How Crow Can You Go? An Adelaide Football Club Saga

[SurreyBlue]

Adelaide supporters are doing my head in. We just need Stocker to debut and prove he was worth trading 1 first round pick for 2 first round picks. Then we sit back and watch them cry over missing out on Stocker.......

 

[ok.crows]

Not sure that they were taking attendance in 1864 ... 155 years ago ... 35 years before Federation ... don’t know how you can compare that to 1991 and what was practically a State of Origin side.

In comparison, West Coast's first game at Subiaco in 1987 drew 23,897.

I am absolutely positive that no ex-VFL side now in the AFL would have drawn anything like such a crowd (of its own supporters) to its very first VFL game.

The inaugural Crows side was a long way from being a State of Origin side. Over half of the players of the 1991 SA State of Origin side played for a Victorian AFL side in the 1991 season.

 

[jezzajay]

I don't doubt it.

I would point out that not all SANFL fans saw it that way, and indeed the majority would have seen it precisely the opposite way ... that attitude being that anything at all was preferable to Port joining the AFL. This is borne out by the immediate success, in terms of attracting members, of the new Crows composite side. Just about all of these inaugural members would have been fans of a SANFL side at the time ... even many Port fans. The crowd at the very first game for the Adelaide Crows, played at Footy Park, was 44,902. The vast majority of those would have been Crows supporters.

Now in terms of supporter respect, I wonder how many other current AFL clubs ever drew 44,000+ people to their very first game?

PS: For information, the crowd at Port's first AFL game at Footy Park in 1997 was a very commendable 32,747. This is a great result, but it doesn't compare to the popularity of the Crows.

If port had joined the comp before the crows I have no doubt they would have pulled a similar crowd to yours.
When the crows came into the comp it was like a state of origin mentality in Adelaide and the locals were frothing for it. The adrenaline was up...so much so you knocked off a seasoned team who would eventually be premiers in your first outing. Of course, they settled down as did the performances.
I have no doubt the same would be said about any team coming out of a footy hungry (and bored) city like Adelaide.
To suggest that other teams may not pull that sort of crowd is farcical and pointless.
You got in first, captured those supporters that were looking for anything to get behind to join the comp and kick a vic. Not leaving much in terms of a supporter base or the excitement of a SA team entering the comp like you had.

 

[Dadda Dave]

Adelaide supporters are doing my head in. We just need Stocker to debut and prove he was worth trading 1 first round pick for 2 first round picks. Then we sit back and watch them cry over missing out on Stocker.......

They STILL won't get it ..
We only need Stocker to be a good B grade150 gamer to come up trumps and let SOSdo his work on their pick coming back ..which he will deliver in spades..

 

[jezzajay]

The inaugural Crows side was a long way from being a State of Origin side. Over half of the players of the 1991 SA State of Origin side played for a Victorian AFL side in the 1991 season.

Incorrect.
The club and media pushed and marketed the team to gain as much support as possible from the locals and the team would not have had the colours it has if it weren’t for them trying to draw from the emotion of the state of origin team.

 

[SkyhorseTamer]

In comparison, West Coast's first game at Subiaco in 1987 drew 23,897.

I am absolutely positive that no ex-VFL side now in the AFL would have drawn anything like such a crowd (of its own supporters) to its very first VFL game.

The inaugural Crows side was a long way from being a State of Origin side. Over half of the players of the 1991 SA State of Origin side played for a Victorian AFL side in the 1991 season.

But you had the equivalent of multiple VFL teams to pull a crowd from. If you had an afl team formed from 4 VFL teams in 1991 it would've squashed 44k. This revisionist posturing is utterly pointless and proves nothing other than the Crows history is boring.

 

[Vikingblood]

So the AFL has only lived on because of the crows...this is laughable.
If the fairies came in instead of the crows...then the AFL would not exist according to you!?

Not solely us no. But the expansion of the comp nationally is absolute fact. The VFL was insolvent, Brisbane and West Coast kept the wolves at bay, we put the comp back on level footing.

 

[BlueGum]

But you had the equivalent of multiple VFL teams to pull a crowd from. If you had an afl team formed from 4 VFL teams in 1991 it would've squashed 44k. This revisionist posturing is utterly pointless and proves nothing other than the Crows history is boring.

****** boring

 

[jezzajay]

Not solely us no. But the expansion of the comp nationally is absolute fact. The VFL was insolvent, Brisbane and West Coast kept the wolves at bay, we put the comp back on level footing.

So you’ve changed what you were saying.
You were saying if it’s ere t for the crows the AFL wouldn’t exist. We all understand what it takes for the AFL to exist...we’ve been around long enough...and actually have more experience within the league you joined.

 

[Vikingblood]

But you had the equivalent of multiple VFL teams to pull a crowd from. If you had an afl team formed from 4 VFL teams in 1991 it would've squashed 44k. This revisionist posturing is utterly pointless and proves nothing other than the Crows history is boring.

and this shows exactly why you have no clue. The SANFL was a much loved comp and was in better financial shape than the VFL. Therefore there were many diehard supporters who wanted nothing to do with the Crows. Even less would have wanted anything to do with Port had they got in at that time.

 

[Vikingblood]

So you’ve changed what you were saying.
You were saying if it’s ere t for the crows the AFL wouldn’t exist. We all understand what it takes for the AFL to exist...we’ve been around long enough...and actually have more experience within the league you joined.

The league we joined, which was insolvent, which therefore only exists because of teams from outside the original comp.

 

[SkyhorseTamer]

The league we joined, which was insolvent, which therefore only exists because of teams from outside the original comp.

Was fine by the time you lot joined btw, re-learn your history.

and this shows exactly why you have no clue. The SANFL was a much loved comp and was in better financial shape than the VFL. Therefore there were many diehard supporters who wanted nothing to do with the Crows. Even less would have wanted anything to do with Port had they got in at that time.

Nothing to do with how well the VFL was loved. Look at the average crowds of a few of the big VFL clubs, pool them together and add the excitement of them forming the only club entering a national competition from that era and extrapolate the crowd figure from that. Stop being so arrogant. You're bringing all this up with fans of a club that wasn't in financial trouble like some of the other clubs.

 

[jezzajay]

The league we joined, which was insolvent, which therefore only exists because of teams from outside the original comp.

Oh boy...

 

[Heres Waite]

****** boring

The most interesting part of their history is that they only exist because of litigation the other 9 SANFL clubs took against Port Adelaide for applying for an AFL license. The Adelaide Football Club was born in a court!!! They truly are a fabricated plastic club.

 

[Blue and Blue]

and this shows exactly why you have no clue. The SANFL was a much loved comp and was in better financial shape than the VFL. Therefore there were many diehard supporters who wanted nothing to do with the Crows. Even less would have wanted anything to do with Port had they got in at that time.

So you won't mind if we send port back to the sanfl and wind up the crows.....I mean its not like you ever belonged

 

[jezzajay]

and this shows exactly why you have no clue. The SANFL was a much loved comp and was in better financial shape than the VFL. Therefore there were many diehard supporters who wanted nothing to do with the Crows. Even less would have wanted anything to do with Port had they got in at that time.

The most interesting part of their history is that they only exist because of litigation the other 9 SANFL clubs took against Port Adelaide for applying for an AFL license. The Adelaide Football Club was born in a court!!! They truly are a fabricated plastic club.

Thank you for highlighting this..it is pertinent to the reasoning behind their soulless existence.

 

[mrjones]

In comparison, West Coast's first game at Subiaco in 1987 drew 23,897.

I am absolutely positive that no ex-VFL side now in the AFL would have drawn anything like such a crowd (of its own supporters) to its very first VFL game.

The inaugural Crows side was a long way from being a State of Origin side. Over half of the players of the 1991 SA State of Origin side played for a Victorian AFL side in the 1991 season.

Who cares, just be happy that 40 odd thousand Adelaidians actually had something to do for a change.

 

[Vikingblood]

The most interesting part of their history is that they only exist because of litigation the other 9 SANFL clubs took against Port Adelaide for applying for an AFL license. The Adelaide Football Club was born in a court!!! They truly are a fabricated plastic club.

Yet more successful than your club since that occurred. So a “plastic franchise” has more heart than a VFL club with so much history. Interesting.

 

[ET Sloane Home]

Not sure that they were taking attendance in 1864 ... 155 years ago ... 35 years before Federation ... don’t know how you can compare that to 1991 and what was practically a State of Origin side.

37 years

 

[agro]

You have your soul, we’ll have the premierships and a regularly competitive team. Enjoy.

Ah soul, that you do have.

 

[ok.crows]

Incorrect.
The club and media pushed and marketed the team to gain as much support as possible from the locals and the team would not have had the colours it has if it weren’t for them trying to draw from the emotion of the state of origin team.

The inaugural Crows squad did not contain any of the State of Origin players who had already been drafted by Victorian sides, such as Kernahan or Bradley or Nailey or Platten. It did not even contain a couple of high standard players who played in 1990 for SANFL sides in Darren Jarman and Matthew Robran, despite the fact that there was supposed to be exclusive access to SANFL players for the inaugural Crows squad, and the inaugural Crows were not part of the national draft. The inaugural Crows squad contained quite a number of young players who had barely broken into the side for their SANFL club, such as Bickley. The inaugural Crows squad was a long, long way from being a State of Origin standard side.

 

[ok.crows]

But you had the equivalent of multiple VFL teams to pull a crowd from. If you had an afl team formed from 4 VFL teams in 1991 it would've squashed 44k. This revisionist posturing is utterly pointless and proves nothing other than the Crows history is boring.

This argument does not address the point that the inaugural Crows side was meant to appeal to supporters of all the SANFL clubs at the time, not just Port fans. Nor does this argument in any way refute the point that in this aim the new Crows club was very successful indeed.

 

[mrjones]

When the Crows played their first AFL game there were 40K less people waiting for a Cod to wash up downstream. Pretty straight forward.

Has any one else been drinking Guinness?

 

[jezzajay]

The inaugural Crows squad did not contain any of the State of Origin players who had already been drafted by Victorian sides, such as Kernahan or Bradley or Nailey or Platten. It did not even contain a couple of high standard players who played in 1990 for SANFL sides in Darren Jarman and Matthew Robran, despite the fact that there was supposed to be exclusive access to SANFL players for the inaugural Crows squad, and the inaugural Crows were not part of the national draft. The inaugural Crows squad contained quite a number of young players who had barely broken into the side for their SANFL club, such as Bickley. The inaugural Crows squad was a long, long way from being a State of Origin standard side.

Yes, and?
I was talking about the SA team as a whole and what the Crows took from the emotions of SA footy lovers to garner support, not individuals.
I’m not sure you’ve understood what I said.

 

[ok.crows]

Post # 1081
No I did not misrepresent...you have.

And post # 1102.
You misread my last sentence.
I was saying the state of origin team as a whole, not the players (individuals) but the love, support of the team (no matter the players) by local SA footy lovers.

OK, fair enough, there were two discussions going on at the time, and it seems that I have crossed these discussions over.

Sorry about that.