Country Championships: Great Southern Storm notch one win and one loss in opening day of colts division

The Great Southern Storm endured a mixed start at an eventful opening day of the CBH Group colts division in the Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships at Lane Group Stadium in Mandurah on Thursday. The Storm, representing the Great Southern Football League, dropped their first game to an impressive Peel outfit but rallied to claim a hard-fought win against Pilbara in game two later in the day. South West are in pole position to advance to the grand final on Friday after two thumping wins over Peel and Pilbara on day one to sit on top of Pool A while Great Northern are the unbeaten team in Pool B after commanding victories over Avon and Regional Districts to kick off their campaign. The Storm, playing in Pool A, will have to win their sole qualifying clash against South West on Friday and rely on other results to go their way in their very slim hope of reaching in the championship final. That remains unlikely with South West sitting atop the division with a massive percentage of 732.08. Peel booted nine goals to Storm’s one in the opening game with small forward Cooper Gray dominating to finish with six goals in a classy individual performance. Peel had goals through Kayne Searle and Gray before Rhys McDonald converted a snap and set shot from 30m out to push the margin out to 24 points early on. Gray had his third with a clever check-side major to help guide his side to a 30-point lead at half-time. Another close range goal to Gray made things worse but Tobyn Lowry gave the Storm a much-needed boost, marking 10m out to put through the Storm’s first major score of the tournament. However that man again, Gray, snagged the next two before dribbling through his sixth from a snap 40m out. Kobi Keen was outstanding in a losing side, winning the ball in the midfield alongside Jordan Hulm while Lucas Ravenhill provided solid tap work in the ruck, but they ultimately fell to 1.3 (9) to 9.3 (57) defeat. In the second game against Pilbara, the Storm bounced back from a two-point half-time deficit to claim a scrappy 2.5 (17) to 2.0 (12) win. Pilbara snatched the first two goals from close range but Keen found a leading Lowry who clunked an overhead mark from 40m out and converted. Storm were afforded plenty of chances but struggled to make the opposition pay from turnovers. Joley Graham missed a set shot from 35m out and Mitchell Paine couldn’t make the most of a 50m penalty, putting a close-range effort wide just before the break. Storm’s frustration grew further after Jhett-Morrison Carter fluffed a close range effort but two successive 50m penalties against Pilbara gave Tait Hartfield a chance in the goal square which he converted without trouble. Despite some late turnovers for each side, Pilbara couldn’t find a target in their forward 50 with the Storm repelling several late entries to hold on for a maiden win at the carnival. Paine was a shining light for the Storm, taking a stack of intercept marks in defence and up the ground along with Hartfield and Mason Mastalerz while Keen dug in hard through the midfield and Lowry led well as a key forward. South West are on top of Pool A after the end of day one while Peel and Great Southern are in second and third respectively with one win and one loss each. Pilbara round out the four in Pool A, having not registered a win. The Storm face South West at 11am on Friday before play-off games and then the decider at 4pm, with day two action played at Sir Ross McLarty Oval in Pinjarra. Great Northern top Pool B with two wins while Kimberley Spirit and Regional Districts spilt their matches and Avon are fourth without a win.