to enjoy.  

Central to this approach is our Player Wellbeing and Support Program, which is built around six key focus areas aimed at supporting the personal development of our players and encouraging important conversations around the challenges facing young people today. 

As part of this initiative, we have recently established a Careers Support Committee, made up of well-connected members of the Haileybury and broader business community. This group provides valuable support to our players through job opportunities, career guidance, resume preparation and interview coaching. It is a unique offering that reflects the strength of the Haileybury network and our commitment to supporting players beyond football.  

From a football perspective, we are excited to welcome Guy Martyn as our new Senior Men’s Coach. Guy brings a wealth of experience and leadership, supported by an impressive coaching group including Brett Lynch, Liam Stocker (OH 2017) (St Kilda AFL) and David Connell (OH 1988), who also leads our Reserves program.  

Our Under 19s program continues under Anthony Wright for a second year, supported by Luke Hardeman (OH 1995), while our Hearts (women’s) program is led by the experienced David Lappage (OH 1990), now supported by Rowan McLachlan. Across all programs, there is strong alignment in standards, culture and development.  

We continue to work closely with Haileybury to strengthen what we see as one football program with two parts: the junior and u18 program (school) and the senior club program (OHAFC). We strongly encourage all graduating students to continue their football journey with the Bloods and Hearts, maintaining friendships, staying connected to the Haileybury community and continuing to build lifelong networks.  

The club competes in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), the largest football competition in Victoria, and proudly caters for players of all abilities. Whether aspiring to play at a high level or simply wanting to enjoy football with friends, there is a place for everyone at the OHAFC.  

As we continue to grow, we acknowledge that community support remains critical to our sustainability. We thank our corporate partners, members and volunteers for their ongoing contribution, and we welcome continued involvement from the wider Haileybury community.  

We are excited about the season ahead and look forward to another year of connection, competition and community.  

To stay connected with everything happening at the OHAFC, from match results and club news to upcoming events and key updates, click here to join our mailing list and be part of the action.  

Go Bloods and Hearts!  

 We entered a team in the Hockey Victoria 2025 Term 4 summer competition, which was held from October to December.  This was a mixed competition of men and women and kept the players fitter than they would otherwise have been.  Fortunately, the Tuesday nights were not too hot for running around a hockey field, and we made it through the ten weekly matches with a win, some draws and losses.  Despite that, a good time was had by all!  

The 2026 winter season is now underway.  Our women’s team is playing in Women’s Pennant D South East division, having been minor premiers in winter 2025 in the Women’s Metro 1 South grade.  This is a significant promotion for the team, jumping over the Pennant E grade. 

The men’s team continues in Men’s Metro 2 South, where we expect to face the usual tough opposition and competitive matches.  

Join in the excitement of hockey and come along to play or support us!  Players of all ages and abilities are most welcome, to keep our teams on the field.  Above all, we enjoy playing the game with our teammates.  Home matches are played on the School hockey fields in Keysborough.  

Get in touch with the hockey Bloods via the OHA website, the OHAHC website or email ohahockeyclub@gmail.com.  We would love to hear from you!  

Aikman Club strikes gold  

Following on from the recent Bendigo Regatta, a small squad ventured across town to Essendon on 14 December 2025 for the Henley on Maribyrnong Regatta. A Henley style event is match racing (two crews) usually over three rounds with the winner progressing. 

Chris Gassin (OH 2008) led the team performances taking out Division 1 of the Male Masters Single Scull event, with a winning margin in the final of 0.42s for the Club’s first gold medal. Earlier in the day, Chris finished a creditable 9th in the Male A Grade single scull. This was the first time Chris has returned to racing since representing Haileybury in the 2008 Head of River as second seat in the First VIII which finished 1st in the B Final, having narrowly missed the A Final by 0.62s.  

Other strong performances came from Tom Cariss (OH 2022) in the Male C Grade Single scull, along with Ben Reed (OH 2024). The Female C Grade Coxed Quad won their Time Trial and the Mixed Masters coxed Quad were competitive in their heat.  

Aikman Club feature in first Rowing Victoria Virtual Rowing Championships  

For the first time Rowing Victoria conducted a Virtual Rowing Championship over the week of 7–15 February 2026.  

Indoor rowing is one of the newer aspects of rowing, conducted on Concept2 RowErgs across the state. There were three distances (500m, 1,000m and 2,000m) across both male and female, and various age categories.  

Reuben Goff featured on the podium in the Masters category across all three distances, taking silver in the 500m (1.24.6), gold in the 1,000m (3.13.0), and bronze in the 2,000m (7.03.0).  

Other club members competing in the Masters category included Phil Tan 4th in the 1,000m and 5th in the 500m, and Paul Diggerson 6th in the 500m.  

Rowing Victoria 150th Anniversary State Championships  

The Aikman Club joined with rowers from 69 other clubs and schools to participate in the State Championships at Lake Wendouree, Ballarat. The Championships were held over three days from 27 February – 1 March. The venue was the 1956 Olympic course.  

In yet more firsts for the Club, two members rowed in the Male C Grade Single Sculls event.  

The conditions over the weekend varied significantly, from thunderstorms on Friday afternoon, good conditions on Saturday and windy on Sunday, when the C grade singles were held.  

Battling high winds on Sunday afternoon, Chris Gassin (OH 2008) finished a strong 2nd in his heat in 4.27.34s to advance to the final later in the day. In an earlier heat of the same event, Reuben Goff managed a respectable 5th in 5.14.01. This was Reuben’s first ever race.  

In the final, Chris managed a strong 4th place in 4.28.91, missing the podium by a narrow margin.  

Club stalwart Paul Diggerson was also involved as the President of the Jury running the regatta.  

Aikman Club continues to impress  

On a fine day for rowing, a small squad of Aikman Club rowers returned to the Maribyrnong River on 21 March, this time to the Footscray Regatta (a little down river from Essendon).  

With five entries for the day the club claimed one first, two seconds and one third place in finals on the day.  

The action commenced with the first race of the day with Chris Gassin (OH 2008) lining up in the Male B Grade Single Scull Heat. Chris turned the tables on his Essendon opponent Lachlan Bird by 0.26s; Bird having beaten Chris in the Final of the recent State Championships. The final saw Chris pitted against a rower from Wendouree, Ballarat who proved too good on the day, crossing the finish line 8.17s ahead of Chris.  

Next up were the heats of the Men’s C Grade Single sculls, with Tom Cariss (OH 2022) winning his heat by 6.53s in the time of 2m 59.6s. Not to be outdone, Chris Gassin returned to the water, winning his heat by 8.3s in 2m 54.79. Chris also extracted some further revenge in defeating Louis Sirotic from Essendon, who narrowly defeated Chris, taking 3rd place in the State Championships C grade single. Reuben Goff managed a strong finish, having caught a crab early in his heat to finish 3rd in 3m 38.86s. This was Reubens second ever race following his efforts at the State titles.  

With the C Grade Single sculls split over two divisions, Tom was first up in his final, finishing a gallant 2nd only 2.22s behind his Richmond opponent, having encountered equipment issues in the race. In the next event, Chris won his division of the C Grade Single with a commanding performance, winning by 9.32s.  

In the final bracket of the day our three single scullers joined with Phil Tan in the Male C Grade Quad Scull with Andrew Tan in the cox seat. In a strong start-to-finish race the crew won the heat by 8.75s in a time of 2m 54.82s.  

The final of the Quad was a tight run battle with the crew finishing on strongly for 3rd place against experienced competitors from Melbourne Argonauts and regatta host Footscray City.  

The performances of our crews over recent regattas have a number of clubs looking over their shoulders.  

New members are always welcome, whether you just want a relaxing social row or have never rowed before but would like to give it a go. There is no requirement that you join our racing squad.  

Check our website or contact secretary@aikman.club.   

It has been an outstanding start to the season for the Old Haileybury Soccer Club, with both our Senior Men’s and Reserves sides undefeated through the opening four rounds. The seniors currently sit on top of the table, setting a strong early benchmark, while the reserves continue to build momentum with consistent performances each week. 

In our inaugural season, the club has already grown to 50 registered players, showing a fantastic sign of the enthusiasm and commitment around the program. Off the pitch, we are continuing to build a strong club culture, with several social nights and events coming up to bring players, supporters and the wider community together. 

We warmly welcome any support, whether that is coming down to games, getting involved in events, or contributing in any way to the club’s journey.