Railways dig deep to secure first Great Southern Football League sixteens premiership since 2016

Railways have secured their first Great Southern Football League sixteens premiership since 2016, defeating Royals in front of a large crowd at McLean Park on Sunday. The Tigers held a narrow four-point advantage going into the last quarter but three final-quarter goals helped them run away from the Lions and prevail by 19 points. Kaidyn Ham kicked the first goal of the last term after a great fend-off and long-range effort. Railways key forward Clay Michael slotted a superb goal from the pocket soon afterwards. Michael added his second of the term to push the margin to a game-high 22 points, and although Royals playmaker Teague Valli kicked a goal from distance with five minutes left to reduce the deficit under three goals, the Tigers held firm to record a 7.9 (51) to 5.2 (32) victory. Riley Hitsert was named best on ground in the grand final for his stellar performance in the ruck, gaining several taps and clearances while winning plenty of the ball around the ground. Michael finished with two goals and stood up in the last quarter, while Ham getting moved forward was also a key part of the Tigers triumph. Peter Darmody worked hard all game, and Milan Jaggi also collected plenty of possessions. Tigers coach Dan Cale believed his side could step up in the final term. “It was a great team effort and they worked for each other and proud of how they responded,” Cale said. “We started winning the ball out of the middle and moving Kaidyn up forward helped us a lot. “It capped off a great team effort across the whole year and there is plenty of promising signs for the club. “Hopefully this success gives them some enthusiasm for the rest of their careers.” The Tigers kicked three unanswered goals in the opening term, Matthew Lane slotting the first before Caleb Haua converted his set shot and then Tom Geddes soccered one through to give the Tigers a decisive lead at the first break. The Lions stormed back into the contest in the second with four unanswered goals, snatching a four-point advantage at the main break. Jack Carlson kicked the first of the second term and then two superb Rory Luscombe majors, the first after a terrific pack mark and the second from an intercept mark and finish on the run, had the Lions right back in the contest before Elijah Brown put them in front for the first time. The game was stopped for nearly five minutes in the third quarter with Jack Byatt taken from the field on a stretcher with a neck injury. The Tigers dominated the third stanza with 11 inside-50s to nil and a late goal from Noah Dupuy put the Tigers up by four points at three-quarter time and they powered to a third sixteens premiership from there. Valli was outstanding in a losing affair with a host of possessions and big marks while Luscombe was very impressive. Byatt was terrific in defence and Chris Winmar provided great rebound. Lions coach Darrell Panizza said he was proud of his group for reaching the decider. “I always believe that my boys could get over the top in the last quarter but Railways were just too good,” Panizza said. “Losing Jack from fullback left us a bit unbalanced. “It was really great game and that goal just before the last break swung the momentum in their favour and they kept going in the last term.”