Co-tenants Albany and Royals to square off in inaugural Retravision Cup clash in round 12 of GSFL competition

Co-tenants Royals and Albany will face off for the inaugural Retravision Cup on Sunday in round 12 of the Great Southern Football League competition. The fixture has been organised to celebrate the rivalry between the two teams based at Retravision Stadium, with a custom-made shield from Suggs Timber up for grabs. Centennial Stadium was re-named Retravision Stadium in April last year after Retravision won the naming rights for the venue for three years. Henceforth, the middle derby fixture every year between the two clubs will be played for the Retravision Cup. The Lions have won their past two matches, including a confidence-boosting victory over Mt Barker last week, while the Sharks are coming off a 93-point win over Denmark-Walpole. Lions captain Brayden Parker believes the match gives each side extra motivation to earn the four points and expects a tightly contested match. “I’m actually surprised they haven’t brought a cup fixture in earlier so it’s good, it gives both teams a bit to play for,” he said. “Last time we played them they got a hold of us sort of late in the last quarter. “They kicked a few goals and blew it out a bit but the scoring shots weren’t too far apart so I feel like if we can straighten up a little bit, it will be a really good game. “Sharks have been playing some really good footy — we’d lost four in a row and we just bounced back to win a couple in a row. “It’s gonna be pretty hot, I’d imagine. “There’s always a bit of feeling between the two sides.” Sharks counterpart Tait Mclean said the cup fixture was indicative of his side’s improvement in the league. “I suppose it really shows that change this year to us being a bit more competitive in the league really — it’s a good look,” he said. “It’s gonna be pretty spicy — it’ll be pretty hot in the kitchen. We got ahold of them last time but whenever you run out you expect the best that the other team can offer so that’s what we’ll prepare for on the weekend. “Royals are a good team so we’ll expect them to come out pretty strong. “We won’t underestimate them at all.” Round 12 will be headlined by a top-of-the-table clash between Railways and the Bulls at Tigerland on Saturday. The Tigers are a game and percentage clear on top of the table but have lost to the Bulls in their previous two encounters this season. In the other Saturday game, the Magpies will host North Albany at McLean Park.