Albany star Brett Peake boots six goals to guide his Sharks to historic first win over powerhouse club Royals

More than a decade on from fielding their first league team, Albany have tasted victory over powerhouse club Royals for the first time. It was a sweet triumph for the Great Southern Football League’s expansion club, downing their co-tenants to complete an historic round of fixtures. The Sharks 43-point win in the Retravision Stadium derby capped a weekend where the three traditional Albany-based clubs Royals, Railways and North Albany all lost in the same round. The Lions led at quarter-time but four unanswered goals in the second stanza helped swing the momentum in the Sharks’ favour and from there they sailed to a breakthrough win over the Lions. Sharks coach Jamie Ramm said it was a deserved moment for their club, on a day where they won all four grades against the Lions. “It’s massive for the club and the players that have been at the club and stuck by the club, to see the smiles on their faces,” Ramm said. “It’s another little step but if we can’t step up eventually and beat a superior side then we are wasting our time. “There is a lot of reward for players around the club, like Jake Louthean, Fraser Eaton and Max Bake ... it means a lot to these guys and some supporters because it’s been a long road. “To see young Max Baker kick the last goal and see the smile on his face after years of hard work and being thrashed.” The Lions started strongly with four goals kicking to the end favoured by the wind but they would only add three more for the rest of the match as the Sharks produced their best performance of the season, inspired by former AFL player Brett Peake. Peake booted six goals in a match-winning display as his Sharks came from 14 points down at quarter-time to snatch the lead by the long break. He booted three majors in the second term as the Sharks took a 10-point advantage into the second half. Peake added two more in the third stanza while majors to Max Baker and Matt Martin helped them extend their buffer to 19 points. Hamish McMorran was swung forward and managed two goals in the third for the Lions but they faced an uphill battle in the fourth with their rivals kicking to the scoring end. Sharks midfielder Isaac Baum kicked the first major of the last quarter but veteran Ryan Kinnear got a quick reply at the other end. However, the Sharks kept finding the answers as they kicked the last four majors of the game. Young star Baker putting an exclamation point on the victory with a running goal in the dying minutes as his side notched the win, 15.6 (96) to 7.11 (53). The result lifts the Sharks to five wins from seven games, joining Railways and Mt Barker in a terrific battle at the top of the ladder. Peake was awarded the match ball in Talk To A Mate Round for his highly influential display, booting six goals and providing a wonderful target in attack all day. Tough ball winners Fraser Eaton and Baum were outstanding around the stoppages, helping their side gain the ascendancy after quarter-time, and they also got great contributions from Cameron Jones and wingman Robbie Lee. Zac Pearson and Baker chipped in with three majors for the winners. For the Lions, midfielder Zak Mola was tremendous around the ball as he won countless clearances and possessions, while Nic Ashford was strong in defence to limit Martin to only one major. McMorran was their only major goal kicker, Kinnear won plenty of the ball and skipper Brayden Parker made an impressive return from a hamstring injury. Lions coach Andrew Ruck said it was a disappointing display from his side. “We got beaten at the contest and got beaten on the spread,” he said. “I think we had two, maybe three winners on the ground today. “We probably had eight A-graders out today and it was a good opportunity for some of our boys, but there is a few that aren’t up to league level at the moment. “We lost four games today and they’ve probably lost four against us how many times so we’ve got to cop our medicine. “We are not making excuses, obviously points system at the moment is working and the footy is great, people are rocking up not knowing who is winning.”