Category: Sport

ALBANY Soapbox Club has offered to buy back soapbox racers from their owners as a shortage of the motorless vehicles threatens to dampen the start of the racing season.

Club President Larry Puls said the group, set to convene for its first meet of the year this Sunday, was “struggling” with the amount of soapboxes available for its members.

“In 2012, when we celebrated our 50th anniversary, there were 54 soapboxes at the championships and 28 of those were from Albany,” he said.

“Now we have nine of those left and 13 soapboxes all up. They’re something the Club really needs to have on display to show and teach newcomers about the sport.”

Soapboxes are typically made from aluminium or fibreglass and use gravity to propel down the racetrack, reaching speeds of between 80km/h and 100km/h.

The Australian National Soapbox Championships are held on Mount Clarence in Albany each year, with this year’s rendition taking place on April 11.

“Part of the reason we’re starting up registrations a little bit earlier than usual is the soapbox shortage,” Mr Puls said.

“Drivers need to have done three races before they can qualify to race in the championships.”

Mr Puls urged anyone with a soapbox “lying around in the shed or backyard” to consider selling it to the Club.

He also called on those aged six to 17 and curious about soapbox racing to sign up at the February 16 meet.

“It’s a different sport, it’s a fun sport,” Mr Puls said.

“It’s a sport where you don’t have to be athletic or know how to kick a ball, you just put your bum in a box and let gravity do the rest.”

Mr Puls can be contacted on 0439 395 860 or via email at [email protected]

CRICKET finally returned on Saturday after a long holiday hiatus and it showed, with a number of rusty performances but the usual suspects dominating.

Railways took on Denmark, who would want to forget 2019, losing the opening 10 games, and with zero points to show for the season thus far, what had they to lose?

And that is the attitude they came with after Railways won the toss and elected to bat – the score was soon 2-10 with both openers sent packing early.

The wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals with Railways 8/90 at one stage and looking like being dismissed for under triple figures.

But everywhere man Nathan Crudeli picked up exactly where he had left off before the break, smashing 73 off only 68 balls including three towering sixes.

He found a valuable ally in number 10 batsman Simon Harvey who made 17 runs and when Crudeli was last man out in the 38th over, Railways had managed to scramble to a competitive 147.

Bradley Stewart led the bowling attack with 3/37 while Graeme King, Aden Montague and Ben Attrill all took a couple of scalps.

Denmark started brightly and were 1/44 with opener Daniel Robson dominating proceedings and it looked like the Magpies would clock up their first win of the season.

But once Robson departed for a well-compiled 40, the flaky Denmark line-up collapsed to be all out for 101 in the 44th over, with Jarrad Fuller finishing with the amazing figures of 3/8 off 4.4 overs.

Over on Turf E, Collingwood Park won the toss and batted first and clearly their top-order had been working hard in the nets as they all had solid scores with the side finishing on 9/210 off their 50 overs.

The hard-hitting Nathan Dover, averaging more than 50 this season, smashed 76, Leroy Van Dan Dool was stumped on 48 and Nick Barrow made 37.

For Manypeaks, Paul ‘Burner’ Donaldson took 5/27 but the other bowlers, perhaps enjoying the festive break a little too much, rarely troubled the Parks’ batsmen.

Swashbuckling captain Aran Tilbury, in his eight games this season (when not in Bali), either makes a score in the teens or the forties but unfortunately is was the former this game as he was first out for 14.

The only bastman to make an impression was wicketkeeper Sebastian Stanton with 75 and the Peaks’ tail failed to wag and they were all out for 193 to lose only their second game of the year.

For the bowling side, Mathew Heberle was im- pressive with 4/35.

In the final game, an improving Mt Barker won their third game of the year, defeating Royals by 27 runs.

Opener Alexander Fergie held his wicket finishing with 77 not out, well supported by Clayton Wood with 53 not out.

Royals batted through their 50 overs but could not put the disciplined Barker bowling attack away, finishing with 9/163.

IT WAS a simple Facebook post that kick-started the formation of one of the Great Southern Football League Women’s competition’s newest footy teams.

Personal trainer Amber Jeeves, eager to get on the field for the 2020 season, put out a call for like-minded women late last year and was surprised to find herself inundated with recruits.

Mere months later, players for the Denmark-Walpole Magpies women’s team are gearing up to play their first official match against Albany Sharks at Centennial Oval tomorrow night.

“I was super keen to get a women’s team up and running for Denmark-Walpole and it was great to have so many want to play,” Jeeves said.

“We’ve had heaps of training sessions and a couple of scratch matches and it has been great fun, but we can’t wait for the season to start.”

Since its formation, the team’s inaugural coach Jodie Hickey has been joined by assistant coaches Carl Heslop and Kelly Judd.

Mr Heslop said he had seen “impressive development” among both footballers and coaches over the pre-season.

The Magpies now form part of the pre-existing Denmark-Walpole Football Club (DWFC), which previously only had a men’s team in the GSFL.

DWFC President Kim Barrow said there was no hesitation welcoming the women’s team.

“Football is a part of the fabric of our community and a women’s team provides an opportunity for wider engagement, and obviously an opportunity for women to play and develop as footballers,” he said.

“It provides a pathway to the AFLW and hopefully we’ll see someone from Denmark Walpole drafted in the coming years.

“It is an exciting time for the club and we are looking forward to seeing the women’s team in action.”

The Magpies’ first home game against Mount Barker Bulls at McLean Oval on February 7 will function as a fundraiser for bushfire relief.

Entry to the match at 7:15pm will be by gold coin donation with all proceeds going to the Red Cross Bush Fire Appeal

KATANNING speedway star Kye Blight dominated rounds three and four of the USA Invasion Late Model Tour at Albany Speedway Club’s Attwell Park on the weekend.

Having won the National Title last weekend, Blight would go on to claim all four of his heats and both features in which he lapped every car except his fellow podium place getters.

Courtesy of his two wins, Blight started the 40-lap final from pole and when they went green, used the clear track to set his fastest lap of the race and build a lead.

The field would be bought back under yel-lows a couple of times over the first part of the race with the last 27 laps running without a stoppage.

Over these laps Blight would decimate his opposition, passing the field with ease on his way to winning by more than 11 seconds.

During the feature, local hope Aydan Trewern started seventh and was on track for his best result in the Late Model, getting as high as third.

With about five laps to go the car started to ever so slightly smoke and, as he went to take the white flag, headed infield to retire from fourth.

The team decided to not risk the engine and do a full investigation and would sit the Sunday night out.

As everyone headed to the track for round four of the Invasion Tour, the question everyone was asking was; can Blight be stopped?

Just like the previous night, current Western Australian champion Brent Vosbergen won both of his races to share the front row with Blight.

The start of this 40-lap final would go slightly different to the previous night with Blight and Vosbergen making contact in turn two with Vosbergen slipping back to fifth while Blight pulled away from American Joe Godsey.

By lap six Vosbergen had climbed back to third and would sit there behind Godsey until lap 25 with the pair trading places over the next five laps until Vosbergen broke clear.

With 17 of the 18 cars who started the night making it onto the track for the feature, there was plenty of action across the track and back mark- ers for Blight to contend with, which he did with ease once again.

Blight would cross the line by more than 11 seconds again in a race that went from green to checkers without a stoppage to claim his sixth feature win in a row from Vosbergen and Godsey.

At the end of the four rounds, Blight had amassed 471 points which is just three off the maximum available across the series to take the title by 40 points from Warren Oldfield and Godsey.

Across the two nights the Junior and Senior Formula 125’s had valuable track time ahead of their state title next month with current junior state champion Jasmin Ellis taking the win while in the seniors Sam Jewell (Saturday) and Nathen Tester (Sunday) claimed the wins.

THE Albany Open Tennis Championships held over the weekend at the Emu Point Tennis Club served up one of the most amazing finishes ever seen.

The winning team were well behind the leaders after two rounds however, such was the format that a big win can turn things around in the blink of an eye, and that’s exactly what happened.

Lawley Park duo Sam Graham and Nelson Stanborough went into their final round robin match against Craig Doney and Chris Wright needing a cricket score to overturn a big deficit to make the final, and they did so with a resounding 9-4 victory.

The final against the undefeated team of Eric Rae and Geoff Stade was a classic that went down to the wire with Graham and Stanborough sneaking home 6-5 to take the title.

In their victory speech it was suggested that maybe they had ‘done a Bradbury’, in reference to Olympic hero Steven Bradbury who simply sat back and waited for the leaders to make a mistake or two.

A Grade Women’s Doubles winners Clare King and Alexandra Riggall have no doubt heard of their father John Pugh’s tennis exploits that has inspired them to play a brand of tennis which has now netted them consecutive Albany Open titles.

Going through the day undefeated, King and Riggall won the final convincingly against Annette Cake and Diane Cook 9-1.

In the Women’s B Grade final, the pairing of Bec Jefferis and Lynda James proved too strong for Ala Wrobel and Fran Stamp with a hard fought 7-3 victory.

John Pugh made it through to the Men’s B Grade Doubles final with Greg Cook where they took on youngsters Michael Swarbrick and Luke Bairstowe.

Despite a brave showing from two of the region’s elder sporting statesmen, they were no match for Swarbrick and Bairstowe who took the match and title 9-3.

Mixed Doubles has a way of testing friendships, relationships and marriages alike and in the case of Clare and Travis King it was oh so close to a potential second honeymoon for the two.

Mixed Doubles specialist Richard Piggott and Hermiene Tyler reversed a 5-6 round robin loss to the Kings with a thrilling 6-5 win in the final of the A Grade in a high-quality match in difficult conditions.

Despite a strong afternoon sea breeze that tested even the most seasoned campaigners, it produced some brilliant tennis and the B Grade final was just as enthralling.

Youngster Mackenzie Thompson carried her father Paul through to a nail biting 5-4 win against Michelle Cook and Greg ‘Duck’ Hill who finished on top of the table after the round robin stage.

Shot of the tournament goes to Kazim Khap, a regular at the Albany Open, for a ‘tweener’ (between the legs) winner that Roger F would have been proud of.

Outstanding Kazim.

Thanks go to Club Curator Ian MacMillan for preparing the courts for not only the Open but throughout the season.