It has been a wonderful 2024 season for the Old Haileyburians Amateur Football Club (OHAFC) culminating in our senior men’s amazing premiership and the 18th premiership for our football club. 

Last year we were extremely disappointed for our men’s football program to be relegated from the top division, Premier A, of the Victorian Amateur Football Association by one of the smallest margins in history. However, we reset, refocussed and our two clear goals in 2024 were to return to Premier A and win a premiership, both of which we achieved with a resounding 94-point win in the grand final.  

The premiership was an incredible achievement, not just for the team, but for our entire club, our supporters, volunteers, members, corporate partners and committee, and congratulations must go to our senior men’s coach, Daniel Ward, and every player who represented our senior men’s football side this year, for the resilience and determination they showed to bounce back after last season’s disappointment.  

Our U19 team had an outstanding season, reaching the Division 1 preliminary final which was a testament to the hard work and dedication of the group and the way they played for each other.   Our head coach, David Connell, showed great commitment to not only develop our young players on the field but also fostering a keen sense of sportsmanship and professionalism off the field, and he has played a key role in shaping the future of our club.

Congratulations to David Lappage, the head coach of our women’s football program, The Hearts, and all the young ladies who represented our team, for an incredible season despite facing some tough challenges in Division 1. It has been inspiring to see how they have come together as a team, supporting one another both on and off the field, and the bond and friendships formed is evident in everything they do. Their enthusiasm and energy are infectious, and it is clear that together they have laid the foundation for an exciting future and loads of fun and success awaits us.  

To the coaches of our reserves side, Jeremy Bourke and Andrew Bonwick, and all the players who represented our side this year, we are extremely proud of your efforts. Despite facing a lengthy list of injuries and players away at different times, the resilience and commitment have been nothing short of inspiring, as they give their all week in and week out, and proudly represent our club. We are focused on building depth, being competitive in every game we play, playing finals and chasing a premiership, and we are confident we will get there.  

A heartfelt thank you to all our incredible physios, allied health assistants, volunteers, members, generous corporate partners, and our amazing committee for their contribution to our club once again this year. We cannot survive without you, and it is because of your unwavering support that we continue to grow, thrive and achieve our goals. Thank you. 

Our Club is on an exciting journey, guided by strong values and a great culture, and all our current and future players can be assured that at the OHAFC we care for each other, look out for each other and we always have each other’s backs. Commit to our great club and you can be assured a lifetime of fun, friendships, memories, networks and connections.  

We are excited about our future, and we can’t wait for season 2025. 

The Old Haileybury Cricket Club is looking forward to the 2024/25 season. The club will field two teams in the MCC Club XI Competition: one in division 1 and one in division 3. The club is delighted to welcome several new players as well as some returning players who have not played recently. Special thanks must go to Vinay Lakshman (2012), who is captain of the division 1 team, for his huge contribution to the club during the preseason. Players of all levels are welcome. It is not too late to play in the forthcoming season. 

The 2024 season for the OHA Aerobics Club has been our most successful to date. During the last week of August, all four of our OHA Aerobics teams competed at the FISAF National Championships on the Gold Coast. The OHA Club proudly brought home one gold medal, one bronze and two fifth place rankings.  

This year marked the OHA Aerobics Club’s debut in the International Section, when our team, Babylon, earned a gold medal for their outstanding performance in the International Petite Fitness Team Section. A special mention goes to Ashlyn, a current Year 10 Haileybury student, who stepped in to replace Olivia Jenkins after she broke her foot six weeks before the competition. Ashlyn’s incredible achievement at such a young age is a testament to her talent and determination. Although the World Championships have been cancelled this year, we remain hopeful to qualify in the 2025 season, with the event set to take place in Prague, Czech Republic. Jessie Curtain and Annabelle Stray claimed the bronze medal in the Adult National Pairs section — a remarkable achievement, especially after Olivia Jenkins was unable to compete with Jessie due to her injury.  

Additionally, our Adult National Fitness Team, One on One, and Tara Traficante both achieved fifth place in their respective sections. We are incredibly proud of our team’s hard work, determination and passion throughout the 2024 season. Their efforts were truly exceptional. We now begin our pre-season training for the 2025 season, with team selections taking place at the end of October. We are excited to see what the 2025 season brings and welcome those interested to join us for our preseason training.  

• Jessie Curtain (OH 2014) – Babylon and Adult Pairs 

• Olivia Jenkins (OH 2016) – Was part of both the Babylon and Adult Pairs teams but did not compete due to a broken foot 

• Ashlyn (Current Haileybury Year 10 student) – Filled in for Olivia Jenkins – amazing achievement!  

• Molly Back (OH 2015) – Adult National Fitness Team  

• Ash Stafford (OH 2016) – Adult National Fitness Team 

• Taylah Miranda (OH 2017) – Adult National Fitness Team  

• Emma Broadbent (OH 2019) – Adult National Fitness Team 

• Amy McCulloch (OH 2020) – Adult National Fitness Team 

• Sophie Taylor (OH 2021) – Adult National Fitness Team 

• Tara Traficante (OH 2022) – Adult National Fitness Team and Adult National Novice Singles  

Joining the OHA Lawn Bowls Club is a fabulous way to connect with alumni, current and former staff as well as Haileybury Society members. The club has achieved terrific success winning its first premiership in only its second year. Now in its fourth year, there are over 30 members, two teams, and an offering of competitive and social bowls. The membership is diverse, with males and females aged between 22–68. Training takes place on a Monday with competition on Tuesday evening. Join today via https://oha.org.au/oha-bowls-club/. 

An amazing winter season of hockey in our 58th year as a club ended with our Women’s Metro 1 South team as Premiers. They defeated Croydon Ranges 3–0 to regain their premiership title of 2019. It was a well-deserved result for a strong season, finishing with all 15 regular players competing in the Grand Final. They scored early and continued, with more hard work, to score another goal from a goal-mouth scramble, and finally, in the third quarter, the third goal was achieved from a nice penalty corner deflection. Congratulations to all players and a shout out to men’s player, Steve McIntyre, for his guidance and support as coach of the team. A great winning effort by all. 

It was a fine season for the men, finishing a solid eighth of ten teams, but competitive with the whole ladder. After a sluggish start to the season, the men found their groove and played an extremely solid middle and back-end of the season. We shared a belief that we were the ‘disruptors’ in the competition and had what was required to beat any team. Even in the last round of the season, playing eventual Premiers Cardinia Storm, the boys took it right up to them, causing panic on the bench for the opposition. 

Player milestones achieved this season:
Tate McFarlane – 300 games 

Shane McLaws – 150 games 

The 2024 season signalled the end of an era but also welcomed plenty of hope for the future prospects of the club with the continued development of our junior athletes.  

After a run of 33 consecutive years in the premier division of the APSOC competition, including nine premierships, the challenge of enduring season-long injuries to our top two ranked athletes, proved too much to overcome. Despite fighting it out and sitting above the drop with one race to go, we ended the season with the unfamiliar reality of relegation to division two for season 2025. 

Scott Peacock and Douglas Lee continued to lead the way as our most consistent performers this season, and the emergence of juniors Helen Peacock, Luke Peacock and Olsen Gasson was a bright light amongst the disappointment. 

As a club looking to grow and re-emerge as a force in the competition, for anyone with an interest in running, at any age or ability level, we would love to have you on board and involved in 2025.  

Please contact Andrew Scott for further details   

Ph: 0425 711 390  

Email: andrewscott2011@gmail.com