Tigers star Matthew Snook retires – eight weeks after he nearly walked away during the season

The Glenelg great and triple premiership hero Matthew Snook has retired from the SANFL – but reveals his career almost ended on a very different note, writes Andrew Capel.

Glenelg great Matthew Snook has retired and surprisingly revealed he almost pulled the pin on his decorated career eight weeks ago.

One of the Tigers’ best players in their epic, five-point SANFL grand final win against Norwood at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, Snook said he had decided to retire after playing his 200th game against the Redlegs in Round 16 before reconsidering.

Now he has joined club legend Peter Carey as a triple Glenelg premiership player following flags in 2019, 2023 and 2024.

“I was close to pulling the pin after my 200th game, I felt I was done, so I’m just so happy that I kept on going to experience another premiership with the boys,’’ the 32-year-old midfielder told The Advertiser as the Tigers enjoyed their Mad Monday premiership celebrations at the Marion Hotel.

“My 200th game was such an emotional one for me and my family and I felt that I was done after that, that things couldn’t get much better.

“I had all of my family at that game, including my parents, cousins and uncles, for probably the first time in my 14-year career and it was such a special day that I thought I’d go out with that.

Matthew Snook with the Thomas Seymour Hill premiership trophy after announcing his retirement on Monday. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“We had the bye the week after and during the break I sent a text (message) to ‘Reeva’ (coach Darren Reeves) to catch up for a chat and told him how I was feeling.

“He stressed how important I was to the team but respected my decision, which was great, but the more I thought about it things didn’t quite sit right with me.

“I felt I’d be letting the boys down to walk away at that stage of the season, so I ended up staying and now we win another flag, which is amazing.

“It’s a bit of a fairytale finish and I couldn’t have scripted it any better.’’

Snook retires after 207 games and 46 goals in 14 seasons from 2011-24.

His stellar CV includes three premierships, a Jack Oatey Medal (2019), four best and fairests, twice being runner-up for the Magarey Medal and being named in The Advertiser SANFL Team of the Year four times.

Along with five teammates – captain Liam McBean, Max Proud, Luke Reynolds, Jonty Scharenberg and Darcy Bailey – he on Sunday joined Carey as Glenelg’s only triple premiership players.

But apart from a retirement U-turn, his career could have been very different had he not stayed at Brighton Road when he was being pushed out the door in 2013 when then coach Kris Massie suggested he would struggle to get a game at the Bay and should consider joining his brother Shannon at South Adelaide.

Glenelg players enjoy their Mad Monday premiership celebrations at the Marion Hotel. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“I almost joined South because of a lack of league opportunities I was being given at Glenelg and the fact my brother was there but I stayed because I’ve never been one to back down and I thrive on proving people wrong,’’ Snook said.

He did that in a major way.

Snook is the only confirmed retirement at Glenelg following its stunning grand final victory, when it came from 25 points behind in the third quarter to upset the minor premier, but doubt surrounds the futures of several other veterans.

They include Chris Curran, who is the most likely to join Snook in SANFL retirement, Proud, Reynolds, Bailey and Billy Stretch.

“Chris is moving into sports medicine, so that will make it really difficult for him, while the other guys have earnt the right to sit back for a couple of weeks and work out what’s best for them,’’ Reeves said.

Glenelg suffered two serious injuries in the grand final, with key defender Oscar Adams in hospital with a fractured eye socket and broken jaw and midfielder Cole Gerloff in a moon boot with a damaged ankle.