Hi Footy fans...

Once upon a time, depression wasn't something that footballers talked about. Men were men, no one wanted to look weak, so no one spoke up in fear of losing their place in the team. Unfortunately this left a great deal of footballers, especially in their post-playing days, quite vulnerable. The aftermath of all those many hits to the head, or other parts of the body left compromised which would cost them their livelihoods on and off the field, or even mental illness. One man who knew this quite well was Port Adelaide hero Scott Hodges, a man who despite looking like he had the SA football world at his feet, behind the scenes it couldn't be further from the truth, as was shown in his book "Not all Black & White". His story didn't have a horrid ending thankfully, though the same cannot be said for others. Nowadays to the benefit of many, such things are not considered to be out of bounds. Open dialogue is now encouraged and it is readily available through the SANFL's new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which will be rolled out at all the clubs in an effort to give their players the support they need and help to halt the downward spiral, or heaven forbid, end in heartbreaking circumstances. With that said, if anyone reading this is having struggles of their own, help is at hand from mobs like BeyondBlue and such. Get on it, look them up.

Welcome to the Round 15 Wrap-Up for SANFL 2026.

There would be just two Saturday games, the first of which takes us over to the inner western suburbs and into the Richmond Oval where the Bloods took on the Crows. Last time these teams met, the Bloods took a seven-point win at Milner Road in the season opener. They had been as much as six kicks in front at one point, even keeping Adelaide goal-less in the first term. They kept a good consistent tempo up until the final term when Adelaide mounted their comeback, outscored four goals to one as the Crows fell short. Both teams came off second best last week in their respective outings, the Bloods made a decent challenge early before going down to Norwood at home, while the Crows were outlasted at Brighton Road by three points to Glenelg. The match would begin with a rather even opening term, both sides having periods of dominating possession but unable to make maximum impact on the board. The Crows would lead by a point at the first change after scoring 2.4 to 2.3. Adelaide would then dominate the second quarter, seemingly leaving the Bloods in their wake with six goals to one. The Crows would go into the long break with a 31-point advantage. The ruck contests was a big part of the visitors' advantage, almost quadrupling the Bloods' overall hitouts tally by game's end. When play resumed however, the Crows began to mis-fire, Westies would go on to reel their advantage back to a more manageable three kicks by the final change. The home side would score 5.2 to 3.5, halving Adelaide's lead to 16 points. Unfortunately for the Bloods, the Crows kicked away before they could draw them back again, back out to a 34-point lead just 10 minutes in. West didn't throw it in, Adelaide forced to defend grimly under constant attack before escaping with an 11-point victory after a 4.3 to 3.4 last quarter. Reilly O'Brien was tremendous for Adelaide, with 25 disposals, 10 clearances and eight marks, while the Bloods had Kobe Ryan with 31 disposals, four each in marks, clearances and free kicks.

The other game would take place under Saturday Night Lights and with the senior outfit already having played at league HQ earlier, we're off to Alberton Oval for the Battle of the Birds between the Magpies and the Eagles. Their last encounter was one to forget for the Magpies, pounded into submission back in Round 7 to the tune of 86 points. Port were competitive to begin with, only eight points adrift at the first change before the Eagles took flight and the Pies didn't get a look in from there. The Eagles kicked five goals in each quarter, once Port had six at three quarter-time it was over. This was another game where both sides lost their respective games last week with the Magpies sustaining another belting, this time by North at Prospect, while the Eagles got a reality check from the Blues at Oval Avenue. The Magpies would promote three youngsters to their line up with the Power having to dip into their reserves thanks to injuries and after the Eagles kicked the opening goal, Port would score the next three in reply and would be infront by a goal after scoring 4.3 to 3.3. The Eagles' radar was well off in the second term as the Magpies stretched their lead to as much as 23 points before it was drawn back to a couple of straight shots going into the long break. All scores counted it was the 'Pies with 4.1 to the Eagles' 3.5, the home side with an eight-point lead. With the prospect of a second wooden spoon in a few years, it seemed as though a spark had been lit and they would continue to evade the grasp of the Eagles when play resumed. The visitors got to within a point late in the third, but two more goals to Port during time-on among their three to the Eagles' two added another six points to their half-time lead. And that was as close as the Eagles got, held to 2.2 in the final stanza while the Maggies kicked four majors without a miss to run out four-goal winners. Newly-blooded Finn Wakelin kicked six goals, but the overall best on ground for Port was Jack Watkins with 35 disposals, nine clearances and seven marks. Ted Clohesy was the Eagles' best afield with 26 disposals, 11 tackles and eight clearances.

Moving on now to the Sunday afternoon, we're now heading down south to the Magain Stadium in Noarlunga for the "Clash of the Cats" between the Panthers and the Tigers. The blue & whites delivered one of the early shocks of this season back in Round 5, when they topped the Tigers at Brighton Road. Glenelg had won the first four games of the year and were coming off a win against the premiers at Unley, but after the bug took root in the second term and a lowly third, South would leave Tiger-land with a 22-point win. Fast forward to now and the Panthers just haven't been able to recapture that form, after they hammered Port a fortnight ago they would then be on the receiving end of their own belting by the Bulldogs at Lyndoch, while the Bays nicked the points against the Crows. Early spoiler, unfortunately for the South faithful it was about to happen again. It didn't happen with immediate effect, not even a breeze heading their way helped them anymore than the three goals they notched up. South's 1.1 saw the Tigers up by 11 points at the first change. The Bays didn't fare much better at the other end, but still put distance in between with a 3.2 to two goal second quarter to extend their lead to 19 points going into the sheds at half-time. After the long break was where it all fell to pieces for the Panthers as their finals aspirations took another hit. The visitors would kick the first five goals to begin the second half, South's two goals during time-on would only reduce their lead to 35 points come three quarter-time before the Tigers piled on the pain to finish the home side off. They bagged a further six goals to two in the final quarter, along with some minor scores the Tigers ran out 61-point winners to keep a hold of their top spot. Corey Lyons was Glenelg's best on ground with 28 disposals, 11 marks, six tackles and five clearances. The Panthers had Finn Emile-Brennan as their standout with 24 disposals and 16 marks.

The second Sunday arvo game brings us from the outer south to the inner south, where the Double Blues hosted the Roosters at the Thomas Farms Oval in Unley. The high of their come-from-behind win at Elizabeth the previous week was quickly forgotten when they ran into the reigning premiers back in Round 2, going down by almost 10 goals. Despite their inaccuracy in the second half, the Blues pounded the Roosters into submission with a seven-goal final quarter in front of more than 5000 in attendance, one of North's biggest home crowds in the last 25 years. Both sides were winners last week, the Blues overcoming the muddy Woodville turf to win by 26 points, while North battered the Magpies by 57 points. Goal-kicking didn't come easy early on, but the Roosters had a strong start and caught the Blues off-guard with a 5.5 to 2.3 opening quarter to lead by 20 points at quarter-time. The Blues could easily have overtaken the Roosters with their repeated attacks in the second quarter, but despite holding them to just two behinds they wasted a bag of chances for a return of 1.7. At half-time, the Roosters' lead was cut down to nine points. The deficit would hover around that two-kick range for a portion of the third quarter, then stretched to three half-way through before signs of Sturt's looming assault brought the gap back to a single kick's difference going into the final term. A behind before the three-quarter time siren brought the home side's lead to eight points after both sides kicked four majors each amongst their combined five minor scores. The Blues would indeed run out the final term, with the Roosters down a pair of key players they just couldn't hang on as the visitors overran them with a 5.2 to 1.3 last quarter to run out 15-point winners and take third spot on the ladder. Will Snelling was massive for the Blues, head and shoulders above most with 26 disposals, 12 tackles, seven marks and five clearances. For the Roosters, they had Angus Schumacher with 36 disposals, 10 clearances and nine marks.

For the concluding match of the weekend, we go across to the inner eastern suburbs and into the Coopers Stadium in Norwood where the Redlegs faced the Bulldogs. Back in Round 5, the 'Legs ran rings around the Dogs in the sodden conditions at Goodman Road for a 49-point win. Centrals would manage two goals from 12 scores that day, while two solid quarters of wet weather football ensured the Redlegs a win out north. From last week's games both sides came out on top, the Redlegs had a tough time against West but a strong finish brought them victory at Richmond, while the Bulldogs brought South back to earth with an 11-goal induced thud in the Barossa Valley. Despite the Dogs' place on the league ladder, it looked as though a spark had been lit as they laid down quite the challenge to the 'Legs, who would lead by a single major at quarter-time with the board reading 3.2 to 2.2. Centrals pushed a bit harder and bagged five goals in the second quarter and would go into the changerooms with a half-time lead of 16 points as the Redlegs pushed a trio of shots wide to score 1.3, including a last minute miss that would have brought them within a couple of straight shots. But their third quarter would let them down hard, after kicking their one and only goal of the term to restore their earlier advantage the Redlegs would kick an unanswered five goals to overturn the deficit in their favour and went into the final change with a 17-point lead. Centrals came back to life in the final term, however the home side would answer their challenges to keep the Dogs at arms length. The visitors got to within a point before time-on with some lucky breaks, but their 5.1 to Norwood's 4.3 would see them fall short by 13 points. Norwood would vote in Nik Rokahr as best with some impressive stats, including 41 disposals, seven clearances and six marks. For the Bulldogs, it was Kai Pudney with 22 disposals and 10 tackles.

FINAL SCORES -- Round 15

Saturday July 18

Adelaide 13.16 (94)

West Adelaide 12.11 (83)

1,006 @ Richmond Oval

Port Adelaide 15.5 (95)

Woodville-West Torrens 10.11 (71)

Alberton Oval -- crowd number unknown

Sunday July 19

Glenelg 17.6 (108)

South Adelaide 7.5 (47)

1,633 @ Magain Stadium, Noarlunga

Sturt 12.15 (87)

North Adelaide 10.12 (72)

2,787 @ Thomas Farms Oval, Unley

Norwood 14.13 (97)

Central District 13.6 (84)

2,444 @ Coopers Stadium, Norwood

REPORTS

West -- Ryan (rough conduct)

Port -- McLennan (melee, umpire contact), Barrett (melee)

W-WT -- Pearce, Rowe, Clohesy (melee)

Glenelg -- Martini (wrestling)

South -- Borlace (striking)

LEAGUE LADDER

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Glenelg -- 24pts (12-2-0), 56.5%

Norwood -- 22pts (11-3-0), 61.2%

Sturt -- 18pts (9-5-0), 56.2%

W-WT -- 18pts (9-5-0), 54.7%

Adelaide -- 14pts (7-7-0), 50.5%

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West -- 11pts (5-8-1), 46.4%

North -- 10pts (5-9-0), 44.3%

South -- 10pts (5-9-0), 44%

Central -- 7pts (3-10-1), 46.1%

Port -- 6pts (3-11-0), 41.3%

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Next weekend is a league wide bye, but here's the deets for Round 16...

Saturday August 1

Central District vs. Sturt; X-Convenience Oval, Elizabeth @ 2:10pm

West Adelaide vs. North Adelaide; Richmond Oval @ 2:10pm

South Adelaide vs. Adelaide; Magain Stadium, Noarlunga @ 2:10pm

Glenelg vs. Woodville-West Torrens; Stratarama Stadium, Glenelg @ 2:40pm

Sunday August 2 @ 1:10pm

Port Adelaide vs. Norwood; Alberton Oval

So until next we...nope, a fortnight's time... see you at the Footy!

**Special thanks to Raboyle from BigFooty for the wrap up!

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