Lions survive Sharks scare to record first win

Royals have shaken off a determined Albany to notch their first win of the 2018 Great Southern Football League season this afternoon at Centennial Stadium.

Played in wet and windy conditions the Lions trailed for the majority of the first half and hit the front nearing the main break.

From there they were able to maintain a two-goal buffer for large parts of the last half but the persistent Sharks fought on strongly as they chased an early season upset.

It took three goals from key forward Harry Broomhall in the last term to get the Lions home by 16 points in the end as his side bounced back from their heavy round 1 defeat.

Broomhall was terrific up forward with a match-winning six goals to go with strong contributions from Corey Ward, Henry Hodge and Braden Murphy as their side prevailed, 9.3 (57) to 6.5 (41).

Twice the Sharks reduced the margin to four points in the third term and with their first inside 50 of the last quarter Zac Pearson slotted his second to make it an 11-point game but they were never conjure multiple goals at any stage.

Centre-half back Marcus Mellon was influential for the Sharks along with Anthony Coyne and ruckman Stewart Davies while Pearson finished with three majors up front.

Yesterday in a thrilling finish, Railways stormed home with five goals in the fourth quarter to pinch a gripping three-point win over Mt Barker at Tigerland.

The Bulls kicked the first five goals of the match to stun the home side and the visitors led by as much as 36 points early in the second half.

However, the Tigers mustered a big finish as they kicked the last three majors of the third term to reduce the deficit to 17 points at the last change.

Tom Wolfe and Doug Roberts gave the Tigers the first two goals of the final stanza before a 50m penalty resulted in Jacob Skinner pushing the Bulls advantage back to 10 points.

The Tigers through Wolfe and then Kenton Gibbs hit the front with three minutes to play but it was only short lived as Kym Monteath snapped his fourth to hand the Bulls back a three-point lead.

Inside the final minute the Tigers went forward where Mitch Green marked before he was given a 50m penalty for a Bulls player entering the 10m protected area and he sealed victory for the home side with 23 seconds left on the clock.

Joel Want was superb for the winners along with Zane Marwick, Wolfe (two goals) and another four majors to Gibbs as they won a nailbiter, 14.8 (92) to 14.5 (89).

The Bulls were well led by Monteath (four goals), Daniel Parker (four goals) and Joel Gray while new recruit Kallen Bond was superb in the first half.

Reigning premiers North Albany also opened their account for 2018, steamrolling a disappointing Denmark-Walpole at McLean Park in the other match yesterday.

The much-hyped Magpies were buoyed by the inclusion of former Fremantle Docker Clancee Pearce but the Kangas stifled the home side from the start and ran out 71-point winners, 14.11 (95) to 3.6 (24).

The Magpies were kept to only one goal to three quarter time and Pearce did not return after half time after 18 possessions.

Youngster Taj Williams booted four goals for the Kangas as they celebrated Luke Cameron’s 100th game with a win.