GSFL 2024: Albany beat rivals Royals in tense Retravision Stadium derby

There were plenty of nervous moments for reigning premiers Albany in the closing stages of Saturday’s win over derby rivals Royals, according to coach Jamie Ramm. The Sharks prevailed by 10 points in the battle with the result all but guaranteeing the minor premiership and a home second semifinal for Ramm’s team. “I wasn’t convinced we were going to make it this week,” he said. “(Lions) have had a couple of pretty tough weeks and we’ve probably had a bit of an easier run and they’ve probably run out of legs a little bit. “We had a fairly even spread of good players but I thought we were a bit fumbly, inaccurate; I wouldn’t say it was a perfect game of footy from us. “But its only a game during the year, so we just want to try and become a better side each week and hopefully play a game that can be successful in the finals.” In the annual Retravision Stadium derby, both sides made several changes coming in but it was the Sharks that held off a late challenge to win in round 14 of the Great Southern Football League. With star ruckman Brock Higgins and midfielder David Parker among five changes, the Lions started superbly in the fast and vicious first quarter, as Nic Ashford and Jordan Hulm snuck in two goals before the Sharks blinked. The surprise of the early majors wore off quickly with Sharks kicking their defence into gear and locking in for a fight, Harvey Taylor and Lewis Bosch working hard to cut off the Lions forward supply. The Lions led seven points at quarter time but the Sharks came into the second period swinging. Both sides executed clean, precise manoeuvres at rapid-fire pace, in the stoppage heavy game with neither side willing to give an inch. Inclusions Taylor, Isaac Baum, Aiden Clark and State country player Bailey Taylor significantly strengthened the Sharks side and successive goals from Matt Martin, Brett Peake and Taj Williams had them back in front by the long break. The Lions kept fighting through Nathan Powell and Ashford, who had some chances on goal, and despite a late Ryan Lazar goal they trailed by seven at the long break. Energy flagged in the second half, with both sides ramping up the desperation but losing accuracy. An early scrabble at the posts left the Sharks with a goal, quickly followed by two stunning set-shots from Brock Anning. The Sharks moved the ball well from defence to attack without much reward before Lions snapped back things back in their favour with goals from Ashford and then Jaiden Alison on the three quarter time siren. The Lions were revved up after the last break and they got back-to-back majors from Seb Stanton and a rise in energy. After a few attempts, Anning stuck to his guns and secured another goal for the Sharks, to tie the scores 16 minutes in. The drawn score had both sides feeling the pressure, as the midfield battle become crucial. After temporarily losing a trampled Jake Shepherd to the blood rule, a final boot from Peake clawed Sharks to their 11th win of the season, 8.12 (60) to 7.8 (50). Clark, Kane Pinney, Harry Hordacre and Marlin Bennett were superb for the Sharks. On the Lions side Powell, Declan McNamara, David Parker and Corey Linthorne shone brightly. Lions coach Darrell Panizza said the teams loss wasn’t for lack of trying. “We were playing as well as we can and giving as much effort as we can but we’re just not quite getting over the line,” he said. “They never really got away from us and we had our chances in the fourth quarter and we didn’t quite manage to take it. “We’ll just keep working away and working at it and see if we can’t get ourselves going forward into the finals. “We didn’t have a bench in the last quarter so that was difficult to say the least.” With Beal out through injury, the Lions also lost Higgins to injury in a worrying sign for their big men stocks.