GSFL 2024: Dominant second half powers North Albany to emphatic win over ill-disciplined Denmark-Walpole

A change in personnel and structure helped North Albany claim their first win of the 2024 Great Southern Football League season according to coach Brad Bootsma. The Kangas produced an impressive four quarter display at Collingwood Park on Saturday, booting nine goals to two in the second half as they thrashed Denmark-Walpole by 70 points. Bootsma said some senior faces returning and shuffling the magnets around were key reasons behind their first success of the year. “We had six changes from the week before,” he said. “They all came in and gave us something. “We also played some blokes in different spots, Seth Hambley in the ruck really helped and he’s a good pick up which allowed us to play Drew Willcocks on a wing — just things like that. “There was one stand-out in Travis Conn but after that we had a really good spread. “We lost our way in the second when they kicked three or four in a row but I was really pleased with the way we wrestled the momentum back.” The Magpies had one period in the second term where they challenged the home side and despite several inclusions from their narrow loss to Mt Barker last week, they were just no match for the run and spread of the Kangas. Travis Conn played one of his best senior games, kicking five goals and being a key link man through the middle of the ground while Barry Roberts and Jyrin Woods also won a stack of the ball. The Kangas were defending hard in the opening minutes but scored a goal from their very first inside-50 entry of the game and that set the tone for the afternoon. Five majors in the first term helped the Kangas open up 25-point margin at quarter time and in an end-to-end second period both teams kicked four goals. However the game was broken open by the Kangas slick ball movement in the third, holding the visitors to one major while they kicked five of their own to all but end the contest. Graham Ross and Woods were the main beneficiaries up forward, booting four goals each in the 18.11 (119) to 7.7 (49) demolition. Defender Regan Lloyd was also outstanding for the winners and Seth Hambley rucked well in his club debut, having made the switch across from the Lions. The Kangas only injury concern was Jarrad McDowall who limped off in the first quarter with a serious hamstring issue. The Magpies lost key pair Reagan Hutchinson and Revis Alone to the West Coast WAFL team before the bounce but were bolstered by the return of Tyler Stone and the inclusions of Brad Keast and David Cooke. Marlon Mastalerz was again brilliant around stoppages and he was well supported by Noah Madaffari while Ben Olden toiled hard across half back. Tyler Stone kicked three goals before finishing the game on the bench with a leg injury, Keast racked up plenty of the ball and Jed Schwarzbach showed show promise with two majors. “It was pretty average on our end,” Magpies coach Brad Nisbett said. “They were up and about and we were the opposite, we were ill-disciplined and had no energy.” Stone re-hurt his troublesome calf and didn’t finish the game while Adrian Whitling had delayed concussion. Kangas’ Luke Mowaljarlai received two yellow cards for offensive language and didn’t play after he was sent off in the second term while the Magpies’ Michael Sullivan and the Kangas’ Jackson Cosh were handed yellow cards late in the last term for wrestling.