Mt Barker’s finals hopes strengthened after upset win, Royals too strong in derby and Magpies a step closer

Royals virtually stitched up top spot and the minor premiership after a resounding 62-point victory over Albany in the Centennial Stadium derby today. The Lions 12th win of the season helped them move two games and percentage clear on top of the ladder after 13 rounds of the Great Southern Football League season, all but guaranteeing they will host the second semifinal. Hamish McMorran starred up forward as the Lions slammed home 10 goals in the opening half to set up the 15.16 (106) to 7.2 (44) result. It took 14 minutes for the first goal of the game to be scored from Seb Stanton before Rivah Bocian and then two in a row from McMorran gave the Lions four unanswered goals and a 28-point buffer at the first break. Ex-AFL player Brett Peake kicked the first two goals of the second term to trim the deficit but the Lions responded with the next four, including two from the returning Declan McNamara. Lions captain Brayden Parker was yellow carded and then Sharks’ Henry Graham breifly stopped the Lions dominance but two more from McMorran opened up a 53-point advantage at the main break. Both sides kicked two goals in the third stanza as Peake took his tally to four on the siren but his side still trailed by 55 points. The Lions slotted the first three goals of the final term to seal the big win, McMorran booting five in a powerful display at full forward. McMorran had nine scoring shots to be among the Lions best while Cameron Allison was again prolific through the midfield. Youngsters Ryley Valli and Ben Altus were impressive while experienced duo David Parker and Ryan Kinnear were also key contributors. Peake was outstanding with five goals in a losing affair, taking his tally to 39 for the season, and Jonothan Leach won a stack of the ball across the four quarters. Jake Louthean battled hard in the ruck and midfielder Cameron Jones was also serviceable but their side missed the usual output of a number of important regular players. Mt Barker caused the biggest upset of the season after knocking off the second placed Railways at Tigerland yesterday to significantly boost their finals hopes. The 15-point win helped the Bulls move within one game of the fourth-placed Sharks heading into the final two rounds, with the pair to face off in a defining clash this Saturday. The Tigers slipped to their second straight after they failed to match the powerful seven-goal third term from the visitors. The third term was a vital period in the game as the Bulls prevailed 12.8 (80) to 9.11 (65), to record their fourth of the season. The Tigers led by eight points at half time and pushed that to 14 early in the third stanza but a yellow card to captain Bodhi Stubber for a sling tackle was the beginning of the home side’s downfall. The Bulls kicked the next seven goals of the quarter to take a game-high 29-point lead into the final change. Sam Lehmann and Rhys Hogg got the margin back to two points before Keegan Berry put the visitors up midway through the third. It was all the Bulls from that point on in the third stanza but they lost Bryce Blaszkow to concussion as a result of a heavy tackle. Tigers star Logan Stubber tried to lift his side in the final term and he kicked the first two goals to reduce the deficit to 16 points but a steadying goal from Daniel Patching after the Tigers were penalised for a deliberate rushed behind, halted the home side’s momentum. At the half way point of the fourth Logan Stubber snapped his third major but the Bulls dug deep to claim a memorable victory. Former AFL player Nathan Krakouer was wonderful across half back and the move to play Brodie Duffield through the midfield paid off as he ran riot out of the centre. Patching was important at crucial stages and the Bulls also had great contributions from defenders Tristan Ballard and Jack Horrocks. Logan Stubber was important with three goals and lots of possessions while defender Harry Hordacre, ruckman Xavier Brenton-Reed and Matt Van Schayk (two goals) were among Tigers best players. Denmark-Walpole all but secured a spot in the finals after surging clear of North Albany in the Benno Napier Memorial Match at McLean Park yesterday. The Magpies started strongly with four goals in the opening term and aside from a brief period in the second term, where the Kangas kicked two quick ones, they had control for the rest of the game. Without key forward targets Shayne Zanetti and Ash McGrath, the Magpies still found a way to kick a winning score and produced a blistering third term to put the result beyond doubt. The Magpies led by 21 points at half time but found another gear after the long break as midfield star Jayden Woods shook a heavy tag from Harry Smith to kick two goals while Zane Marwick also add two goals. Tyler Stone added his second and defender Ash Smith also snuck forward to get on the scoreboard as the home side kicked seven goals to one in the third, extending the margin to 57 points. A young Kangas side were unable to bridge the gap in the final term despite senior pair Jyrin Woods and Nathan Crudeli booting majors, as the visitors suffered a 57-point defeat. Veteran Ryan Gaerth was outstanding in the midfield as the Magpies prevailed 16.11 (107) to 7.8 (50) and he was well supported by Zane and Coen Marwick and tall defender Jarrod Brack had a number of telling intercepts. Despite the close attention Jayden Woods was still an important contributor, racking up plenty of possessions and producing a sizzling third term. He won the Benno Napier Memorial Match Medal, presented by Delwyn and Tony Napier in honour of their son who played with the Magpies. Crudeli and Jyrin Woods won plenty of the ball for the Kangas, captain Regan Lloyd was at his impassable best down back and Mitch Lenegan worked hard throughout.