Strong South East flavour to Tigers wins

Former local players make their mark at Glenelg Football Club

There was a strong South East flavour to the SANFL grand finals at the end of last month, with former locals clearly making their mark at the Glenelg Football Club – the Tigers claiming both the seniors and reserves premierships.

Matt Allen (pictured bottom right), Brad McCarthy and Toby Pink were key personnel for the senior side, while Reid Kuller (pictured centre right), who was adjudged best on ground in the reserves decider, Jake Walker (pictured below top left), Todd Reid (pictured below bottom left) and Austin Kitschke secured premiership medals in the reserves, with Noah Sims and Brock Keding, while not part of the grand final line-up, had played their role in the team during the 2023 season.

Each of those players have a unique career trajectory and who better to analyse just what these players contributed and where they are headed than South Gambier premiership coach Brett Exelby (pictured top right), who is now a key part of the Tigers senior coaching staff as an assistant and has been now for three seasons, yielding two grand finals, one premiership and finals in all three seasons.

“All of the South East boys have been amazing this year,” Exelby said, and with Glenelg entering grand final day with only one injury, it always meant pressure would be on for grand final spots. “Noah Sims and Brock Keding played a lot of reserves footy this year and were just unlucky that everyone was basically fit and firing at the end of the season.”

Former West Gambier star Reid Kuller showed his class in the reserves premiership decider and also showed he is prepared to do the work required.

“Reid (Kuller) played a lot of league footy this year, had a few weeks off and then played the rest of the season in the reserves but there is no doubting he has league talent,” Exelby said.

And his best on ground accolade only served to emphasised that point. Austin Kitschke is another of the South East reserves premiership players that had a taste of league football as well and showed he is up to the challenge.

“He got those league opportunities when there were some injuries and he performed really well,” Exelby said. “I think next year will present some opportunities for Austin.”

After an injury interrupted season, Jake Walker has also shown the power-that-be at Glenelg that he is a star on the rise.

“Jake is a pretty special player,” Exelby said. “He played some really good footy this year before he got injured – he has got some talent and tricks that definitely set him up for the future.”

While Kuller, Kitschke and Walker have all been part of the Glenelg junior program, former South Gambier defender Todd Reid had a different path – only moving to Adelaide this year to finally test himself at a higher level.

Exelby admitting that does make for a more difficult transition but Reid took up the challenge and worked to adapt his game to a completely new style of football at SANFL level.

“Todd improved massively,” Exelby said. “He had to learn a completely new system, coming from Western Border footy and I know the coaching group was really impressed with his work.

“It is just so different the way the ball is moved and Todd had to adapt to that and he was prepared to adapt and learn and it was pleasing to watch him develop and I can really see him build on that.”

The stories of the three seniors premiership players are all different as well.

Former North Gambier utility Matt Allen had a huge 2023 and the premiership medal capped a season to remember for the onetime West Coast Eagle.

Allen sat tantalisingly on the fringe of the Eagles from 2016- 2019, continually pushing his name forward with quality performances in the WAFL and earning travelling emergency status on a number of occasions in 2019 but just never breaking through for an AFL debut.

His return to the SANFL saw him quickly become a key player for the Tigers and 2023 saw him named in the Team of the Year, as well as securing a fifth place finish in the Magarey Medal.

Now he has added a premiership medal to that collection on the back of hard work.

“Matt was completely locked in from the very first night of preseason this year,” Exelby said. “The senior players weren’t required initially but he was there from the first night and worked all the way through the summer and was clearly committed to having a massive year.

“He is such a hard player to match up on and he is highly regarded across the competition. I know opposition coaches would not enjoy matching up on him as he can have an impact in so many different roles.

“You also couldn’t get a nicer guy.”

Toby Pink is another South East born and bred talent who has had a taste of life in an AFL program with his three years at the Sydney Swans, again without breaking through for an AFL debut.

But he also put that disappointment behind him and in 2023 again had one of his best seasons thus far, making his debut appearance in the SANFL Team of the Year.

“He was by far the best backman in the league this season,” Exelby said. “He is definitely still attracting interest – he is ultra competitive.”

Then there is the story of Brad McCarthy – a 2019 premiership player who then found his way out of the top line-up, returning to Lucindale to win a premiership with his home club last season before deciding to tackle life in the SANFL one more time.

“He is a guy you want in your team – his resilience, his attitude,” Exelby said. “When he came back to have another shot, he was never able to cement his spot until about three quarters of the way through the season but he did everything asked of him and had a great attitude even when he was back in the reserves.

“The group love him – he is highly, highly respected.” Exelby highlighted the culture of the club as a key factor in getting the best out of the relocated county players.

“They really look out for each other,” Exelby said. “There are the country boys and we also have a lot of interstate players and the club makes sure everyone feels involved, included and part of it.”

And as for the premiership assistant coach, who is committed more than 20 hours a week in the role, he has loved his time coaching at SANFL level.

“I get to work with amazing players,” Exelby said. “The training levels are a lot harder and there are more resources around and that makes things easier.

“The coaching group this season were a fantastic group of guys.”