Adelaide Crows AFLW coach Matthew Clarke reveals foundation for success, praises grand final performance as ‘fun to watch’

Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke reveals the mantra that laid the foundations for the Crows’ second AFLW premiership — his first in 25 years of footy.

• Crows celebrate after massive grand final win
• Stunning mark of respect for Phillips after injury
• Match report: How Crows won the flag
• Rucci: How Adelaide just redefined elite women’s footy

On the first day of the Crows AFLW pre-season back in November, first-year coach Matthew Clarke gathered his 30 players around him and wrote three letters on a whiteboard: S.F.W.

“Remember these letters,” he told his group, “they will be the basis of our season”.

On Sunday afternoon, as he celebrated his team’s clinical 45-point grand final victory over Carlton at Adelaide Oval, Clarke revealed what that meant.

“It means lots of things,” he said.

“Simple footy wins. Supreme fitness wins. Skills fundamentals wins.”

And the Crows ticked off each of those objectives in their dominant season and that’s exactly what won them the AFLW premiership.

Crows players celebrate an Eloise Jones goal during the 2019 AFLW Grand Final match between Adelaide and Carlton at Adelaide Oval in front of 53,034 people. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos/Getty Images

But, Clarke said, this grand final wasn’t won on March 31, 2019. It was won in all the little moments that started in pre-season, and were built on throughout the nine games they played this year.

“You don’t win premierships on the last day, you win them on first day of pre-season,” he said.

“Essentially, why we won, is because the players worked their backsides off for the duration of the program and in many cases well before the program began because they came back physically ready to do the work.

“That’s why we won.”

And it must be special for the man they all call “Doc” because despite his 25 years in football, this is his first premiership win.

The victorious Crows pose for a team photo with the premiership trophy. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Clarke said he found the game “fun to watch” as his charges dominated the Blues, particularly in the second quarter — when the game was won — when the Crows kicked six goals to Carlton’s one.

“Carlton came with exactly the intent that we thought they would, but I thought the group were fairly composed in that and didn’t look rattled, they steadied, took our opportunities when they came late in that first quarter and clearly the second quarter was pretty outstanding football,” he said.

“This day was pretty special and in time, hopefully we get a chance to reflect back on what this day means.”

As calm and collected as always.

Congratulations, Matthew Clarke! 🏆👏#AFLWGF pic.twitter.com/u9fa80pFzb

— 7AFL (@7AFL) March 31, 2019

WHAT A FEELING 😍😍 #weflyasone #crowsaflw pic.twitter.com/iwROhBDv6A

— Adelaide Crows AFLW (@CrowsAFLW) March 31, 2019

While Crows co-captain Chelsea Randall described the two suspected ACL injuries to teenage forward, Chloe Scheer, and superstar Erin Phillips as “heartbreaking”, she said the atmosphere created by women’s football was unbelievable.

“I think it’s just going to continue to evolve over time and the young talent coming through is just exceptional,” she said.

“The young ones for us today, Eloise Jones, Danielle Ponter, Chloe Scheer, were unbelievable.”

Simple. Footy. Wins: it’s the mantra that Crows AFLW coach Matthew Clarke has been running with all season 2019 and saw his side defeat Carlton by 45 points in the AFLW Grand Final at Adelaide Oval on March 31, 2019. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Clarke said he had had an “amazingly good time” during his first year as head coach

“It’s been immensely satisfying,” he said.

“Win or lose (the grand final), it’s been pretty good.

“Everyone kept asking me (in the lead up) whether I was going to get nervous … but I had a certain degree of confidence with how well they prepared.

“I felt if we lost, it wouldn’t be because they didn’t show up and have a crack … they played at an exceptionally high level.”

And now, footy talk will continue to swirl around whether this Crows outfit has been the best team the AFLW has seen in its short history.