Around The Leagues: Panthers fire in return, ex-WCE CEO Trevor Nisbett hits Denmark, Royals roll-out Higgins

The Advertiser brings you Around The Leagues, taking a look at football stories of players and personalities from the Great Southern, Ongerup and Upper Great Southern regions. Brookton-Pingelly make triumphant return to UGSFL Brookton-Pingelly made a thunderous return to the competition after a year-long absence with a solid 26-point win over Narrogin under lights in the Upper Great Southern Football League 2024 opener on Saturday. The Panthers landed a brilliant 13.11 (89) to 9.9 (63) win over the Hawks after a physical curtain raiser at Clayton Road Oval in Narrogin in front of a pumped-up crowd. Best for the Panthers were Daniel Travaskis (one goal), Cade Bolton, Joshua Hughes, Henry Blechynden and Kynan Collard (two). Ex-WCE boss heads to Denmark Denmark-Walpole introduced their 2024 Great Southern Football League campaign with a successful president’s lunch featuring former West Coast Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett. The Eagles’ ex-top dog is the father of the Magpies’ league coach Brad Nisbett and appeared at McLean Park on Saturday to bring in the new season. The Magpies are hoping to turn around a rough few years under Brad Nisbett alongside new president Sam Keenan but despite being handed a 112-point loss at the hands of the reigning premiers Albany, the Magpies have rich belief this will be a much-improved season. Royals roll-out gun recruit in dominant debut The Lions unleashed their prized recruits Brock Higgins and Darcy Reader in their 16.7 (103) to 10.3 (63) win over Mt Barker at Retravision Stadium on Saturday. The Lions were without their previous first-choice ruck Stephen Beal but Higgins was tasked with a lion’s share of ruck work in his absence but shared the load with Nathan Powell throughout the afternoon. Higgins dominated at the stoppages with 38 hit-outs and offered plenty of outlet options taking five marks and gathering 16 disposals. Despite Higgins making a triumphant first appearance at the Lions’ den, coach Darrell Panizza faces an arduous task at the selection table, with the unlikely to play three genuine ruckman. Blight and Edwards zero in on maiden WA State selection A pair of former Great Southern Football League stars have been selected in a star-studded WA State squad on the back of stellar performances through the opening five rounds of the WAFL season. Peel Thunder star key defender Jacob Blight (Railways) and Swan Districts gun forward Tom Edwards (Royals) were selected in the initial 34-man squad putting their foot forward for a maiden State guernsey when WA grapple with South Australia at Optus Stadium on May 19. Blight is on track for a career-best season after a blistering start to the 2024 campaign, averaging 18.25 disposals and 9.25 marks while Edwards has booted seven goals through the opening four games this season, averaging nearly 12 disposals and more than five marks per game for the Swans.