RAILWAYS overcame a gallant Mt Barker at Tigerland on Saturday to win by 34 points and keep their premiership dream alive.
Joe McCormack, Callum Burgess and Jared Lane were all in the action early, while Bulls’ teenage sensation, Ben Saunders, bagged the first of his six goals for the day in the opening term.
The visitors led by four points at quarter time before Saunders put them further in front on the back of some good work in the midfield by Kim Lange and Peter Taylor.
Jared Lane then kicked two goals in a row to give the Tigers the lead midway through the second term. From that point on, the Tigers never looked back.
Zac Hortin goaled from a set shot and Nick Sas snapped truly to see Railways lead by 16 points, before Saunders kept the Bulls alive with a brilliant chase and goal before half time.
He followed that effort with another early in the third, while Tiger Nick Cramer slotted two of his own in the term.
Some late misses by the Bulls proved costly as Railways forwards Burgess and McCormack added another two to have a match-winning 26-point lead at the final change.
McCormack topped off a great day and ended the long goal drought by kicking his second late in the game, while Hortin also added to his tally in the final term.
The final score of Railways 14.11 (95) to Mt Barker 9.7 (61) ended the Bulls much-improved season, where they registered five wins.
“Well done on the season,” Bulls coach Merv Neagle told his team in the rooms after the game.
“You can be disappointed with the loss but not with the effort you put in.
“The young blokes will get better and our senior players were great today. Hold your heads up.”
Railways’ assistant coach Noel Hulm believes his side is a big chance to progress to the 2009 GSFL Grand Final after their win.
The Tigers cross Lockyer Avenue to play minor premiers Royals for a spot in the season decider this Sunday.
Hulm believes the Tigers have melded together well throughout the season.
“We are happy with the way we are travelling,” Hulm said.
“If we didn’t win the first semi-final (against Mt Barker) then I think we would have under-achieved, but now we have a chance to play for a spot in the grand final.”
Hulm admitted Railways were missing six of their better players, but believed this had helped the long-term progress of his young side.
“We have had a chance, with injuries to Graham Brenton, Kyle Flett and Scott Hillman, to fast-track some of our kids to league ranks and give them some experience at this level,” he said.
“Our guys who have played 50-plus league games are now the bunch that will hopefully progress us to the next level.”
Hulm was the assistant coach to Darrell Panizza during Royals’ golden era when they won six consecutive premierships from 1999-2004. He joined the Tigers this season under senior coach Rod Gillies.
Railways have lost all four games against Royals so far this season, but Hulm believes the result may be different this Sunday.
“We will definitely be more competitive this week and we will look to get one of our better sides on the ground, but we are pretty happy with where we are at,” he said.
Hulm would not be drawn on whether captain Scott Hillman would return from a knee injury, but his inclusion would be a huge boost to the Tigers who are searching for their first premiership since 1986.
Royals head into the game as slight favourites, but will be stinging from their loss to North Albany last week.
They will need to find the right formula if they are progress to their third straight grand final appearance and their ninth in 11 years under the guidance of master coach Panizza.
The Bulls’ Reserves were also tipped out by Railways, and in the Colts, an inaccurate Albany Sharks still won by 15 points over Railways.
The second semi-finals saw Royals’ Colts progress to the season decider with an 11-point win over North Albany while in the Reserves North Albany got home over Royals by a solitary point.
Players believed the game was a draw and headed for extra time before a scoreboard error revealed the Kangas had in fact won after coming from 11 points down at the final break.
- Daniel Wiseman.
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