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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549




                                 SCHEDULE 13G

                  Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                               (Amendment No. 7)*


                          OceanFirst Financial Corp.
                 -----------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)


                     Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
       ------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)


                                    675234108
                               ------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


                               December 31, 2003

             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:

      [x]  Rule 13d-1(b)

      [ ]  Rule 13d-1(c)

      [ ]  Rule 13d-1(d)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).



                             Page 1 of 6 Pages

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CUSIP No. 675234108
          ---------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.      NAMES OF REPORTING PERSONS.
        I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NOS. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY).
        OceanFirst Bank Employee Stock Ownership Plan

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.      CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)
        (a) |_|
        (b) |_|

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.      SEC USE ONLY


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
        State of New Jersey

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    NUMBER OF         5.  SOLE VOTING POWER
                                1,173,245
     SHARES
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
  BENEFICIALLY        6.  SHARED VOTING POWER
                                1,206,225
    OWNED BY
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
     EACH             7.  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
                                2,379,470
    REPORTING
                     ----------------------------------------------------------
     PERSON           8.  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
                                   0
      WITH

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.     AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
           2,379,470

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10.    CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
           (SEE INSTRUCTIONS)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.    PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9) 17.8 % of
           13,350,999 shares of Common Stock outstanding as of December 31,
           2003.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12.           TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) EP




                             Page 2 of 6 Pages

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                                OCEANFIRST BANK
                         EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLAN

                                 SCHEDULE 13G

ITEM 1.

      (a)   Name of Issuer:

            OceanFirst Financial Corp.

      (b)   Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

            975 Hooper Avenue
            Toms River, NJ 08754-2009

ITEM 2.

      (a)   Name of Person Filing:

            OceanFirst Bank
            Employee Stock Ownership Plan
            Trustee:  GreatBanc Trust Company
                      1301 West 22nd Street, Suite 702
                      Oak Brook, IL 60523

      (b)   Address of Principal Business Office or, if none, Residence:

            975 Hooper Avenue
            Toms River, NJ 08754-2009

      (c)   Citizenship:

            See Page 2, Item 4.

      (d)   Title of Class of Securities:

            Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

      (e)   CUSIP Number:

            See Page 1.


                             Page 3 of 6 Pages

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ITEM 3.     IF THIS STATEMENT IS FILED PURSUANT TO SS.SS.240.13D-1(B) OR
            240.13D-2(B) OR (C), CHECK WHETHER THE PERSON FILING IS:

            (f)[x]  An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance
                    with ss.240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F).

ITEM 4.     OWNERSHIP.

            Provide the following information regarding the aggregate number and
            percentage of the class of securities of the issuer identified in
            Item 1.

            (a) Amount beneficially owned: See Page 2, Item 9.

            (b) Percent of class: See Page 2, Item 11.

            (c) Number of shares as to which the person has:

                  (i)      Sole power to vote or to direct the vote: See Page 2,
                           Item 5.

                  (ii)     Shared power to vote or to direct the vote: See Page
                           2, Item 6.

                  (iii)    Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                           of: See Page 2, Item 7.

                  (iv)     Shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                           of: See Page 2, Item 8.

ITEM 5.     OWNERSHIP OF FIVE PERCENT OR LESS OF A CLASS.

            If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the
            date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial
            owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check
            the following /__/.

ITEM 6.     OWNERSHIP OF MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON.

            N/A

ITEM 7.     IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBSIDIARY WHICH ACQUIRED
            THE SECURITY BEING REPORTED ON BY THE PARENT HOLDING COMPANY OR
            CONTROL PERSON.


                             Page 4 of 6 Pages

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            N/A

ITEM 8.     IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERS OF THE GROUP.

            N/A

ITEM 9.     NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF GROUP.

            N/A

ITEM 10.    CERTIFICATION.

            By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
            belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are held
            in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired and are not
            held for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or
            influencing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not
            acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in
            any transaction having that purpose or effect.



                             Page 5 of 6 Pages




                                  SIGNATURE

      After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

                                February 6, 2004
                  --------------------------------------------
                                     (Date)

                              /s/ Patrick DeCraene
                  --------------------------------------------
                                   (Signature)

                                Patrick DeCraene
                       GreatBanc Trust Company, as Trustee
                  --------------------------------------------
                                 (Name/Title)




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