Doc’s Debrief | Round 8

Matthew Clarke has praised his side’s ability to adapt to difficult conditions, following the Tigers’ convincing victory over North Adelaide yesterday. The Tigers took home the John Sandland Cup following a dominant performance.

The Tigers found their rhythm midway through the second term before controlling the contest for the remainder of the game at a muddy Prospect Oval.

“It was an interesting day,” Clarke said.

“We probably started okay, but North Adelaide controlled it for about 10 minutes in the second quarter.

“Up until then they probably had the better of the game, but from halfway through the second quarter right through until the end, I thought the intensity of our team really lifted.

“We started to put some plays together and ultimately came away with a really strong win.”

It was reliable Lachie Hosie who sealed the deal at the midway mark of the second quarter, booting his first of the day at the 12 minute mark, followed swiftly by a second just minutes later. The 2025 Ken Farmer medallist went on to kick another three, continuing his streak as leading goal kicker in the SANFL as we near the half way point of the season.

Clarke said the turning point came when the Tigers adjusted their ball movement to better suit the weather conditions.

“I thought the group realised halfway through the second quarter that we were probably over-possessing the ball a little bit given the conditions,” he said.

“From then on, they got the balance right in terms of kicking the ball a little bit more and driving the ball forward.

“Obviously our forwards are always dangerous, so it makes sense to get it down to them.”

Will Patton booted his first Glenelg goal in the second term, a change from his usual backline performances in previous weeks. His second Bays goal came in the final term, solidifying his position as a versatile 2026 recruit for the squad.

The positional change came after Karl Finlay entered concussion protocols following last weekend’s loss against the Crows, opening up an opportunity for Patton to spend more time in attack.

“He held up really well, kicked a couple and contributed strongly,” Doc said.

Two-time premiership player Cole Gerloff presented Lachie Scannell with his #38 guernsey on Sunday afternoon, a reward for consisten reserves form, and resilience through injury in his first four years in the senior program.

“Lachie has probably been deserving of his opportunity, even maybe before this (week),” Clarke said.

“His form at reserves level has been really, really strong and I thought he adapted to the game really well.

“He’s a great runner, but he also impacted aerially, took some nice defensive marks and was able to create some overlap for us as well.”

Glenelg’s attention turns to Port Adelaide this week with a short 6-day turnaround. The Bays will look to replicate their Round 1 performance against the Magpies,

“They were able to attack us really strongly from half-back and used a lot of handball chain in that game, so we’ve got to be mindful of that,” he said.

“We’ll have a good look at them across the rest of the week to see if anything’s changed from that Round 1 game.

“Ultimately, in Round 1 they had us on the hop a little bit, but our defence picked up as the game wore on and we were able to get a result.”

With points secured and strong contributions across the ground, the Tigers will look to carry their momentum into a crucial clash with the Magpies.