GSFL OPINION: North Albany on the right track under the guidance of one of the best coaches in country footy

North Albany have been a highly successful team since the inception of the Great Southern Football League but right now their club are in a transitional phase. The Kangas won five successive league premierships from 2014-2018 but things have certainly changed since then at Collingwood Park. After really struggling in 2021, the club brought back premiership coach Brad Bootsma and he had to content with a high turnover of players. Finishing wooden spooners last year with two wins to their name, Bootsma vowed his team would be more competitive in 2022 despite very few big-name inclusions. Bootsma has shown why he is still one of the best country football coaches in WA with the Kangas displaying steady signs of improvement this season. As we enter round 10 the Kangas are still in the hunt for a top four spot and they will be buoyed by an upset win over Royals in their most recent outing. What is also telling is the fact the Kangas have an average losing margin of 25 points across this year. Coming into this season it was difficult to predict what the Kangas would be capable of but I certainly didn’t think they would be this competitive. They are long shots to play finals and this weekend’s clash with Mt Barker is pivotal, given they need to pinch a couple more against higher ranked opposition. But finals or not, this year is already a big tick under Bootsma. He has brought back a hunger to improve and installed a game plan that his players are responding to. The Kangas side currently is void of some real senior talent that they have had in the past decade but Bootsma has worked on a system, got his players fit and their results have been far from horrible. Their biggest loss was in round eight when going down to Albany by 40 points while in a couple of matches the Kangas have been storming home over opposition in the final quarter. The highlights have been their two wins, downing Denmark-Walpole by 30 points in round two and then the 11-point triumph over the Lions in round nine. Alec Haskins returning has been important, the move to play veteran Graham Ross solely in attack has been a masterstroke and they have put their faith in a group of younger colts and reserves players coming through. Kobi Keen and Kiya Jellay have played consistent league footy and Lucas Ravenhill is one out of the box. There has always been plenty of respect for Bootsma in footy circles, especially in this region, mainly through his on-field performances and that run of flag success. However, this season he has showed a different string to his bow, the ability to work through difficultly and develop and improve a senior squad that is lacking top-end talent. The Kangas are unlikely to play finals but it is hard to see them falling away and becoming uncompetitive in their final six games – that is just not in Bootsma’s DNA. Clubs always want to stay at the top, play in grand finals and win premierships but the reality is it can’t happen forever no matter what competition you play in. It is certainly not all doom and gloom for the Kangas and Bootsma is absolutely the right man to take them back up the ladder.