GSFL Round 9: Dominant wins from Tigers & Bulls push them clear in top two while Kangas cause major upset

Railways piled on 14 second-half goals to record a dominant 86-point victory to close out NAIDOC round in the Great Southern Football League on Sunday. The Tigers took a half to shake off a persistent and improving Magpies outfit in the round nine fixture at Tigerland and the home side rallied to kick nine third quarter goals to put the game out of reach. An outstanding individual performance from Tigers star Matt Palfrey set the tone for the Tigers’ win, with the midfield-forward kicking for goal accurately while dominating for large passages through the midfield. Palfrey had three goals at half time and added three more in the second half to finish with a terrific bag of six goals to lead the Tigers to a big win, 24.11 (155) to 10.9 (69), over the tiring Magpies. The home side celebrated debutant Isaac Williams kicking his first league goal early in the first quarter and Palfrey added two more before Joel Want and Logan Stubber chipped in with one apiece to help open up a 24-point margin at the first change. Jake Hunter, Jayden Scott and Palfrey booted goals early in the second term for the Tigers but the Magpies hit back strongly, kicking four consecutive Magpies goals courtesy of two from Cody Kerr and singles to Tyler Stone and Aaron Wheeler which trimmed the margin to a slender 12 points. But Want and Palfrey bobbed up late in the term to kick a goal each, giving the reigning premiers a 29-point buffer at the long break. Magpies player-coach Brad Nisbett was on the receiving end of a sickening collision with teammate Jarrod Brack on the wing and was helped from the ground, taking no further part in the game. Scott was yellow carded at the beginning of the third quarter for rough conduct against Magpies’ Bailey Bennett but it didn’t stop the Tigers’ onslaught after half time. The home side exploded in the third term with Palfrey contributing three of the home side’s nine goals for the quarter as they surged to a commanding 71-point advantage. The Tigers kicked five majors in the final stanza as they cruised to their seventh win of the season, remaining in top spot with their superior percentage over Mt Barker. Palfrey was best afield while hard nosed midfielder Ryan Davies offered plenty of support in winning possession and producing one-percenters. Logan Stubber was impressive alongside Joel Want and Fraser Grant while Williams kicked three goals in a lively first game. Veteran midfielder Ryan Gaerth was the stand-out for the Magpies, gathering plenty of possessions while driving his team forward through the middle of the ground. Rebounding defender Barry Roberts gave the opposition plenty to think about alongside a lively Leighton Rogers for the visitors while Kerr, Stone and Tyrone Kennedy were the multiple goal kickers. North Albany produced a spirited performance to notch their second win of the season, a six-goal haul from Graham Ross helping fire them to an upset 11-point victory over the Royals at Retravision Stadium on Saturday. The result snapped a six-game losing streak for the Kangas, their last win coming in round two against the Magpies. Despite the Lions going up 21 points at the first change, the Kangas bounced back to kick 11 goals in the remaining three quarters on their way to an unlikely 12.11 (83) to to 10.12 (72) victory. Goals from Seb Stanton, Ryan Lazar and Stephen Beal had the Lions in a dominant position early in the contest but Ross sparked his side in the second term, booting four goals to bring his side within 10 points at half time. Ross emerged again at the start of the third quarter to kick the first goal of the term before Nathan Crudeli found the chest of Drew Willcocks shortly after, and he made no mistake to put the Kangas up by two points. Lions’ Ryan Kinnear answered back however, snapping a goal to give his side a four-point advantage in the see-sawing affair but the two sides went into the final change with scores level. The home side hit the front again after Ryan Lazar kicked truly but the midfield work of youngsters Kobi Keen and Fynn Kelleher-Bird paid dividends as Kelleher-Bird nailed a short pass to find Ross. Ross slotted his sixth major to level scores again and with the game on the line the Kangas midfield went up a gear, moving the ball from defence to attack swiftly. Keen marked once again in attack before finding the chest of a leading Jyrin Woods and he converted perfectly. Youngster Callum Dixon made it hard for the Lions as he pushed the Kangas’ lead to 13 points with five minutes left to play. Kinnear slotted his second to give the Lions a sniff but Woods capped a stellar day as he sealed the triumph with the final goal. Ross was the catalyst for the Kangas’ win while silky midfielders Crudeli and Woods (three goals) were instrumental in pushing the visitors forward. Keen and Kelleher-Bird complemented each other, hitting leading targets in their forward line several times while Jonathan Hegney gathered plenty of the ball across half-forward. Captain Regan Lloyd cut a composed figure in defence for the Kangas’ all afternoon, using the ball well while directing his troops. The Lions were best served by the clean ball-use of David Parker and Kinnear, who both toiled hard in their side’s fourth straight defeat. Ryan Lazar led the way up front with three majors for the home side while Stephen Beal chipped in with two. Mt Barker stormed to a fifth straight win after defeating Albany at Sounness Park on Saturday, strengthening their claims on a top two finish. The Bulls opened up a sizeable advantage in the opening half and withstood a strong final quarter fightback from the Sharks to emerge 45-point winners in the NAIDOC round. Bulls’ Joel Gray and Sharks’ Fraser Eaton were awarded NAIDOC footballs, judged their side’s best players by the umpires. Nathan Krakouer kicked the first and last goals of the first quarter to give the Bulls a fast start at home. The game was stopped in the early minutes after a heavy collision between Sharks’ Cameron Jones and Bulls’ Lincoln East. East was left bloodied and dazed and was taken to hospital while Jones returned to the field. The Bulls 14-point lead was extended in the second term but it came after soaking up some terrific pressure from the Sharks which led to full forward Matt Martin booting two majors. The Bulls conceded two goals in the second but kicked five of their own as Josh Price came to life up forward, Krakouer added a third and when Rhys Hogg streamed inside 50 and launched a long range goal it was the Bulls with all the momentum. Ruckman David Stone gave wonderful service to his midfield of Gray, Zach Jackson, Scott Price and Hogg as the Bulls went into half time up by 32 points. The third term belonged to the Bulls as they again were rewarded for their midfield dominance, kicking six goals to two to effectively end the contest. The margin ballooned to 58 points by three quarter time and despite the Sharks winning the final term, the home side careered away to a seventh win of the season 16.19 (115) to 10.10 (70). Gray was brilliant for the winners winning a stack of clearances and kicking a third quarter goal while Krakouer finished with four majors and was well supported by Sam Lehmann (three goals) and Josh Price (three). Zach Jackson was a strong contributor in the first half and kicked two majors while Hogg, Stone and defender Brent Parsons also stood out. The Sharks were best served by Eaton and fellow midfielder Isaac Baum while defenders Jaxon Liddelow and Kieran Zilm battled bravely against a swarm of inside 50s. Matt Martin had his best return in front of goals with a game-high five majors while Connor McCandless and Robbie Lee also tried valiantly in defeat. Bulls’ Steven Scott was red carded and reported in the final term for attempting to trip an opponent and accepted a reprimand for the offence.