Sport Year in Review: An outstanding year full of highlights from a variety of sports in the Great Southern

After sport in 2020 was massively derailed by COVID-19, competitions and events returning to normality this year was a welcomed change. Participants in the region embraced sport with open arms and across the board there were some outstanding achievements in a variety of sports. From the disappointment of Sonja Johnson and then Penny Squibb missing out on the Tokyo Olympic Games to the highs of Kalin Lane and Arthur Jones both being drafted to the AFL. Horse racing played a big part in 2021 and throw into the mix State champions in surfing and mountain biking plus a couple of big playing milestones. Sport came back bigger and better in 2021 and it was a year to remember. January - Albany horse trainer Roy Rogers has a career-best day with six winners on his home track, including the $100,000 Fitzpatrick Plate with Echo Effect. - Former AFL player Brett Peake signs with the Albany Sharks for the 2021 Great Southern Football League season. - Comeback galloper Silentz wins the $100,000 Mt Barker Sprint when having his first start in 659 days for trainer Lindsey Smith. - Albany Speedway Club hosted a massive WA Street Stock Title with a total of 81 cars entering, the biggest field ever in WA when a national title was not being held close by. - Albany and Districts Cricket Association fall short in their bid for country week glory, losing to Peel by 50 runs at the WACA. February - Ex-Collingwood player and experienced country coach Mark Bayliss signs on as coach of Railways in the Great Southern Football League. - Ex Sport Man won the $250,000 Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic for Albany trainer Steve Wolfe and local connections. - Denmark Mountain Bike Club hold their first-ever round of the WA State Downhill Series. - Claremont Football Club’s senior players hold a pre-season training camp at Normans Beach. - Mt Barker win a breakthrough Albany and Districts Cricket Association Twenty20 title. - More than 600 swimmers compete at the Country Pennants event in the Mt Barker pool. March - Long-time trainer Angela Smith claimed an emotional win in the Mt Barker Cup with 11-year-old Corporate Larrikin, who wore the Parson family colours in honour of Eleanor Parsons. - Royals end an 18-year premiership drought with an upset win over Mt Barker in the Albany and Districts Cricket Association A-grade grand final. - Sonics and Valkyries won the men’s and women’s A-grade premierships on grand final night in the Albany Basketball Association. April - Champion jockey William Pike, aboard Marocchino, wins his first $100,000 Albany Cup. - Star Albany horse Ex Sport Man wins the $500,000 Group 2 Karrakatta Plate for Steve Wolfe. - Albany filly Hoi An wins the $200,000 Group 3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes for trainer Roy Rogers. - Kylie Douglas won a thrilling count to be named the Great Southern Football League Women’s fairest and best player. - Royals claim a 15-point win over Railways to be crowned Great Southern Football League Women’s premiers, making up for the disappointment of a cancelled season in 2020. May - Star local footballer Declan Mountford makes his State debut against South Australia. - Narrikup shooter Rylee Davis sinks a staggering 50 goals in one game in the Albany Netball Association. - Albany fast bowler Bryce Jackson is named a rookie in the WA Cricket Association men’s State squad - Great Southern Football League umpires threatened to strike because of claims of a ‘toxic culture of abuse’ detailed in an extraordinary letter to the league executive. - Roy Rogers’ outstanding season of 46 winners was rewarded when he won his first trainer of the year award in the Great Southern. June - Denmark-Walpole ruckman Kalin Lane is selected by the Brisbane Lions with pick 14 in the mid-season rookie draft. - Tambellup’s Penny Squibb picked in Hockeyroos squad to play in the Tokyo Olympic Games. - Lower Great Southern Hockey Association tasted division 1 success after a thrilling grand final win at the CBH Group Women’s Country Championships. July - Albany surfer Paul Dupuy wins a third straight State crown, powering his way to top honours in the over-50 men’s division. - Star equestrian competitor Sonja Johnson misses out on selection for the Tokyo Olympic Games. - WAFL midfielder Morgan Davies walks out on East Fremantle to join the Albany Sharks and ex-AFL player Nathan Krakouer makes shock return for Mt Barker. - Albany galloper Red Can Man wins the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes at Caulfield. - Mt Barker great Sam Lehmann plays his 250th league game for the Bulls. - Seven players from the Great Southern feature in Claremont’s team that beat East Fremantle in a special WAFL colts clash at Centennial Stadium. - Taylah Orzel and Laura Archer represent the Great Southern in the inaugural WA country women’s team who were successful in a State game. - Penny Squibb cruelly ruled out of the Tokyo Olympic Games with a leg injury. August - Albany players take part in regional soccer tour against WA Senior Schoolgirls team. - Albany Sharks qualify for the league finals for the first time and then go on to win their elimination first semi-final in the Great Southern Football League. - Royals veteran Ryan Kinnear plays his 250th game for the Lions. September - Rovers and Denmark crowned league champions in the Great Southern Soccer Association men’s division one and women’s division one competitions respectively. - Steve Wolfe horses Ex Sport Man and Watch Me Dance named two-year-old and three-year-olds of the year respectively at WA Thoroughbred Awards. - Royals midfielder Cameron Allison caps dominant year in GSFL with Kleemann Medal win. - Railways cause upset in GSFL grand final, beating Royals by 28 points to win the premiership, with Matt Palfrey named best-afield. - Magpies complete remarkable turnaround going from last to first after their Albany Netball Association A1 grand final win. - North Albany and Manypeaks win the women’s and men’s A-grade grand finals in the Lower Great Southern Hockey Association. - Albany Bayswater win Federation Cup and Denmark claim women’s top division cup spoils in GSSA. - Jordan Prochyra wins Albany’s urban downhill that had more than 50 competitors. - First-ever women’s team from Great Southern competes at Country Football Championships. October - Ongerup’s Angus Dewar becomes triple premiership player with Subiaco in the WAFL. - Albany Junior Soccer Association win three titles at country week tournament. - Brett Hall and Jono Woods lead way for Albany at AFL Masters National Carnival, named fairest and best winners and All-Australians. - Albany footballer Jordan Clark traded by Geelong to Fremantle Dockers. November - Great Southern cricketers Devon Jefferis, Teague Valli, Jed Kowald and Cameron Walsh picked to play in the WACA Under-15 State Talent Carnival. - Popular Manypeaks figure Keith Kinnear plays his 400th game for the club at the age of 58, with more than 500 wickets and 6000 runs. - Albany’s Indianna Weinert (24) becomes youngster official horse trainer in WA. - Mt Barker’s Arthur Jones taken by the Western Bulldogs with pick 43 in the AFL national draft. December - Albany pair Jessica Waldron and Dinah Roecker and Denmark’s Kaiden Godden win respective WA Gravity Enduro Mountain Bike Championships. - The Great Southern Football League has a mass exodus of directors, with five people choosing not to stand for re-election at the annual general meeting, including president Joe Burton. - Premiership coach Brad Bootsma returns to take charge of North Albany in GSFL. - Former umpire and long-time director Terry Eaton named new GSFL president.