Tiger Luke Reynolds named SANFL player of the week after six-goal haul
SIX goals against former club Port Adelaide has earned a Glenelg forward the honour of being named The Advertiser/SANFL Player of the Week.
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GLENELG’S Luke Reynolds felt comfortable playing at Alberton Oval on Saturday.
He had an intimate knowledge of the environment, having played with Port Adelaide since the under 13s before moving to the Tigers at the end of last season seeking more league opportunities.
That strange feeling playing against his former club had been negotiated in round two when the Tigers lost by just three points at the Bay.
And he was back in the forward line where he does his best work, having struggled with the experiment of being used further up the ground away from his comfort zone.
Kicking six goals in the 35-point triumph, a performance which earned him the honour of The Advertiser/SANFL Player of the Week, also helped make the afternoon more enjoyable.
“It is a great oval and it was nice to be back there,” Reynolds said. “The first time we played Port it felt different, this time I felt much more comfortable and just got on with business.
“The first time I was thinking about it too much.”
The North Haven product spent last season in the reserves because of the high tally of Power players in the league side.
He takes much of the blame for his form struggles, admitting he did not handle the situation of being forced to constantly play in the reserves as well as other teammates.
“It got to the point where, as much as I loved playing for Port, I had to make a decision for myself and my future football.
“I’m enjoying it at the Bay. That does not happen straight when you move to a new club. But I’m enjoying it more and more each week.
“We have definitely improved since the start of the year with the way we want to play, although we are not there yet.”
After being tried on the wing, Reynolds’ form waned and he was sent back to the reserves.
He said with a new coach Mark Stone and plenty of new names on the playing list there was a necessity to find the best structures for the side.
“I was happy to go along with that and the first half of the season was about figuring out where guys best fit in,” Reynolds said.
“The best option for me was to slide down forward, it is more natural for me there where I grew up playing.”