Great Northern Football League: Young players make their mark in league ranks

It’s been a rocky start to the Great Northern Football League with the uncertainty and financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but amidst the disruption to the season there is excitement around young players making their mark. Railways Football Club coach Karl Pirrottina said he thought the conditions imposed by the virus had been a blessing for the team, allowing them to give youngsters a shot. “It’s pretty common up here to see teams bring a few quality players up from Perth,” he said. “We would have been in the same boat but, due to the impact of COVID-19, we haven’t been able to.” Unable to pay to bring up metro talent, Railways have been relying on local players to step up. “I think playing just with our local guys has been an advantage of sorts,” he said. “The group has been training and playing well together, and we’ve had the opportunity to get some experience behind the younger kids.” Railways defeated Towns on Saturday 13.15 (93) to 5.4 (34) to go the top of the table. “It was a great game,” Pirrottina said. “We could have done better with the 28 scoring opportunities, but from the second quarter we were playing some really good footy.” Towns coach Dale Baynes agreed this season was giving young players a chance. “We’ve lost quite a few senior players due to various reasons, and because of that we’ve had to look down to our younger players who really are stepping up,” he said. “It’s a positive for our future as a club, getting some league experience into their history.” He singled out 16-year-old Lachie Morphew, who was the team’s second-best player on his league debut in the ruck. “Lachie went really well,” he said. “Despite the loss, seeing him thrive on the field for his first game was a real positive for the team.”