Have the Crows lost their South Australian roots?

Remove this Banner Ad

moses

Premiership Player
May 17, 2004
3,681
5,064
Home
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
GWS
I read this article today on the ABC website asking the question, have the Crows lost their South Australian roots?

(Source https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-24/adelaide-crows-south-australian-players-an-increasing-minority/11337662 )

Can the Adelaide Crows return to glory by salvaging their 'kick-a-Vic' roots?
By Malcolm Sutton


"We're the pride of South Australia," the Adelaide Crows' theme song begins, but with local footballers an increasing minority in the club's on-field squad, perhaps it is time to question what wearing state colours means.

Key points:
- Adelaide Crows' selection list is dominated by far more Victorians than locals
- Non-Victorian premiership sides often win while playing more of their home state representatives
- State of Origin rivalry and pride at risk of disappearing through the AFL draft

Of 22 players that lost to Essendon on Friday night, just seven were South Australian, and that includes Taylor Walker — an honorary Croweater due to being born in Broken Hill. All but one of the remaining 15 were born in Victoria — an imbalance made clear in July's showdown which saw them capitulate to cross-town rivals Port Adelaide.
In that fixture, just six Crows players from SA tackled the Power's team of nine locals in their respective 22s.
On top of that, Port had 20 South Australian recruits to select from its full squad of 47 players.
Adelaide, on the other hand, had just 12 — barely a third of a 38-man squad that included 22 Victorians.
It has to be asked: can Victorians care enough about a SA derby? Pull themselves from the canvas and swagger back for a bruising hometown fight when finals are around the corner?
The best of them will fight hard no matter what the scenario, but with something misfiring in The Crows' camp, and yet another premiership window closing, punters would be forgiven for wondering what happened to red, yellow and blue pride.
Roots in State of Origin
Consider South Australian football last century, when warring players in the thriving SANFL periodically set aside grievances to focus on common enemy Victoria — and, to a lesser degree, Western Australia — in the State of Origin.
The benchmark Victorian league had been luring talented South Australians across the border for many years and the chance to bring them home, albeit briefly, to face The Big V was a massive event.
The build-up to a so-called "kick-a-Vic" game was huge, a finals-like frenzy that brought out some of the most memorable moments in interstate football as SA regularly chopped the Victorians off at the knees.

It was tribalism at its best, and when the Crows were launched as a composite team and started edging out the State of Origin in 1991, the fledgling AFL team upheld the same mentality. Just six years later in 1997, they won their first premiership, fielding a team dominated by 15 South Australians.
They backed it up with 14 locals to win their second premiership in 1998, rewarding supporters who had become very excited at the prospect of "Vic kicking" almost every weekend.

Sadly, it would be 19 years before The Crows' next grand final appearance, and the picture could not be more different. Sporting just six SA players and 14 Victorians among their 22 in 2017, The Crows faced Richmond — a side champing at the bit with VFL heritage — and were smashed. The Tigers, packed with 14 Victorians, showed the resolve required to tear the heart from Adelaide's "pride of South Australia", a bunch of players who mostly were not South Australians at all.

Compare the modern Crows with the West Coast Eagles — a consistently successful side in another traditional football state who, operating under the same draft rules as Adelaide, has managed to field sides packed with Western Australians. Their 2018 premiership side was dominated by 12 Western Australians, their 2006 premiership side by 14, and even in their rebuilding years the team is more interested in drafting locals than interstate talent.
They know that a foundation of locals would not leave to return interstate after just a few years, and that they play for local pride as well as their pay packets.

Port Adelaide too won their first AFL premiership in 2004 with a majority of 10 South Australians and six Victorians among their 22. Admittedly, however, they lost by an embarrassing 119 points against Geelong in the 2007 grand final despite fielding 12 locals and just four Victorians.

If premierships are the true gauge of a club's AFL success, then the Crows have failed for 21 years.
They might have become a slick, well-oiled organisation, but they have earned a reputation for dropping critical games despite being favourites and overlooking too many of the state's young players for interstate names.

They resemble little of the legacy they replaced — a State of Origin side that would never have allowed such a drought in cross-border achievement. The AFL does not seem to have an appetite to allow a return of the State of Origin competition — not unless it aims to repeat the Victorian team against an exhibition side with nothing to play for such as the Dream Team in 2008.

The league even allowed the raiding of state league clubs for fresh players in the middle of this season, another indication that in the eyes of the AFL, business overrules tradition. The decision was slammed by clubs across SA, as well as WA, and prompted the following warning from SANFL chief executive Jake Parkinson "Decisions made that erode the vibrancy of the competition were not in the interest of Australian football," he said.

So with The Crows looking unlikely to go much further this year, perhaps it is time to analyse what representing the "pride of South Australia" means.
That includes reviving a little parochialism with an emphasis on recruiting locally — where the draft allows.
 

MarcusP2

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 21, 2009
12,987
10,432
AFL Club
Adelaide

Tex200

Cancelled
10k Posts Podcaster
Dec 24, 2008
19,541
38,983
Adelaide
AFL Club
Adelaide
Interesting article - especially the WCE number of 12 in last years flag side.

All of the draft experts will tell you it’s footy suicide to do anything else but draft best available.

The other issue is we struggle to get SA kids back once they go.

There are a few kids SA kids around I would have liked. Lachie Neale goes ok.

I guess the question is not simply about talent - but would a team gel better with more SA kids. The sum of the parts ending up greater than each individual.

Worth a discussion I guess
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Sep 19, 2007
11,102
13,088
The Pub
AFL Club
Adelaide
Interesting article - especially the WCE number of 12 in last years flag side.

All of the draft experts will tell you it’s footy suicide to do anything else but draft best available.

The other issue is we struggle to get SA kids back once they go.

There are a few kids SA kids around I would have liked. Lachie Neale goes ok.

I guess the question is not simply about talent - but would a team gel better with more SA kids. The sum of the parts ending up greater than each individual.

Worth a discussion I guess

Its an interesting question. There's no doubt that a side can't simply focus on local talent. I do wonder though if we've kind of accepted our lot a bit and not worked hard enough to maneuver into getting the elite SA talent. Last year was probably a prime example, where Port cracked on and traded picks to get into the top 5, we sat back and waited and in the end picks 8, 13, 16 and 19, turned into 9, 16, 19 and 24 with NGA picks included.

Massive SA draft last year and the only South Australian we brought in was Tyson Stengle in trade week.

The benefits for mine of getting more local talent is it generally takes up less of the salary cap, less likely to leave and disrupt list management plans and importantly has a natural allegiance to our side, which potentially allows a player to dig deep when the goings tough.

I don't think we should be all South Australian, but I think in the 50-75% realms. Currently we sit like that, but with Victorians...
 

moses

Premiership Player
May 17, 2004
3,681
5,064
Home
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
GWS
Would be intetesting to see if there are any sides with more South Aussies than Crows and Port. Gold Coast have a heap from memory.
 

Dixie Normous

Premiership Player
May 13, 2009
3,360
7,187
Adelaide
AFL Club
Adelaide
I've never even considered how many SA-bred players are in the team. The roots of the club are where we are based, train, etc. Not where a majority of the players were born or originally grew up. I don't think we have an identity crisis of any sort.

Port on the other hand are still stuck in their 'small little suburban club' vs. 'big international club taking care of business in China' matrix-esque dichotomy
 

mattymac

Why no midfield crowz?
10k Posts
Jul 9, 2009
18,167
32,188
Yes
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
No
West coast were derided on here a few years ago for their WA first policy while we were touted as more progressive with our 'best available' approach that completely ignores intangibles like pride and cohesion that can often overcome highly rated mercenaries playing for nothing but money.
 

marty36

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 17, 2009
26,372
9,223
Adelaide
AFL Club
Adelaide
West coast were derided on here a few years ago for their WA first policy while we were touted as more progressive with our 'best available' approach that completely ignores intangibles like pride and cohesion that can often overcome highly rated mercenaries playing for nothing but money.
So West Coast got it right

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

mattymac

Why no midfield crowz?
10k Posts
Jul 9, 2009
18,167
32,188
Yes
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
No
So West Coast got it right

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app
West coast clearly got it right

All things being equal we should be fairly similar to west coast, very similar set ups, yet in terms of success we can't tie their boot laces

They just always seem to care that bit more and be less compromising
 

mattymac

Why no midfield crowz?
10k Posts
Jul 9, 2009
18,167
32,188
Yes
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
No
A player like Lachie Neale for example. If he was a west aussie, no way he gets to Brisbane if west coast have a s**t midfield. They would do what it takes to get the local talent home. They get it.
 

(Log in to remove this ad.)

Dec 29, 2000
23,314
20,465
AFL Club
Adelaide
I'm not for this parochial stuff. You draft the best available talent and you work hard to keep them here - if you have the correct culture and systems in place it doesn't become an issue. No 1 issue is culture. If you draft the Vic country boys they tend to stay, it is only the Vic metro boys that are a potential issue.

If you only draft locally I'm of the view they can get comfortable - might be wrong but that is my opinion.

You can't compare WA boys to SA boys, WA is over four hours fly time from Melbourne and Sydney and the other end of the continent, a bit different to SA which is just over an hour flight time. It is in the WA clubs best interests to recruit locally if possible.
 

Cleric

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 14, 2011
14,845
16,713
Adelaide
AFL Club
Adelaide
Meh, we lost it years ago. Our recuiting manager has more of a Tasmanian bent than he does an SA one.
Our big issues is we dont even really seem to go after SA kids after they have been drafted interstate. Or we lack the ability in our recuiting division to build relationships with them good enough for them to choose us when they leave clubs.
 

Tex200

Cancelled
10k Posts Podcaster
Dec 24, 2008
19,541
38,983
Adelaide
AFL Club
Adelaide
Meh, we lost it years ago. Our recuiting manager has more of a Tasmanian bent than he does an SA one.
Our big issues is we dont even really seem to go after SA kids after they have been drafted interstate. Or we lack the ability in our recuiting division to build relationships with them good enough for them to choose us when they leave clubs.
This is a critical point. Once they are gone we rarely get them back.

Lachie Neale preferred to go to Bris after Perth. McCarthy the same. Aish went from Bris to Melb.

Is it the club? Is it the city? Who knows
 
Oct 8, 2004
1,974
2,375
Woodside
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Eagles(SANFL)
Over a two year period they had Lever, Cameron, McGovern and a decent first round pick last year to turn in to one (or more) of Lukosious, Rankine or Rozee. All elite SA talents who could’ve been the next generation to lead the club. They got Fogarty the year prior which was good. I think they failed in not being able to get high enough picks to pick up one of those three for this season.

We would’ve been better off all those years ago getting Ebert instead of Dangerfield. They should prioritise drafting the best South Australians which they should know years in advance.
 
Oct 8, 2004
1,974
2,375
Woodside
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Eagles(SANFL)
This is a critical point. Once they are gone we rarely get them back.

Lachie Neale preferred to go to Bris after Perth. McCarthy the same. Aish went from Bris to Melb.

Is it the club? Is it the city? Who knows
Port have no problem attracting or retaining their best players. It’s clearly the AFC more so than the city.
 

OzSparrow

Club Legend
Aug 30, 2006
1,842
1,264
Melbourne
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
Manly, Glenelg, Liverpool FC
This quote says it all for me:

"If premierships are the true gauge of a club's AFL success, then the Crows have failed for 21 years.
They might have become a slick, well-oiled organisation, but they have earned a reputation for dropping critical games despite being favourites and overlooking too many of the state's young players for interstate names."

Embracing mediocrity.
 

Tex200

Cancelled
10k Posts Podcaster
Dec 24, 2008
19,541
38,983
Adelaide
AFL Club
Adelaide
Over a two year period they had Lever, Cameron, McGovern and a decent first round pick last year to turn in to one (or more) of Lukosious, Rankine or Rozee. All elite SA talents who could’ve been the next generation to lead the club. They got Fogarty the year prior which was good. I think they failed in not being able to get high enough picks to pick up one of those three for this season.

We would’ve been better off all those years ago getting Ebert instead of Dangerfield. They should prioritise drafting the best South Australians which they should know years in advance.
Agree the 2018 was an epic fail in regards recruitment of SA talent.

Remains to be seen how Jones, McHenry and 2019 pick 2/3 turn out.

But in the context of SA recruitment it was a very poor showing
 

mattymac

Why no midfield crowz?
10k Posts
Jul 9, 2009
18,167
32,188
Yes
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
No
Over a two year period they had Lever, Cameron, McGovern and a decent first round pick last year to turn in to one (or more) of Lukosious, Rankine or Rozee. All elite SA talents who could’ve been the next generation to lead the club. They got Fogarty the year prior which was good. I think they failed in not being able to get high enough picks to pick up one of those three for this season.
Ogilvie always had his eye on the Tasmanian let's be honest
 
Oct 28, 2014
9,515
22,751
AFL Club
Adelaide
The benefits for mine of getting more local talent is it generally takes up less of the salary cap, less likely to leave and disrupt list management plans and importantly has a natural allegiance to our side, which potentially allows a player to dig deep when the goings tough.
There’s living examples on our list. Laird, Smith, Sauce, Knight. I don’t think they dig deep when the going gets tough. They’re more like coasters.
 

mattymac

Why no midfield crowz?
10k Posts
Jul 9, 2009
18,167
32,188
Yes
AFL Club
Adelaide
Other Teams
No
You can't compare WA boys to SA boys, WA is over four hours fly time from Melbourne and Sydney and the other end of the continent, a bit different to SA which is just over an hour flight time. It is in the WA clubs best interests to recruit locally if possible.
Sorry this is nonsense. South aussies and west aussies are peas in a pod. We're so similar it's weird.

We're closer to Melbourne than west coast are so we should stack our team full of Victorians is one of the less convincing arguments I've heard.

The other is that Victorian talent is always so much better than SA talent so we better stack our team full of Victorians. Yet our U18s team is routinely one of the stronger TEAMS in the comp because they play like a team. With passion. Something we sorely lack.

They also sing our song with far more passion than you'll ever hear our team sing it
 
Dec 29, 2000
23,314
20,465
AFL Club
Adelaide
Sorry this is nonsense. South aussies and west aussies are peas in a pod. We're so similar it's weird.

We're closer to Melbourne than west coast are so we should stack our team full of Victorians is one of the less convincing arguments I've heard.

The other is that Victorian talent is always so much better than SA talent so we better stack our team full of Victorians. Yet our U18s team is routinely one of the stronger TEAMS in the comp because they play like a team. With passion. Something we sorely lack.

They also sing our song with far more passion than you'll ever hear our team sing it

I didn't say stack our side full of Victorians, you need to take the best available talent. If it is a Victorian so be it, you only take the SA boy if he is the best of what is available. If the Vic and SA boy are comparable then take the SA boy.

Get rid of our ******* insecurities and get the right culture, the rest of it takes care of itself.

There is a fair bit of difference between an U18 State side and an AFL club.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Back