GSFL 2024: Gritty Railways fall short in tense, bruising finals-like clash with reigning premiers Albany

Perseverance in the dying moments of Sunday’s blockbuster helped Albany outlast last year’s grand final rivals Railways, according to Sharks coach Jamie Ramm after a six-point result. The Sharks secured the minor premiership, and in the process knocked Railways out of the top two after an enthralling battle in round 14 of the Great Southern Football League on Sunday. Despite trailing at the final change, the Sharks guaranteed top spot and hosting rights for the second semifinal with a win over the Tigers at Retravision Stadium after kicking four majors in the last quarter with the game on the line. “I suppose the win just came down to that last quarter,” Ramm said. “It was a good finals lockdown and we were lucky enough to be in front at the end. “They (Tigers) played really well and it was a solid game of footy, so it was just down to perseverance.” Little separated the two sides throughout the four quarters but the Tigers gave their opponents too much space in the final stanza as their shrewd energy started to flag and ball movement went astray. A goal from Isaac Baum was matched quickly by one from Tigers’ Matt France, but successive majors from George Brockman, Taj Williams and Harry Hordacre pushed the home side in front heading into the final 10 minutes. A 50m penalty gifted to the Tigers’ Haydn Sproxton reduced the deficit to six points and his side went forward several times in the final minutes, but the gritty Sharks’ defence hung on, 9.10 (64) to 9.4 (58). In a low-scoring affair, the margin never blew out as the Tigers chased a fifth straight win and led at quarter-time and three-quarter-time. An action-rich but score-poor first quarter had the teams at constant loggerheads, in a midfield slog before Joel Want broke the scoring drought first, a major returned swiftly by Zac Pearson. A goal scored after the siren by player-coach Bodhi Stubber had Tigers up by five points at the first break. Brock Anning converted almost immediately in the second term before a scuffle broke out on the boundary line between hard nuts Jayden Scott and Marlin Bennett. Some behinds, and then Brett Peake’s first major of the game, got the home side back in front by half-time. The Tigers came out with renewed vigour in the third. An early back-and-forth resulted in goals from Mohit Jaggi and star Shark Baum, before the Tigers got moving and scored three straight majors from Ryan Davies, Scott and Joel Want. Sharks ruckman Bailey Taylor made himself useful and took some telling marks all across the field, and a last-minute goal from George Bockman got his side within one kick at the last change. Baum (two goals) and Aiden Clark were outstanding for Sharks in their 12th win of the season, while Bryce Blaszkow, Bennett and Hordacre also stood tall, and George Bockman finished with two majors. Tigers’ loss of Jaxon Lombardini to a broken nose and Kane Shepherd to a busted lip were made up for by stellar performances from Stubber, Want (two goals), France, Ryley Valli and Ryan Davies (two goals). Tigers player-coach Stubber said despite their loss, the game was “all (he) could ask for from the boys”. “It was a really good team effort,” he said. “At the end of the day, we probably just needed to kick one more goal in the third quarter, and that’s probably the difference. “I was very happy — it was a good game to play and for the spectators to watch.”