GSFL 2023: Tigers coach believes week off vital in quest for third flag after qualifying final win over Sharks

Railways coach Mark Bayliss says avoiding a preliminary final and progressing directly into this year’s Great Southern Football League grand final is vital in his club’s quest to win a third straight premiership. The Tigers are the first team into the 2023 decider after producing a brilliant start in Saturday’s qualifying final against minor premiers Albany. The Tigers have won the past two premierships and their pursuit of an elusive three-peat will go to the final day of the season after running out 30-point winners 11.5 (71) to 5.11 (41) at Retravision Stadium. Bayliss said his side would relish the chance to freshen up and then prepare to face the winner of this week’s preliminary final between the Sharks and a red-hot Royals. “I think the form of the two sides that are third and fourth have probably been better than the top two sides,” he said. “Today was vital for us to win and it could work in our favour going to grand final week. “Any time you have a break can only do your club more good than harm, we’ll still train pretty solid but freshen them up.” The reigning premiers entered the finals series with some question marks, having won one of their past four games and with doubts on the fitness of key personal, but they quickly quashed that with a dominant first term. Six goals to one in a rampant opening set the tone for the Tigers, marching to another grand final appearance as they proved too strong for an inaccurate Sharks side. Captain Bodhi Stubber and clean ball user Mitch Green were outstanding while key forward Zak Hortin bagged four goals to guide the Tigers to an emphatic win. The move to start Green in the midfield alongside milestone man Craig Frost worked wonders as the Tigers skipped to a 26-point advantage at quarter-time. The Tigers kicked six straight in the first quarter and despite an early major from Jayden Zilm in the second, a second goal from Hortin made it seven for the visitors. Harry Hordacre, one of five inclusions for the Sharks, brought the margin back to 17 points with a late major but the home side was left to rue missed opportunities after kicking 1.4 in the first and that was 3.8 by half-time. Twice the margin got beyond 30 points in the third term as Ray Daniels kicked his second and Hortin jailed his third and fourth majors. Goals to Hordacre and then one out the back to speedster Mitch Collier ensured the Sharks had a glimmer of hope, trailing by 25 points at the final change. The final term was a grind but a goal in the seventh minute from the boot of Haydn Sproxton ultimately sealed the win and a third consecutive grand final appearance for the Tigers. There was a costly miss soon after the Sproxton goal from Isaac Baum and late in the quarter Brock Anning received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Tiger Lachlan Cale, but the result was never in real danger. Green and Frost were electric in the first half and Bodhi Stubber was resolute in defence, taking countless intercept marks. To go with a stack of possessions, Green kicked two majors in the first term that gave the Tigers an ideal start to the big final. Hortin kicked 4.2 was well supported in the front half by Daniels (two goals) and Sproxton (two) while Josh Duffield rucked all day to be a key contributor for the Tigers. Logan Stubber and Jayden Scott had vital moments, Toby Hall held Sharks star and the competition’s leading goalkicker Brett Peake to one behind and Jaxon Lombardini also provided great drive. It was a day to remember for Frost, chaired from the ground by his teammates after playing his 150th league game for the club. “I felt today we worked hard as a team on keeping possession,” Bayliss said. “They’re a side that kick to space to try and get overlap and rely on their leg speed. “Let’s be honest, we’ve never been a good team on a big ground and I reckon we played it pretty well today.” The Tigers made three changes for the final with Frost, Daniels and Beau Ewen returning at the expense of Angus Spencer, Kobi Doust-Pamplin and Caleb Haua. For the first time since playing in the GSFL, Peake was held goalless. The former St Kilda and Fremantle player had kicked at least one goal in his previous 46 games. The Sharks were best served by Robbie Lee, Bryce Blaszkow, George Bockman, Cameron Jones and Jayden Zilm (two goals). Harry Hordacre also kicked two, Kane Pinney was busy after quarter-time and Brock Anning also won plenty of the ball. Sharks coach Jamie Ramm lamented his team’s poor ball use and slow start as key factors in the loss. “Our forward line didn’t function well and we wasted the footy,” Ramm said. “They kicked very straight … six goals down at the start, it’s a long way back. “In a game like this you have to take your opportunities, they took theirs and we didn’t.” The Sharks made five changes from round 15 with Fraser Eaton, Hordacre, George Bockman, Pinney and Connor McCandless included while Aiden Clark, Kaleb Germain, Gus Bockman, Harvey Taylor and David Arthur went out. Ramm said it was pleasing they got through the game unscathed and were now focused on avoiding a straight sets finals exit. “We got through that with no injuries, that is a plus,” he said. “A couple of guys were a bit suss coming in and they’ll be better for the game today. “It’s a young midfield, they’re learning and it is what it is. “We won a prelim last year so we’ll have another go again.”