The day the Crows made AFL take notice: Part two
As preparations for the AFL season lift another gear this weekend with the start of the JLT Series, inaugural Adelaide Crows captain Chris McDermott reflects on his side’s first ever competitive hitout — and win — in the old Foster’s Cup. Relive the night.
Chris McDermott
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- Part one: The day Crows made AFL take notice
- Adelaide goes on the Chayce
- No looking back for Laird, Crows
- Strong squads to ensure sizzling summer Showdown
It was the biggest night of the Adelaide Crows’ AFL life so far. Our first Foster’s Cup match, against Malcolm Blight’s highly rated Geelong, on Wednesday February 13, 1991.
But, looking back, there was one significant name was missing from the Football Record.
Mark Bickley.
It wasn’t a big surprise back then but in hindsight it was.
The two-time premiership skipper was the 52nd and last player to make the Crows initial squad and while he had made his presence felt in the preseason, Graham Cornes erred on the side of caution and hesitated to rush him into the team.
Bickley wouldn’t have to wait too much longer.
The Port Pirie youngster would make his AFL debut against Essendon at Windy Hill in round 4 and more than held his own despite the 45-point thumping.
His place in the team was never in doubt from that moment.
Bickley would play 18 of the 22 home and way matches in his first year and back it up playing every match the following season.
He may have been the most significant absence from the team sheet for that Foster’s Cup clash but he wasn’t the only one.
Peter McIntyre would also miss but make the 20 for the first game in the season proper against Hawthorn, kicking four goals in a sensational start to his AFL career.
Macca would play 13 games in 1991 but just the one in 1992 before losing his place on the list.
Rod Jameson was the other.
Despite his love-hate relationship with the coach, Jamo regained his place in the team for the Hawthorn clash and played 19 of the 20 games in the first year and 153 in total before his body finally gave in.
North Adelaide premiership defender Trevor Clisby was another name that appeared in the Record that night but the rebounding left footer would miss a place in the Crows first squad after badly injuring his arm and was never seen in the tricolours again.
Tony McGuinness would captain the team that night with leadership appointments still hanging in the balance.
He promised Crows fans a “good performance” but did not guarantee them a win. They got one anyway. A big one.
After an even start to the contest the Crows blew the game apart with a six goal to two second term. Darel Hart and Scott Hodges were on fire in attack, Hart ended his night with 6.1 while Scotty finished with 2.7.
The second half was even better with the Crows ultimately destroying Malcolm Blight’s Cats by 77 points.
Scott Lee guaranteed his place in the team for round 1, dominating from defence while Stephen Schwerdt gave selectors plenty to think about with a hard running, rebounding game from half back.
On a sour note Bruce Lindner tweaked a hammy and Matthew Kelly had a suspected broken hand but the pain for all was short-lived and the Crows premiership odds were slashed from 80/1 to 50/1.
Interestingly both Sydney and Richmond were at 300/1. I’d take that today!
Tony’s experience at the level in his five years with Footscray/Western Bulldogs was invaluable and he had strong claims to the captaincy role but the team needed him to play at his absolute best and not be burdened by other duties.
Tony was the first player opposition teams would target and attempt to lock down.
He was clearly our best asset and the player we needed up and about to be competitive.
He did it to near perfection accumulating just under 500 possessions in the first year and an impressive 657 in 1993 when the team lost in the preliminary final.
The toss of the captaincy coin fell my way.
It was the beginning of the most challenging time of my career.
Apart from a period of harmony and relevant success in 1993 it was a relentless struggle between what was best for the developing playing group, what was best for Graham and the coaching panel and what was best for the Adelaide Football Club and its future.
Sometimes I got it right and there were plenty of times when I did not.
What was important to everyone was how we, the Crows, would be perceived by the players and the fans today. What legacy would we leave.
Would they like and respect the culture we began or would they be critical and disappointed.
Perhaps that question will never be answered.
The Gold Coast shows you what can happen when you get it wrong.
SCOREBOARD
Adelaide 3.4 9.11 15.14 23.18 (156)
Geelong 3.0 5.2 8.11 11.13 (79)
Best: Adelaide — Lee, Hart, Marshall, Jarman, McDermott, Schwerdt, McGuinness, Fielke, Klug. Geelong — Bairstow, Brownless, Scott
Scorers: Adelaide — Hart 6.1, Hodges 2.7, Hocking, Klug, Fielke 2.1, Lindner, Tregenza, Kelly 2, Smith, McGuinness 1.1, Marshall 1.0, McDermott, Maynard, Smart 0.1, rushed 0.2. Geelong: Scott 3.4, Brownless 2.2, Hinkley 1.1, Exell, Stoneham, Bruns, Poole, Bourke 1, Bairstow 0.3, Bews, T. Malakellis 0.1, rushed 0.1.
Second chances rarely pay off for AFL coaches
History suggests strongly that if you miss out on a premiership at your first try as a coach, you should not get another chance — unless you’re Mick Malthouse or Malcolm Blight, writes Chris McDermott.
When two tribes go to war
It was the game that stopped a state — the first Showdown between the Crows and Power on April 20, 1997. Chris McDermott shares his memories for Part 1 of The Greatest Showdowns series.