Albany Sharks progress to historic first GSFL grand final after emphatic preliminary final win over Mt Barker

A historic first Great Southern Football League grand final awaits Albany after their inspired preliminary final performance at Sounness Park on Sunday. The Sharks stunned their more fancied rivals Mt Barker to reach a maiden league grand final, a decade after fielding their first league team. After accounting for Royals in last week’s elimination final, the Sharks brushed aside the Bulls by 46 points to set up a showdown with Railways for the 2022 premiership. Classy trio Isaac Baum, Matt Martin and Brett Peake combined for 12 goals as they powered the Sharks to a 17.8 (110) to 9.10 (64) triumph and the Bulls were bundled out of the finals in straight sets after finishing second on the ladder. Sharks coach Jamie Ramm spoke post-game of his belief that his players could create history and win through to the decider. “We’ve had trouble getting the whole side out their all year,” Ramm said. “I just felt that in the last three weeks, getting everyone into their positions and we’re starting to settle down and click into action. “I felt last week if we could get through that, it was always going to be a tough task and so was this of course but we came in quietly confident. “I was very proud of them and it is wonderful for the club, it’s a massive achievement but I don’t think they’re going to just lay down next week.” The GSFL preliminary final was played in front of a big crowd but the home supporters were silenced early in the game as a rampant Sharks outfit piled on seven goals kicking to the end favoured by the wind. Key forward Matt Martin was on fire in the first term as he marked everything that came his way and slotted four majors to help the Sharks open up a 30-point lead. The Bulls clicked into gear in the second, as Lincoln East and Steven Scott each kicked two goals, and the four unanswered majors helped trim the deficit to just two points. But it was a determined Sharks side that regained control early in the second half, Baum kicking a huge long-range goal from the boundary and then Peake slotting two in quick succession both from free kicks. Another quick transition led to Baum snapping his third and when he dribbled through a fourth the Sharks had quickly pushed the deficit back beyond 30 points. Matt Galantino made things increasingly harder for the home side when he put the Sharks 39 points in front but the Bulls went into three-quarter-time with a glimmer of hope after late majors from Scott Price and veteran Sam Lehmann. The Bulls needed a massive final term to overhaul a 28-point deficit and Sharks midfielder Marlin Bennett drew first blood when he launched one from the 50m arc and it bounced through. Lehmann, who tried valiantly all afternoon in attack, brought the margin back to 27 points when he jailed his fourth goal but it was all the visitors from that point on. The Sharks kicked the final three goals of the game, including a fourth to a fired-up Peake, sealing their place in the decider. The visitors were clear winners in the middle of the ground, winning the majority of the clearances and pounding the ball forward time and time again. Baum was outstanding around the stoppages and kicked four goals when pushing forward, to be one of the most influential players on the ground. The Sharks got great contributions from Jake Louthean in the midfield, Bennett was hard at the ball all day and Robbie Lee was again damaging on a wing. Cameron Jones was rock-solid in defence for the winners, while twin spearheads Martin and Peake finished with four goals each. Peake kicked 4.2 from 12 disposals. The Bulls had one of their worst performances of the season in the cut-throat final and were left to rue kicking two goals in the first term and adding just one major in the last. Lehmann tried his best to will the home side over the line, kicking four quality goals and presenting hard in attack all day. Midfielder Joel Gray finished with 28 touches and 12 marks and provided great drive while Kleemann medallist Zach Jackson (30 disposals and 10 marks) also worked hard playing mainly in the middle of the ground. Lee Pavlovich, Bryce Blaszkow and David Stone (20 possessions) were also strong figures for the Bulls in the defeat. A deflated Bulls coach David Johnson said their game style was let down by poor kicking efficiency. “That was the message afterwards I suppose, that to just bring no effort and no intent on our home ground was disappointing and I felt it was embarrassing,” Johnson said. “We just looked like a second-rate side and didn’t come prepared to play at that level. “They pressured us a little bit into making poor decisions and that was sort of the model for the day, it was just beyond terrible. “Well, I said to the boys afterwards it needs to burn for a while but if we want to go to the next level of your game you’ve got to learn from that and carry it with you. “It was just a golden opportunity missed and the biggest issue for us is there will be a big turnover for players, we can’t seem to keep a group together year after year like the Albany sides. “That’s why taking that chance was so important because we just don’t know when the next one is going to come along.” The Bulls won the inside-50 count, 50-49, but the Sharks had 18 entries in a prolific first term. The Bulls regained young intercept defender Darcy Wallinger from a calf injury for the preliminary final and also brought in Clayton Wood with Brent Parsons (knee) and Jack Horrocks making way. The Sharks also made two changes with captain Tait McLean returning from a hamstring injury