GSFL 2024: Royals’ roll of the dice on injured star Brock Higgins backfires in tough qualifying loss to Albany

Royals are licking their wounds after “rolling the dice” on injured star Brock Higgins in their qualifying final loss to Albany at Retravision Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Lions were disposed of in the second quarter as the Sharks booted seven straight goals with the heavy wind advantage to take a vital 10-point lead into the long break. Gun ruckman and boom recruit Higgins entered the Great Southern Football League fixture with hamstring concerns, and re-injured the troublesome muscle early in the first quarter. Higgins returned from the ground with a heavily strapped thigh late in the first quarter but was forced to return to the bench during the tough second quarter and failed to play any part after half-time. Lions coach Darrell Panizza said his side must move on quickly from the 16-point loss and focus on their preliminary final clash with a red-hot Mt Barker. “Look, we rolled the dice (on Higgins), it didn’t work and that’s all there is,” he said. “We were questioning a couple of things we did, but they’re the winners. “We have to go the long way around and we will have to go back and pick ourselves up and go again.” Higgins will miss the preliminary final and would be in serious doubt for a potential grand final appearance. Before the bounce the Lions made four changes, with Higgins, Darcy Reader, Michael McGlade and James Watters coming in for an injured Chandler Askevold-McDonald, while Mitch Lenegan, Jack Carlson and Daniel Archbold-Mortensen went out. The Lions started hot with five first-quarter goals while keeping the defending premiers scoreless, but Panizza said the match was lost in the Sharks’ second-quarter onslaught. “We kicked five in the first, they kicked seven in the second, end of game,” Panizza said. “It was the second quarter where they kicked seven. We couldn’t stop them and that’s the disappointing fact. “The Sharks won the game in the second quarter and the for rest of it, there wasn’t a lot to say.” Despite going down to the reigning premiers, Panizza said he couldn’t question his side’s effort and intent. “We got within nine points in the last quarter and had a couple of opportunities but we couldn’t get that last goal,” he said. “Michael McGlade and Corey Ward were very good, and I thought Ben Altus off the half-back, I thought he was exceptional. “The one thing we don’t have to question is the effort.”