Former AFL player Brett Peake stars with five goals to help Sharks edge closer to maiden finals appearance

A vintage performance from ex-AFL player Brett Peake has helped Albany overcome a second-half scare against North Albany on Saturday and edge closer to their first-ever finals appearance in the Great Southern Football League. Peake was superb in pivotal moments for the Sharks, booting four goals in the second and then the visitors’ only major of the third as the Kangas came storming back into the contest. A six-goal second term had the Sharks in command at half-time but a spirited Kangas hauled themselves back into the contest after the long break. Jeff Fitzpatrick booted two goals while majors to Rhori Williams-Jolley, Grant Freeborough and Jyrin Woods helped the Kangas trail by 16 points at the last change. Woods snapped his second early in the fourth quarter to cut the margin to single figures but the Sharks held their nerve as the poise of Peake, Cameron Jones and Robbie Lee around the ball helped them prevail by 28 points. Key forward Matt Galantino added his fourth and two great finishes from young speedster Max Baker was enough for the Sharks to record their fifth win of the season, 13.12 (90) to 9.8 (62). The win came without star recruit Morgan Davies playing and they were then reduced to 17 players for 15 minutes when Luke Mowaljarlai Jr received his second yellow card nearing half-time. He was sent off in the first for a sling tackle and then got a second yellow for rough conduct. Sharks coach Jamie Ramm said it was the second week in a row his side have stepped up to a significant challenge. “We’ve been challenged in the last two weeks and responded,” Ramm said. “Our first half was really good and to their credit North reversed that for a quarter-and-a-half but then our young guys got going in the last. We have to win another game, we don’t want to just fall into the finals.” The Sharks moved two games clear in fourth spot with three rounds left in the regular season but face Royals, Mt Barker and Railways in the run home. Lee was everywhere in the middle of the ground, ruckman Dane Holdman was a telling figure all afternoon, and young pair Flynn Breuker and Rohan Williams also played well. Heath Ravenhill was a shining light for the Kangas in the midfield and his team was also well served by Mitch Lenegan, Fitzpatrick and Nathan Crudeli. Woods also got a yellow card for a sling tackle in the first term and Harry Smith received a yellow card for rough conduct in an incident with Mowaljarlai Jr. “In the first half, they capitalised on our mistakes,” Kangas coach Leigh Hislop said. “We spoke at half-time about mindset and how we can respond and if not for a couple of easy goals missed in the last quarter, we could have been in front. “Given our young group, it’s good to take some positives out of a loss.”