GSSA 2025: Albany Caledonian leave rivals reeling after claiming three league titles in end-of-season washout

A washed-out end to the season did not stop Albany Caledonian waltzing to three Great Southern Soccer Association league titles with the women, senior men and reserves all topping the ladders in their respective competitions. The sides will receive their trophies at the GSSA’s presentation night on October 11. The senior women ended the campaign with a league and cup double, completing the regular season undefeated and finishing 16 points clear of nearest rivals Denmark. It was to Denmark that they dropped their only points, a 1-1 draw the sole blemish in a campaign dominated by striker Libby Morris who bagged 30 goals. They will hope to go from strength to strength as the women’s league prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2026. The Calies’ senior men finished six points clear of Phoenix. They lost two games during the campaign, going down to Polonia and Rovers when the title was already won. They finished the league season one game short because their contest with basement side Bayswater was abandoned due to the torrential rain and high winds which wiped out most of the fixtures scheduled for September 6. Matches left unfinished by the storms could not be completed, said GSSA vice-president Ben Harris. “We hadn’t had the ability to replay them because we have to hand the grounds over to cricket,” he said. “It is a shame for anyone chasing golden boot awards but I guess soccer is more about the team than individual honours and the cancellations have not affected the league winners. “We had a shortened season because of the timings of Easter, Anzac Day and school holidays so we have lost four weeks overall and that has affected our ability to rearrange fixtures.” Calies finished five points clear of Phoenix to take the men’s reserves title but the women’s reserves silverware went to Phoenix who ended up nine points ahead of Denmark Rezzies. Polonia were unbeaten in winning the senior women’s development competition by 18 points, with Mt Barker’s chase petering out after four losses in their last five games. Griffins were league champions in the women’s socials while Denmark Blue Wrens pipped Phoenix by two points to clinch the men’s socials crown. Malcolm Van Burgel, of Phoenix, was top scorer among the senior men with 23 goals, well clear of Calies’ Joseph Love, who bagged 14. The reserves’ most prolific marksman was Phoenix’s Reagan Korthuis with 19 while Jake Loreto, of Denmark Blue Wrens, and James Best, of Rovers Vets, shared the honours in the socials with 18 goals apiece. Morris, who topped the senior women’s tally, was more than twice as prolific as her nearest rival, clubmate Jessica Baines who scored 14 times. However, her contribution was bettered in the reserves as Amaya Dobbe, of Phoenix, struck 42 times with teammate Millie Groenewold, on 13, the only other player to reach double figures. Polonia’s Chloe Coxall was top scorer in the development competition with 16 while Calies’ Layla Harrop topped the socials with 20.