GSFL 2023: Albany bounce back from quarter-time deficit to charge to 78-point win over Denmark-Walpole

Albany have cemented a top-two finish in the Great Southern Football League after an emphatic 78-point victory against Denmark-Walpole at McLean Park on Saturday. The Sharks sit in second spot, equal on points with top side Railways, and are 18 points clear of the third placed Royals with four games left in the home-and-away season. The Magpies crept out to an unlikely quarter-time lead but were well beaten from that point on, outscored 13 goals to one over the remaining three quarters. Sharks talisman Brett Peake returned from a serious ankle injury to give his side a considerable boost and the visitors also handed debuts to three young players. Max Grimes, Charlie Anning and Cooper Sandy all featured for the Sharks’ league side for the first time in the 15.11 (101) to 3.5 (23) result. Sharks coach Jamie Ramm praised the efforts of a valiant Magpies outfit who continue to battle senior player issues. “I thought Denmark were really good — it’s really hard work when you’re in their situation and we’ve been there in the past,” he said. “The effort they showed throughout the game and right up until the end was good to see.” Ramm also praised the performance of his trio of first-game players. “It’s great to see the young guys come up through your club and your grades all the way up to playing a league game, and I thought they all played really well,” he said. Bryce Blaszkow snapped two majors in the first term but goals by Bradley Cochrane and Evan Delbene ensured the Magpies went into the first break two points ahead. Early in the second quarter, Peake jailed his first goal of the afternoon and set Zac Pearson up in the goal square for another simple conversion. Robbie Lee found plenty of success on the wing and he slammed through a goal on the run before key forward Tobyn Lowry also got in on the action to help open a 27-point lead at half-time. The Magpies, despite battling hard against the odds, were beginning to lose the midfield battle, and the Sharks piled on goals through Lee, Aidan Clark and Lowry before Daniel Rowling stemmed the flow for the home side. However, that would be their last major score as the Sharks skipped further ahead in the final term, with Connor McCandless kicking three of the last six majors. Peake put the icing on the cake in the dying stages to finish with three goals and the Sharks coasted to their 10th win of 2023. Lee and Blaszkow were outstanding along with Peake,who returned to the side without losing a step, while Cameron Jones controlled the tempo from half-back and David Arthur showed plenty of poise in the second half. For the home side, Reagan Hutchinson was brave breaking lines in defence, Tyrone Kennedy and Tyler Stone provided great targets through the middle of the ground, and Noah Madaffari also had his moments. Magpies coach Brad Nisbett was happy with the sustained endeavour from his players in an otherwise disappointing affair. “The first three quarters were pretty good, to be honest, right up until the last quarter where we kind of got blown out,” he said. “The guys became really fatigued as the game wore on but it was a pleasing effort and we managed to stick with them for most of the game. “We had to call upon some guys from the (reserves) to double up again but the main thing is we managed to field 22 players, which is always a positive at this point.”