Squad continuity looms as key cog in Great Southern Storm’s pursuit of Great Southern Colts Carnival title

Great Southern Storm coach Darrell Panizza believes his side boasts a more mature squad built on strong relationships and continuity and is ready for another Great Southern Colts Carnival title tilt in Kulin this weekend. The Storm will be stacked with Great Southern Football League talent in the eight-team tournament, and are eager to recapture their 2022 title-winning form. After sending a younger and more inexperienced team to the carnival last year, Panizza said his exciting side can go the distance. “We have got some really good talent coming away, we will be a very fast side, and ball movement will be the underpinning thing for us and if we can do that really well, I think we should go OK,” he said. “We would be thinking we’re going there with more of a conscious effort of trying to win the carnival rather than going there as educational. “We probably could be a year off of winning the carnival again, but you don’t go to carnivals with the idea you’re not going to win.” The Storm will be without star ball winner Ryan Lazar, emerging key forward Brock Lathbury and leader Gus Bockman in a blow to their hopes. Bockman has an injured ankle while Lazar, who has come back from a stint with Claremont in the WAFL, and Lathbury are unavailable. Tarik Hartfield (concussion) and Hugh Beaton (ankle) are other key names who will all take no part in the carnival. The Storm have a 30-strong squad, five of those will be loaned to the Ongerup Football Association to top up their numbers and serve as Great Southern emergencies if required. Many of the travelling players have had experience in the senior GSFL grades this season with 17 playing league football for their respective clubs at some stage this season. Royals have the highest representation in the squad with nine players while Railways have six with co-captains Caleb Haua and Jordan Hulm to lead the side. Panizza, a highly experienced coach and WA Football Commission life member, said his blossoming side will benefit from the experience gained at last year’s tournament. “We took a number of younger boys last year and those younger boys now are a year older,” he said. “The whole matrix of the group this year is changed to being a bit older. “The idea of last year was to take these kids away so that we’ve got a bit of continuity through the group but most of the kids have experienced the carnival. “A lot of the boys have been through the Storm program, so we do have that connection.” The Storm will play three qualifying games on Saturday to determine what final they play in on Sunday. Their first match on Saturday is against Lower South West before facing Ongerup and then last year’s grand finalists Goldfields. The grand final of the historic two-day carnival will start at 12.30pm on Sunday. Great Southern Storm Team Shane Ugle, Mitchell Paine, Cleve Humphries, Jordan Hulm (Captain), Joley Graham, Kaizan Beeck, Teague Valli, Jaiden Mole, Brock Zambonetti (Royals), Milan Jaggi, Ben Michael, Caleb Haua (Captain), Tom Geddes, Flynn Jackman, Trent Herbert (Railways), Kaleb Germain, Harvey Taylor, Evan Delbene, Declan Reid (Albany), Marlon Mastalerz, Jed Schwarzbach, Charlie Benson (Denmark-Walpole), Jared Ballard, Ben Steers, Cam Walsh, Adam Large, Brock Pearce, Jarrod Pearce (Mt Barker), Fynn Kelleher-Bird, Henry Smith (North Albany)