GSFLW 2025: Royals push through to preliminary final with low-scoring win over Albany in elimination final

Royals kept their season alive and ended Albany’s after prevailing in a low-scoring Great Southern Football League Women’s elimination final on Saturday night at Retravision Stadium. The Lions were knocked out in last year’s elimination final while the Sharks went through to a grand final but lost to Mt Barker. After a stoppage heavy first half, the Lions kicked two goals to one in the second half to claim a 14-point win and progress to the preliminary final. The game got off to a slow start, with neither team scoring a goal in the first two quarters but the Sharks were kept scoreless as the Lions took a five-point advantage into the long break. Rachael Goetze and Georgia Brand held the Lions up in the third and fourth quarters, kicking a goal apiece with the Sharks still scoreless at three-quarter-time. Emily Lawrence proved to be the Sharks’ shining light, scoring a late goal but the Lions held on to win 2.8 (20) to 1.0 (6). Taylah Burt, Sophie Loveridge, Adelaide Crossing and Eva Carolan were influential for the Lions. The Sharks were best served by Tamika Coyne, Gillian Chan, Alethea Ball and Samantha Waltho. The Lions now face reigning premiers Mt Barker in the preliminary final after this year’s top team fell to Denmark-Walpole in Friday’s qualifying final. Meanwhile, the youth girls elimination final game had issues with numbers as Railways fielded only 17 players. But the Tigers ran out five-point winners, to keep their season alive for another week. The Lions scored a behind in the first term, the game’s only score until a final-quarter major from Hollie Jackman helped the Tigers progress 1.0 (6) to 0.1 (1). Ruby Lee, Maggie Stephens, Amber Morrison and Bella Chandler were strong in defeat for the Lions.