North Adelaide greats urge players, fans to move on from 19th man controversy, focus on grand final
CLUB legends and passionate fans have issued a rallying cry for all football fans to put aside the 19th-man debacle and focus on North Adelaide’s bid to cap its fairytale season with a SANFL premiership.
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CLUB legends and passionate fans have issued a rallying cry for all football fans to put aside the 19th-man debacle and focus on North Adelaide’s bid to cap its fairytale season with a SANFL premiership.
Loyal supporters were rejoicing after late on Monday night, the league’s independent tribunal gave the club the green light to face Norwood in Sunday’s grand final at Adelaide Oval.
It followed a nervous 30-hour wait as North’s stunning preliminary final triumph over Woodville-West Torrens hung in the balance in the wake of the 19th-man controversy.
Club legends Andrew Jarman, Grenville Dietrich and Brenton Phillips all say the Roosters have a shot at the premiership that has eluded North Adelaide since 1991.
Premiership player and dual Magarey Medallist Jarman has followed North Adelaide closely in its run towards the finals, alongside brother and fellow Roosters’ great Darren.
“Let’s bring it on and get 45,000 there to support the lads,” Jarman said. “I’m very proud of the fans; I was there at the prelim with my younger brother, D. Jarman, and to see the Roosters’ army in force brought a bit of a tear to my eye. The boys last year were the laughing stock of the competition so as a former player I’m very, very proud of the mighty Roosters.”
Lifelong Roosters’ fan Kristian Piep said justice had been done after the victory was upheld, despite North fielding an additional player early in the fourth quarter.
He called on all North fans to get behind the club as it aimed to end a 27-year flag drought, 12 months on from collecting the wooden spoon.
“I’d love to see every North Adelaide supporter that’s still breathing get down to Adelaide Oval on Sunday,” Piep said.
“Anyone with any North connections, head down there and support the old Roosters because it really helps the team. I’m just relieved and happy that we’re in the grand final, because I’ve been waiting such a long time for this and I’ve seen too many losing grand finals in my lifetime.”
Dietrich, typically tongue in cheek, predicted there would be some harsh calls from the terraces in the wake of the 19th-man drama.
“I bet it won’t be forgotten at the game; there’ll be a heap of comments. But I don’t think it’s going to matter to the players what it’s called,” he said.
Phillips, who won the 1993 Magarey Medal after years with Collingwood and Brisbane in the AFL, said the Roosters’ rise this year was a reminder to all football clubs how quickly fortunes can change in the winter game.
“It’s just fantastic to see where they’ve come from (to this),” Phillips said. “But I think that highlights how quickly it can happen.”
North fans gathered at Prospect Oval to begin preparing for the club’s first grand final since it lost the 2013 decider, also to Norwood.
Some watched their team’s return to the training track, while the Roosters’ supporters group, the North Adelaide Grog squad, started work on two banners for the day.
Member Simon Jupe said there was a buzz among fans, who had endured bottom-two finishes by their club in each of the past three seasons. “We’ve been suffering for a few years now so this has been a long time coming,” Jupe, of Ottoway, said.
North Adelaide chief executive Greg Edwards said the club was embracing grand final week.
“It probably didn’t feel like grand final week when I got up bleary-eyed this morning but we’ve all moved on and the boys are up and running and excitement is building,” he said. “We’ve taken massive strides on and off the field as a footy club this year. It’s been a big effort from everyone involved and I’m very proud.”
The players will train at the Oval on Thursday then at Prospect Oval from 5.30pm on Friday with a barbecue for fans.