Sharks get teeth into that winning feeling

There could barely have been a madder “Mad Monday” than yesterday’s end-of-season celebration for the Albany Sharks.

After four winless seasons for 59 consecutive losses — and just a week after a 39-goal flogging — the Sharks chomped into an historic first league victory with an 82-point win over Mt Barker on Sunday.

The bodies strewn throughout the home of club president Geoff Oldfield yesterday morning was testament to the mighty feat, before festivities continued to wash away the club’s harsh statistical history.

Not once since AFL great Jason Akermanis played for the Sharks in their first Great Southern Football League seniors game in 2012 had they enjoyed the sweet taste of victory. Their average losing margin before Sunday’s win was 141 points, including a 242-point smashing by North Albany last year.

And even though the Sharks, who have played in lower grades since 2008, felt as though they were finally circling their first victim before the Mt Barker clash, they were cautious about getting ahead of themselves.

Mr Oldfield, also the game’s timekeeper, admitted that not even a 10-goal lead with just minutes to play had him banking the precious four premiership points.

“I still wasn’t convinced we were going to win. It was very surreal and that’s what losing too much does to you,” a still joyfully shell-shocked Mr Oldfield said yesterday after the win fuelled by full-forward Michael Bennell’s 11-goal haul.

“We’ve had some mighty floggings over the years. I mean serious floggings and it does their heads in. But there are a lot of players who have stuck with us and stuck with us and this could be the win that turns it all around.”

So long, in fact, that Sharks player Winston Twigg held aloft the words to the club song, which was belted out after the game. Singing, as in Geelong’s theme written by WA’s John K. Watts, that they were the “greatest team of all” may have been a bit rich. But it mattered little.

The result was a fitting reward for league coach Alan Smallwood, who had served as the club’s president for its first seven seasons.

Despite their unflattering part in the region’s football history, the vanquished Mt Barker players added a sportsmanship twist by forming a guard of honour as the Sharks chaired off Hamish Fuller, just the fourth player to rack up 100 club games.

“I was a bit dumbstruck about it all, but that overwhelmed me more than anything,” Mr Oldfield said. “Barker are suffering, too. They get it and understand what’s going on.”