GSFL 2023: Royals hold off challenge to win fifth straight colts flag, Sharks & Lions prevail in other grades

Royals surged to a fifth-straight colts premiership after a brilliant all-round display guided them to a memorable win over arch rivals Railways at Sounness Park on Saturday. The Tigers wrestled the lead back in third quarter but couldn’t land the killer blow as Rory Luscombe booted four second-half goals to guide the Lions to a 10.6 (66) to 6.5 (41) triumph. The reigning premiers came out firing with the opening three goals before Riley Barrett answered with the Tigers’ first. After a seesawing second quarter, Flynn Jackman snagged two consecutive majors and Caleb Haua added his first to give the Tigers the lead midway through the third term. However Luscombe booted the next two to snatch back the advantage before Lachlan Cale was yellow carded for a high bump. The Lions kicked three goals to one in the last quarter, Cleve Humphries, Blake Panizza and Luscombe sealing the memorable result. Mitchell Paine was awarded the Panizza Brothers Medal for his strong four-quarter performance across half back and in the middle of the ground while Luscombe, Panizza and Jack Carlson also played leading hands. Milan Jaggi, Mitchell Geddes, Haua and Lachlan Pietrala toiled hard for the Tigers. In the 16s grand final, the Sharks stormed to an emphatic 57-point triumph over Railways. Zephyr Simmons and Charlie Anning both kicked two goals in the opening half along with majors to Tom Bradshaw and Hudson Ramm as the Sharks opened a 31-point buffer at the long break. That margin only grew when Clay Harrington nailed three goals in the second half and despite Tigers’ Beau Veldman and Brock Wilkinson adding one apiece late, the Tigers fell well short, losing 12.7 (79) to 3.4 (22). Jesse Owens was awarded best on ground honours in the win and he had terrific support from Charlie Anning, Declan Reid and Harrington. In the reserves grand final, the Lions sealed a three-peat of flags against their co-tenants Sharks with a 27-point win. The Sharks edged ahead to a one-point advantage in the first term after goals to Zac Pearson and Hamish Fuller and then Lawrence Woods on the quarter-time siren but the Lions took control from that point onwards. Captain Casey Ganzer added two goals in the second term and Adrian Hardy put through his first while the Sharks were held goalless. Sharks’ Ashley Sanders found one back but Adrian Hardy kicked back-to-back majors to bring his tally to four in the third term. Pearson kicked two goals in the final quarter before Adrian and Darren Hardy put the game beyond doubt with their side’s final majors. Adrian Hardy was awarded the Jim Hull Medal for his five-goal display while Nathan Powell, Joley Graham and Mitchell Curnow also shone. Sanders, Gus Bockman, Harris Grimes and Pearson were among the Sharks’ best.