Dual Glenelg premiership player Chris Curran making shock SANFL comeback

A dual Glenelg premiership defender has answered a SANFL club’s SOS call and is coming out of retirement, writes Andrew Capel.

Dual Glenelg premiership defender Chris Curran has answered the Tigers’ SOS call and is coming out of SANFL retirement to boost their pursuit of a historic flag three-peat.

After retiring from the SANFL following Glenelg’s grand final triumph over Norwood last year, which secured the club back-to-back flags for the second time, Curran has been persuaded to don the black and gold guernsey again after the Tigers were robbed of two key defenders in the AFL mid-season draft in May.

Their flag defence copped a severe blow when their backline was ripped apart when premiership full back Oscar Adams was snapped up by Gold Coast and emerging giant Harrison Ramm was selected by Port Adelaide.

This prompted Glenelg to reach out to popular clubman Curran, who has been playing for south-eastern country club Mundulla in the Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Football League.

Curran, 34, has been training part-time with the Tigers for several weeks but his comeback has been put on hold because of a severe bout of the flu.

Chris Curran is making a SANFL comeback for Glenelg. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“Chris has committed to play for us, we’ve just got to get him right,’’ dual Glenelg premiership coach Darren Reeves said.

“He’s been a bit crook but he’s committed to be there for us whenever we need him.

“It’s a unique situation where we lost two key defenders in the draft, who you just can’t replace.

“So we had to look at different ways of doing things because losing those players left us an injury or two away from being in real strife.

“We reached out to Chris and he was really open to being available when we really need him. If we don’t, he’s okay with that as well.

“He’s trained with us and we are not putting a number on how many games he does or doesn’t play, we’re just going to see how things unfold.

“The thing with Chris is that he has been around our club for so long and knows exactly what he’s doing, so he can just come in and play a role for us.

“We can’t replace the 200cm guys (Adams and Ramm) size-wise, but we can replace them with experience and Chris can certainly help shore things up for us.’’

Glenelg, sitting second on the premiership ladder behind unbeaten Sturt, also has been hit by injuries to two other important defenders, former Crow Patrick Parnell (shoulder) and dual premiership player Brad McCarthy (knee).

Parnell has been ruled out for the season while McCarthy is sidelined until at least Round 16.

The Tigers promoted young guns Cooper Beecken, 22, and Beau Symonds, 19, from their reserves to replace the departed Adams and Ramm and both have battled manfully.

Former Glenelg defender Oscar Adams, who the Tigers lost in the AFL mid-season draft, spoils for Gold Coast against Essendon. Picture: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

But they are undersized against some SANFL key forwards, measuring 191cm and 187cm respectively.

“They have done a great job for us but are third-tall type players who we are asking to play on the best key forwards in the competition,’ Reeves said.

“You need depth and some options in defence because there are some teams who have big key forwards who are damaging.’’

The Bays have been boosted by the return from long-term injury of key off-season recruit, former North Adelaide utility Karl Finlay.

The 193cm Finlay missed the start of the campaign as he recovered from off-season foot surgery but he made his comeback in the reserves against Norwood in Round 11 and his league return against Adelaide last Saturday.

“He’s going to be incredibly important moving forward for us,’’ Reeves said.

Curran, who is a doctor and will have some weekend work commitments to deal with in his return to Glenelg, captained the Tigers in their 2019 premiership and was a member of their flag side last year.

He missed the Bays 2023 premiership after stepping down from the SANFL for two years to focus on work before returning to Tigerland last year.

In 2023, he won a Division 1 Adelaide Footy League flag with Prince Alfred Old Collegians.