2025 Year In Review: The top sporting moments from around the Great Southern that shaped the year that was

The Albany Advertiser looks back on the biggest sporting stories in the Great Southern this year.

From national champions in multiple disciplines to local grand final wins and history making milestones plus the retirements of a couple of greats, these are the moments that made 2025.

January

- Rising speedway star Harrison Beres created history, becoming the first Albany driver to win a SSA National Junior Sedan Title. He beat a huge field of 68 other drivers, taking out the 25-lap final at Kingaroy Speedway.

- Albany galloper Playing Rio handed local trainer Paul Hunter deserved feature race success, winning the Fitzpatrick Plate at Percy Spencer Racecourse.

- Veteran sprinter Oxbridge claimed listed success, winning the Summer Scorcher to give small-scale Albany trainer Stephen Sheehy the biggest win of his career.

- Final Siren blew his rivals away when taking out the Mungrup Sprint in Mt Barker in fine style for trainer Rebecca Bayliss and jockey Lucy Fiore.

February

- Albany-raised cricketer Nathan Crudeli helped Perth win the WA Premier Cricket one-day title, the quick starring with four wickets to rip through University.

- Albany Racing Club’s immediate future was in turmoil after a decision by Racing WA to suspend racing at the Great Southern venue due to financial issues.

March

- Albany sprinter Rope Them In handed champion local trainer Steve Wolfe success in the Bluff Knoll slot race, destroying his rivals to claim the $400,000 feature with jockey Shaun McGruddy aboard.

- Mt Barker claimed the title as the most dominant team of the last five seasons, clinching a third Albany and Districts Cricket Association A-grade premiership in that period with a clinical grand final performance over Railways.

- Sonics and Barking Owls claimed A-grade premiership glory in the Albany Basketball Association. Sonics swept to a second straight men’s title while Owls claimed a third flag in four seasons.

- Albany’s Tom Edwards lived out a childhood dream, running out on to the MCG to make his AFL debut for the club he supported growing up. Edwards was picked up by Essendon as a pre-season supplemental selection after impressing in a training stint with the club.

April

- National volleyball representative Ryan Slater upstaged a strong field of rivals to be crowned the 2024 Albany Sportsperson of the Year. State hockey young gun Ben Blechynden collected the junior award, rising Muay Thai star Shawah Jin was named the senior winner, and decorated footballer Brett Hall won the masters accolade.

- North Albany claimed a historic win, the first premiership team in the inaugural youth girls competition of the Great Southern Football League.

- Mt Barker won their second straight GSFLW premiership, beating Denmark-Walpole by 37 points with Zoe Keley named best on ground.

May

- Decorated footballer Graham Ross officially became North Albany’s league games record holder, surpassing club great Brett Hall with his 277th appearance for the Kangas.

- Albany cyclist Brett Dal Pozzo conquered the dirt and dust of a tough South Australian track as he blitzed the field to collect gold at the AusCycling Gravel Championships.

- Outstanding Albany netballer Keely Berry is identified as one of brightest prospects in the country, after a stand-out performance for WA at the recent national championships with selection in the Netball Australia 17-and-under National Pathways Squad.

- Albany hosted the second round of the WA MX and ATV State Championship series with a spectacular meeting at the city’s new motorsport park facility. It was the first time since the 1980s the club has held a round of this kind.

June

- Former Hockeyroo Kathryn Slattery was named division one fairest and best player after scoring 10 goals for Lower Great Southern at the country hockey championships.

- Albany-raised paceman Bryce Jackson was picked among a 16-player Australia A squad that faced off against Sri Lanka A in a series in Darwin.

- Great Southern playing trio Sophie Richards, Nardia Humphries and Kathryn Slattery, and assistant coach Sheridan Kowald, help WA Country to a thrilling one-point win over Perth Football League.

- AFL premiership player Josh Caddy joins Royals, kicking three goals in his Great Southern Football League debut.

- Champion West Coast Eagles defender and proud Albany boy Jeremy McGovern’s football career came to a sad end, medically retired by the AFL concussion panel after 197 games plus a premiership and five All-Australian blazers.

July

- Albany hosts a highly successful NBL1 West double-header between the Perth Redbacks and Perry Lakes Hawks with nearly 1000 attending. Albany duo Matt Leary and Billy McRae were in action in front of their home fans as the Hawks claimed an eight-point men’s win. In the women’s clash, the Redbacks emerged one-point winners in a thrilling finish.

- Great Southern produced a wonderful country football championship, winning division two with a final triumph over Upper Great Southern and in doing so, earnt a promotion into the top grade. After their division three success last year, a determined Great Southern outfit beat their rivals by 31-points.

- Railways’ Robbie Farmer, Albany’s Kaleb Germain, Lake King’s Joshua Grahame and Royals trio Blake Panizza, Mitch Paine and Elijah Williams represent the Great Southern playing colts for Claremont in their annual Albany match at Retravision Stadium.

- Morgan Davies represented the Great Southern in WA Country’s State clash with South Australia after impressing selectors at the country football championships.

August

- Albany’s Sue Skirrow was recognised with an Olympic blazer nearly 50 years after she was selected to represent her country in hockey at the 1980 Moscow Games, but was denied the chance after her sport pulled out.

- Star Albany hoop Tash Faithfull reflects on a brilliant 2024-25 season that saw her finish as the best provincial jockey in Australia. The queen of the turf booted home 115 winners to be well clear of her nearest rival.

September

- Albany’s Bailey Taylor was named the Great Southern Football League’s fairest and best player, winning the Kleemann Medal by one-vote.

- Railways celebrated a landmark day in the Great Southern Football League by winning three premierships. The Tigers were 15-point winners in the league grand final and also claimed reserves and colts title triumphs.

- Young netball stars Keely Berry and Denmark talent Indi Coates-Ahomiro made history on Saturday, sharing the Albany Netball Association’s A1 best and fairest honour and the best under-18 player award — the first time both awards have been won jointly.

- Spencer Park scored a fourth straight Lower Great Southern Hockey Association men’s A-grade premiership, with a hard-fought 2-1 win over old rivals Manypeaks.

- Kangas 1 won their first Albany Netball Association A1 title in nine years after downing Narrikup 1 by five goals, in a pulsating decider.

October

- Albany-born horseman Rory Hunter is involved in Melbourne’s Spring Racing Carnival as Autumn Mystery competes in the Group 1 Victoria Derby.

November

- Fremantle Dockers star Jordan Clark made a surprise return to the cricket field, featuring for Lake Grace while spending time harvesting in the Great Southern.

- Albany basketballer Tate Whalley takes her career to the next level, signing scholarship forms with a top junior college in the United States.

December

- Basketball young gun Billy McRae won a silver medal after his first tournament in Australian colours, his side going down to New Zealand in the final. Albany-raised McRae had a breakout game against Guam with 19 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.

- Tambellup’s finest hockey product and WA Olympian Penny Squibb announced her international retirement after 66 caps and appearances at all the sport’s showpiece tournaments.

- Albany rising star Ginger Gleeson won 800m gold at the Australian Athletics All Schools Championships in Melbourne, adding the national title to the State crown she claimed earlier in the year.