Round 19 Hostplus SANFL League Match Previews

Here’s another ripper match-up.

It doesn’t have the bearing on the premiership table of the Norwood-Port clash with Glenelg certain to play in the qualifying final and Central primed for an elimination final shootout but the teams who fought out last year’s preliminary final are revving up for the major round and it’s possible they may clash again in it.

Coach Paul Thomas embraced the challenge of tackling high-flying Adelaide and Glenelg in the lead-up to the major round after the Bulldogs’ Round 17 loss to Port ended their hopes of snaring the double-chance.

And so did his players. Anyone who had been thinking this year’s premiership was boiling down to a three-way battle between Sturt, Glenelg and the Crows had to quickly readjust their thinking as the Bulldogs impressively overcame Adelaide by a point.

“I thought we really played the way we wanted to play,” Thomas said after Central’s breakthrough win against one of the top three.

“It really was a final dress rehearsal and to deliver and play our way is a good result. Finals are all about momentum and we were really locked in on that.”

They will need to be locked in against Glenelg, which was not at its best in a crucial game for the Magpies but still were able to beat them. Lachie Hosie was symptomatic of what coach Darren Reeves described as at times being “our own worst enemy” as he finished with 2.6.

But it’s just a blip for the charismatic spearhead who has kicked an accurate 62.31 for the season and will waltz away with another Ken Farmer Medal.

He’s 14 goals clear of Adelaide’s Chris Burgess at the top of the SANFL goalkicking list with Tigers skipper Liam McBean third with 44.

The Bulldogs and Tigers clash will also take on significant meaning as the SANFL’s Multicultural Match.

Fans at Elizabeth will be able to treat themselves to an array of different tastes with food trucks on site while the players will run out to the tune of Lebanese drummers.

The Multicultural Match will also feature a specially designed Sherrin, with the winner of SANFL’s multicultural footy design competition featured on the game ball.

The Panthers have built impressive momentum in the second half of the season and will be looking to round off 2025 in the best possible manner, showing what a bright future there is ahead with their young talent.

Westies, fielding an inexperienced line-up after being cruelled by injuries to key players, will be determined to summon all the fight and spirit they can after a horror 85-point defeat at the hands of unbeaten Sturt, coach Sam Elliott telling Bloods supporters to “expect a response”.

Just a week earlier West had been unlucky to be pipped by a point by Norwood.

Oliver Davis and Olivier Northam are the sorts of players with the types of attitude South is looking to build its future around as it heads towards its 150th anniversary.

Davis is second in the SANFL for clearances and Northam third, while Davis is also in the top 10 for disposals and tackles. Northam is ranked fourth for hit-outs.

And speaking of 150, it was wonderful to see inspirational co-captain Jake Summerton celebrate his 150th game with a convincing 46-point win against the Eagles, his former club.

“We have a good young group and we’re on the right track,” South coach Jarrad Wright said.

The Eagles’ nightmare season unfortunately was summed up by the concussion suffered by captain courageous Joseph Sinor in their loss to South.

Nothing seemed to go right in the second half of the season and the injury-riddled club slumped to an eighth consecutive defeat at Noarlunga.

Incredibly, the Eagles, inspired by such a strong season against the odds from Kobe Mutch, stayed in the finals hunt until the second-last round.

“It’s been a really tough second half of the year but injuries have killed us,” coach Sam Jacobs said.

“At one stage we had 13 of our best 22 missing – and then you’re bringing back guys who are underdone and the comp’s too hard to do that.”

Roosters boss Sam Mayes probably reckons a bit of luck wouldn’t hurt either.

North has been improving but has fallen unluckily short in being beaten on the bell by Glenelg and edged out by Norwood by 13 points after leading in the last term.

“I’ve seen a lot of growth in the group over the past six weeks, so it’s frustrating – but the growth is being seen,” Mayes said after another fighting loss.

One of these coaches will actually enjoy hearing the final siren this week.