Round 4 Hostplus SANFL League Match Previews

The old and the new. An incredible 156 games in succession. And a rookie up to three in a row.

We all knew 198cm, 30-year-old Mitch Harvey was something of an Ironman, the way he just keeps fronting up to play week-in, week-out.

And he played the role of superhero against Port Adelaide, turning the game faster than a speeding bullet at the start of the second half when he went into ruck with the Roosters 17 points down.

“That first five-minute patch of the third quarter, he really turned the game for us,” coach Josh Francou said as Harvey set North on its way with three goals in three minutes to set up a 17-point win.

Then there is 172cm, 18-year-old Charlie Dickeson, who may have been likened to Ant-man, another Marvel superhero.

And he would be following in famous footsteps here, with ‘the Ant’, sensational goalkicking rover Tony Antrobus, having won the 1983 Magarey Medal at North Adelaide.

Francou gave more than a hint here was a player “to look out for” when he talked about the Roosters’ hopes for 2026 last month.

“He’s a crafty little forward,” he said of Dickeson.

“He’s a really good character … just out of the (under-)18s. His ability to hit the contest at speed and crumb, he’s got that unique ability. He’s probably as good a crumber as I’ve ever seen.”

That’s about as big a compliment as you could get from someone of Francou’s stature and Dickeson, who was presented with his first league jumper before Round 1 by Harvey, showed how big a prospect he is out Prospect way by booting a stunning four goals against the Magpies and topping it off with a spectacular late mark.

North’s new Dynamic Duo faces an Adelaide side that impressed in breaking through for its first win of the campaign against Central despite its inexperience and having to come from behind.

The Crows won an arm wrestle by nine points, coach Matt Wright describing it as “a really important win for the group” that had been battling to put together four quarters.

Wright loved the examples set by ruckman Reilly O’Brien – who earned 22 disposals and 42 hit-outs – and defender James Borlase who showed their strength of character in playing key parts in the win after missing AFL selection.

Glenelg’s last four league losses have all come against Sturt – in Rounds 5 and 10 and the second semi and grand final last year.

So, clearly the Blues have had an edge over the Tigers.

But it might just be closing with the Bays unbeaten this season while Sturt suffered its first loss last week against the Eagles – admittedly by just two points and without Magarey Medallist Tom Lewis (calf), who looks likely to be sidelined again this week.

The Blues might have had it won by quarter-time but sprayed 5.7 to 3.1 while having 15 inside 50s to six.

An uncharacteristic second quarter followed, conceding six goals, yet Sturt still all but snatched the game back, the ball within kicking distance and the game still up for grabs when the final siren sounded.

The Bays have snatched the game back the past two rounds, coming from four goals behind at three-quarter-time to beat Norwood, then overcoming a 17-point deficit at the last change to down West by three points.

“The will to win, the belief of this group, it’s unbelievable,” new Tigers coach Matthew Clarke said.

The will to win at Unley from both teams will be huge in this massive Anzac Day grand final re-match.

Coach Sam Jacobs was confident things would be different this year – well, as long as the Eags didn’t have an injury list anything like last year’s. But how’s this for different?

Round 1 v South, 52-point win. Last time against the Panthers, Round 18 last year, 56-point loss. Round 2 v Crows, a 17-point win.

Previous clash, Round 12 2025, a 100-point loss. Round 3 v powerhouse reigning premier, Sturt, a two-point win. Last time? Round 18 last year, an 81-point loss. Last time at Unley?

Round 11, a 124-point smashing. There’s no doubt Jacobs is delighted with the turnaround. But not actually all that surprised.

“Do I think we can be around the mark? Absolutely,” he told me before the season kicked off.

“I sit here with total confidence our best is good enough to not only compete but to beat the best teams.”

Well, the Eagles proved that on Sunday. In his pre-season interview Jacobs said his side’s hopes of success may depend on “how we execute in close games”.

Another huge tick, his side under siege late on, the Blues banging on three successive goals to get within one point with 12 minutes to go.

The Eagles held their nerve, getting the crucial next goal through Connor Ballenden before they defended like their lives depended on it to claim the two premiership points by two points.

“After the game I wrote 126 on the board which represented the turnaround from last year after losing by 124 and now being plus two,” Jacobs said after an unforgettable win.

But you can bet it was quickly moving on to preparing to tackle improved West because there’s no way he’s getting ahead of himself. His side started well in the previous two years – 6-2 in 2024 and 6-3 last year– before fading to finish fifth, then seventh.

But, with a side packed with talent and averaging a league-high 94 points a game, it just feels like it will be different this year.

What are we liking about West Adelaide this year?

1. It is competing from go to whoa, never conceding it is about to be beaten, kicking on until the last minute, snatching a win against Adelaide, stealing a last-gasp draw against Central and going oh, so close to nicking the two premiership points from Glenelg at the death.

2. The way it is moving the ball with quick handball then incisive kicking from defence and a hard-working ruck-midfield combination that has won the most clearances in the league, averaging 38 per game, and consequently sets up plenty of chances for a couple of dangerous key forwards, with recruit of the year Chris Burgess able to take control at either end of the ground.

3. Everything.

After all, what is there not to like about what is happening at Richmond under new coach Nathan Bassett, who is going close to performing miracles with a club that has claimed seven wooden spoons in the past 10 seasons?

The SANFL suddenly is all the better for having a Bloods side that’s making a statement it can push for a finals berth this year for the first time since winning the 2015 flag.

West was the better team for three quarters against the Bays and it could have sealed the win by time-on in the second quarter, leading 6.10 to 3.1.

That scoreline shows just how much improvement there’s been with the Bloods, Bassett saying, “we are ahead of where we expected to be at this stage of the season”.

“Frustrating is the right word for it,” coach Paul Thomas said after the Bulldogs’ nine-point loss at the hands of Adelaide.

And he could have been speaking for Panthers boss Jarrad Wright as well.

For the third game out of three Central led in the last quarter but couldn’t go on with it, now with one draw and two losses to show for three ultra-competitive efforts.

South had impressively beaten Port to celebrate its 150th anniversary and had Norwood on the back foot in the first quarter at The Parade with 16 inside-50s to the Redlegs’ four – but a 2.5-to-1.0 scoreline was not reward for effort.

The game slipped away when Norwood booted four successive goals to start the second half, the final margin 22 points. A consistent four-quarter performance right to the final siren will relieve the frustration for one boss.

It’s slightly surprising these old rivals have only met six times in traditional Anzac Day grand final re-matches over the years but it’s fitting they’re battling it out in a contest that starts the ball rolling this Anzac weekend.

The Redlegs will be looking to continue the momentum from their breakthrough win against South, inspired by a fair night’s work from Nik Rokahr, who racked up 17 kicks, 17 handballs, 14 marks and eight tackles.

Jacob Surjan’s Magpies, who have been hurt by injuries in the past two games but have shown grit to fight them out, will need to quell the influence of Rokahr, Baynen Lowe and Aaron Francis if they are to break through for a first win of the year.