GSFL OPINION: The Retravision Stadium derby presents the Sharks with a chance to make a big statement

The most intriguing team in this year’s Great Southern Football League competition are the Albany Sharks. It has been really tough to get a gauge on exactly where the Sharks are at in the early part of the new season. Many people, like myself, predicted a further rise from the expansion club this year after their brilliant efforts in 2021 where they were knocked out in a preliminary final. They made strong ground in the off-season, including the signing of key forward Matt Martin to go with recruiting talented senior pair Kane Pinney and Jayden Zilm while retaining the majority of last year’s squad. Another pre-season under the guidance of highly respected coach Jamie Ramm and you could only wonder if 2022 was the year the Sharks made a historic league grand final. Six rounds in and it hasn’t been easy to read their form. They are well positioned to play finals and even challenge for a top two spot but in saying that a few of their performances, including two losses, have been far from convincing. The Sharks began their campaign with a win over the lowly Denmark-Walpole but then were well beaten by Royals in round two. In round three the Sharks scraped past North Albany by eight points and then they produced a gritty two-point win over the in-form Mt Barker. Reigning premiers Railways handed the Sharks a 95-point thrashing in round five and despite the Sharks responding by destroying the Magpies in their last game, it still leaves plenty of questions. Just where do the Sharks sit in the pecking order? The Sharks could have easily lost to the Bulls and did their best to get defeated by the Kangas. The main concern is the performances against the two ‘big boys’ in the Tigers and Lions. The two sides the Sharks have not yet beaten in a game of league football. Understandably teams are working their way through COVID implications each week and that will affect personnel but if the Sharks are going to the next step, a grand final, they must close the gap to those two strong clubs. And by close the gap I mean significantly. The Sharks were thumped by the Tigers and after a bright start it was one-way traffic in the first encounter with the Lions as well. This weekend will be the second Retravision Stadium derby between the two co-tenants this season and it’s time for the Sharks to stand up and make a statement. This is a vital game for ladder positions and could have big implications on who finishes in the top two. Ramm and his Sharks will be dirty with their two heavy defeats this season and no doubt keen to make amends, starting on Saturday against the Lions. One of the biggest hurdles the Sharks face is the ability to play four strong quarters of football. Ramm by his own admission has said they struggle to play good, consistent football for long periods. Here is the opportunity. The Lions will not be at full strength, currently nursing a big injury list, and they are not the formidable side of the previous two or three years. The Sharks should go in believing they can win the game and be disappointed with nothing less than the four points. It promises to be a cracking round of GSFL with the top of the table clash between the Tigers and Bulls while both the Kangas and Magpies will sniff a win when they face off at Collingwood Park. However there will be no bigger focus that Sunday’s derby and just what the Sharks can produce.