Country Championships: Back-to-back losses on day two end GSFL’s bid to win division 3 title at country champs

Consecutive losses on the second day of senior action at the Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships ended the Great Southern Football League’s hopes of reaching the division 3 grand final in heartbreaking fashion last week. After going through the first day undefeated with impressive wins against North Pilbara and Onshore Cup at Gil Fraser Reserve in Fremantle on Friday, the representative Great Southern side fell short against Esperance and Hills on Saturday at Lane Group Stadium in Mandurah. Esperance, after going through the qualifying rounds undefeated, were defeated by North Pilbara in the decider on Sunday. Great Southern finished their senior championships campaign in fourth place with a record of two wins and two losses. Head coach Glynn Verbruggen praised his sides’ performance but lamented the inability to make the most of their ascendancy in key moments. “It was definitely a disappointing way to finish the carnival,” he said. “It’s not too often you’d have double the scoring shots to the opposition and lose game of footy but it goes to show you have to take your chances inside 50. “North Pilbara, who we beat on day one, obviously took out the division so it goes to show if we took some of our chances we would have at least been playing on Sunday. “But on a whole, the energy around the group and the enjoyment everyone had going away with each other was great. “Everyone there had a really positive mindset and represented themselves and their local clubs really well.” In both encounters on Friday, the Great Southern side led at half-time but were pipped at the post in each of the final halves. The narrow loss to Esperance left Great Southern needing a win from their final game but they were shell-shocked late against Hills after storming out to a three-goal advantage early. Brandon Ugle handed off to a trailing Steven Edwards for Great Southern’s first major score before Isaac Baum outmuscled his defender, poking through a goal from close range. When Graham Ross booted Great Southern’s third shortly after, it was quickly looking as if the result was sewn up. Ford missed a goal attempt and Zach Jackson couldn’t put through his effort but Hills were still 21 points behind. However, in the final five minutes of the half, Bradley Jetta soccered through his attempt and Riley Marriott capped a terrific bit of roving work with a goal to trim the margin back to nine points by the break. Edwards snapped truly from the boundary in the early stages of the second half before Ford’s dribble goal attempt narrowly missed the mark minutes later. Hills’ defensive 50 was peppered with several entries but Great Southern could not find the required conversion. That would prove costly as Hills delivered at the other end, goals to Steven Schorer and Jetta gave them all the momentum late and they found the game-sealing major through Josh Hullingham. With the clock ticking down, the ball fell to Hullingham in the square who snapped truly to ensure his side claimed a thrilling triumph at the final siren, 5.2 (32) to 4.6 (30). Logan Stubber found plenty of the ball through the middle along with Jayden Scott and Matt Orzel. Robbie Lee was damaging with pace while Mitch Jackson toiled hard in defence and Stephen Beal was once again solid in the ruck. Earlier in the day, Esperance gun Oakley Wallace slotted the first major of the opening game on Saturday before Ugle showed his aerial ability, marking from 20m out and converting. Scott sailed through Great Southern’s second a Despite plenty of entries sailing into the Esperance forward 50, Great Southern were left to count the costs of some squandered chances. Despite plenty of entries flying into the Esperance forward 50, Great Southern were left to count the costs of some squandered chances. Zach Jackson missed an opportunity on goal, Orzel rattled the post and Ross also put an effort wide of the mark. Beau Ewen jailed his set shot to extend the buffer to 16 points but that sprung Esperance back to life and they took a seven-point advantage into half-time. Rhys Wood clunked two big marks and converted the two chances in quick succession before Lachlan Stewart found the big sticks to help Esperance take the lead. Tyson Francis made sure of the result in the dying stages, bombing a long-range effort from right on the 50m mark to help his side prevail, 5.1 (31) to 3.6 (24). Lee was outstanding in a losing affair along with midfield bull Scott while Beal battled hard in the ruck and Mitch Jackson was composed in defence. The Great Southern lost David Stone to a hamstring injury for both Saturday games while Baum and Ford only played the contest against Hills because of their own niggling injury issues.