GSFL 2023: Kane Pinney emphasises team success after winning best-on-ground honours in league grand final

Classy Albany defender Kane Pinney was quick to divert the attention from himself after being awarded the Alan Barnett Medal in his side’s stirring 18-point grand final win against Railways on Saturday. Pinney was judged best-afield in the Sharks’ historic maiden grand final victory, his intercept craft and rebound from defence a key factor in the 9.12 (66) to 7.6 (48) result. Pinney played his football for Ongerup Football Association club Lake-Grace Pingrup before joining the Sharks in 2022 and has since become an important member of the ever-improving squad. “Individual stuff really doesn’t bother me in the slightest, it’s more getting a result like this today that means so much to me and the club,” he said. The 28-year-old said he has relished his role that comes with plenty of freedom, often being deployed as a loose man in defence. “Jamie (Ramm) has been really good for me, since I’ve come here he has sort of just let me have free rein over what I wanted to do and just let me play my game,” he said. “I think it just works out that way that we play our best footy when I play that way with freedom.” Pinney showed composure from the back half despite his fair share of pregame nerves and the late surge from the Tigers. “My hands were shaking all morning and I was pretty nervous to be honest, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to play like,” he said, “I just stuck to my routine that I do every week and it seemed to have worked out well in the end. “It got really close in those late stages but we always have that belief, we think we’re the fittest side in the competition. “Whenever we get challenged we always believe in each other in getting the job done. “We make sure to respond and get it going our way.”