GSFL 2024: Lions roar to more reserves premiership success after thumping grand final win over Tigers

Royals reign of Great Southern Football League reserves premierships continued with a dominant win over rivals Railways on Saturday. The Lions stormed into the history books by winning their fourth consecutive reserves flag, the first side to do so since North Albany (2005-2008). The result was also a ninth GSFL reserves premiership and fifth in the last eight years for the Lions who have not missed a grand final since 2017. Despite coming via a preliminary final after having lost the qualifying final, the Lions dominated all over the ground, allowing their opponents to kick just one second-half goal to set up the 52-point grand final win at Retravision Stadium. Saxon Henrickson was sublime in the engine room for the Lions and named Jim Hull medallist and Jaiden Alison (two goals) played a key role with stints in the forward line and the midfield in the 10.13 (72) to 3.3 (21) win. The Tigers kicked the opening goal of the game via veteran Doug Roberts but the Lions took a nine-point advantage into quarter time after majors from Quinn Bird, who was dropped to the reserves, and Coel Hunter. Kobi Doust-Pamplin got the Tigers back within six points in the second but that would be as close as they got, the Lions asserting themselves with the next three majors. The 24-point half time margin only grew with the Lions confidence as they sliced the Tigers up through the middle of the ground. “We’ve been very inaccurate in our first quarters, and that’s cost us pretty dearly in the previous games,” Lions coach Trent Nesbitt said. “Today, we were able to even the field through the first quarter, and after that, we were able to carry on and keep our momentum. “We’ve got a lot of great players that love to run, love to carry and use their legs, so it suited as well today (the weather).” Nesbitt praised his defence, for nullifying the Tigers dangerous forward threats, and paid credit to “big game” player Henrickson. Hunter, Rhys Jones and James Watters also kicked two goals in the triumph. Defender Taj Stubber worked overtime for the Tigers while teammates Jack Hastie and Owen Houden also won plenty of the ball.