Country Championships: Great Southern Storm battle hard but fall short in playoff, South West claim title

The Great Southern Storm failed to notch a win on the final day, finishing in sixth place overall in the CBH Group Colts division of the Nutrien Ag Solutions Country Football Championships at Ross McLarty Oval in Pinjarra on Friday. The Storm were brushed aside by eventual champions South West in their last qualifying game before losing their fifth and sixth place playoff to Regional Districts later in the day. In an anticlimactic day of football for the representative Great Southern Football League side, a 53-point loss to South West cemented the Storm in third place in Pool A, finishing with one win and two losses. Regional Districts, who finished third in Pool B, were too strong in the playoff clash against the Storm as they cruised to a 33-point win. With a massive task on their hands in their third game of the carnival, it didn’t take long for a physically impressive South West side to impose their will over the Storm. The Storm side had to withstand plenty of pressure early with South West kicking four goals in a rampant first half. South West gun Ryan Babich snapped the last two goals of the first period in quick succession as the Storm stumbled to a 29-point deficit at half-time. Fraser Gilchrist added more scoring pressure with a goal straight after the long break before Babich slotted his third from a set shot 40m out. Two goals to Angus McDonald and one to Peter Woods ensured the South West ran out big winners, 9.6 (60) to 1.1 (7). Kobi Keen provided most of the grunt work through midfield while Lucas Ravenhill toiled hard in the ruck all game. Tait Hartfield and Aiden Clarke also showed poise under immense pressure in defence. That result left them waiting for the outcome of the two remaining Pool B games. Kimberley Spirit defeated Great Northern and Regional Districts pushed past Avon with both sides locked on equal points. Regional Districts couldn’t make up for the percentage gap on Kimberley Spirit, setting up the playoff with the Storm. The Storm had some early inside-50 entries but found trouble locking it in or forcing any stoppages. Ollie Moeauri kicked a terrific opening major on the run from 40m out and Kailen Leahy had another just before the break to help his side out to a 15-point buffer. Blake Panizza breathed some much-needed life into a stagnant Storm side after half-time, jailing a bomb from 45m out from a free kick. However, that joy was short-lived as Regional Districts caught fire. Memphis Mayers shrugged a tackle and snapped truly, and converted another set shot minutes later before a long-range effort from Leahy went over everyone’s head and dribbled through. Jake Tucker put the icing on the cake with the last goal to help his side to a comfortable 6.4 (40) to 1.1 (7) victory. Keen once again showed a captain’s fight, gathering plenty of the ball and tackling hard along with Lachlan Cale while Hartfield and Fynn Kelleher-Bird tried hard in a difficult match-up. South West won a thrilling grand final clash against Great Northern to claim the colts title, edging them out by a point, 2.7 (19) to 2.6 (18). It was a thrilling final minutes but South West clung on to win their first title since 2019.