Around The Leagues: Brisbane’s Kalin Lane pictured in Eagles colours, Sammy’s still going & Tom gets State nod

The Advertiser brings you Around The Leagues, taking a look at football stories of players and personalities from the Great Southern, Ongerup and Upper Great Southern regions. Big Kalin in Eagles colours?! Brisbane ruckman Kalin Lane was part of a photo attracting plenty of attention on social media this week but not in Lions colours. Lane, who hails from Great Southern Football League club Denmark-Walpole, is a 205cm project player for the Lions after being picked up in the mid-season draft in 2021. The 21-year-old is developing his craft in the VFL and has signed on with the club until of 2024. On Thursday, Triple M Footy posted a photo on Facebook about the possibility of a 20th AFL licence being issued, following news Tasmania is set to secure the 19th. However the photo used in the post was a fresh-faced Lane in West Coast Eagles colours, alongside friend Corey Draper in Fremantle gear. Around The Leagues contacted the big ruckman, who confirmed it was taken at a pre-season clash between the two WA clubs a few years ago. The Eagles have had their fair share of ruck problems this season and Lane’s services could have come in handy so far in 2023. For now, though, the big man remains firmly situated in sunny Queensland. Sammy’s still kicking Mt Barker stalwart Sam Lehmann surprisingly appeared in the reserves competition in the opening round of the Great Southern Football League. Bulls league coach Brad Hook said in the lead-up to the new season that Lehmann had indicated his time at league level was done and he would play some reserves during 2023. The 38-year-old has played more than 250 league games, been a long-time captain of the club and won the 2011 Kleemann Medal as the GSFL’s best player. He ran out in the Bulls reserves side against Royals in the season opener and kicked their only two goals in a 49-point loss. Although there has been no official retirement, Lehmann is keen to step back from league footy this season but his close association with Hook may mean the skilful left-footer might have a few more games left in him yet. The Bulls legend wasn’t the only big name to feature in the reserves in the first week. Former Fremantle player Brad Bootsma ran out with North Albany on Anzac Day. Bootsma, who played 23 AFL games with the Dockers, is the coach of the Kangas league team. The 50-year-old was a late addition to the Kangas reserves side on Tuesday playing up forward in his first game since 2021. Bootsma last played for Brookton-Pingelly and didn’t look like he had missed a beat with a couple of classy moments playing up forward. Their opponents, Railways, had former WAFL forward Doug Roberts running around. Roberts, who played more than 50 league games with Claremont, kicked two majors in the Tigers tense nine-point win. The 40-year-old kicked 40 goals in 10 games for the Tigers in 2021 and last year booted 18 majors from eight games to show he’s still got it. State call-up for Pingelly’s star midfielder Hard-working South Fremantle midfielder Tom Blechynden is again in the mix to pull on State colours. Blechynden was named in a 34-man WA squad on Monday as they prepare for a clash with South Australia for the Haydn Bunton Cup next month. Blechynden made the initial State squad last year but didn’t make the final team. The 23-year-old Brookton-Pingelly product is averaging 25 disposals in the first three rounds of the new WAFL season. WA will tackle SA at Adelaide Oval on May 19. Angus Dewar and Declan Mountford, from Ongerup and Great Southern respectively, made the initial squad last year and Dewar made the final cut but both were not named by selectors this year. Early upset as OFA premiers get beat Gnowangerup appear to have a fight on their hands to win a fourth straight Ongerup Football Association premiership. The Bulldogs have been a dominant force in the five-team OFA competition in recent years but the loss of several key players, including State Country midfielder Fraser House, is starting to tell. In the second round of the season Boxwood Hill were too good for the Bulldogs, winning by seven points after being behind at quarter-time. Jack Davis (four goals) and Michael Swarbrick (three) did the damage up front for the winners. In the other match, a bag of five majors from spearhead Chris Wollaston guided Newdegate to an emphatic 64-point win over Jerramungup. Four teams now have one win each after the first two rounds of the 2023 season. Top talent on show in PFL’s best colts division There is plenty of local colts playing in the Perth Football League this season. Max Baker, who was part of Albany Sharks grand final team in 2022, is playing top grade colts for West Coast. The speedster has played in the first two rounds for West Coast, who notched their first win of the Phil Scott Colts division on Saturday. Great Southern trio Ryan Lazar, Mohit Jaggi and Sebastian Ballard all made the final cut for Claremont colts this season, joining Ryley Valli, who has played in the early part of the WAFL season. Royals ball-winner Lazar has been in action for Scarborough and is getting close to breaking into Claremont’s team after being named as an emergency last week. Railways’ Jaggi is also playing for West Coast but has only featured in round one of the season so far while Ballard has played in the first two rounds for West Coast. Gnowangerup’s Jacob Hemley has played in the opening two rounds for Curtin Uni Wesley in the top division, as has Jerramungup talent Toby Brown. Got a footy story from our region to share? Email cameron.newbold@albanyadvertiser.com