South Australian under-18 team’s theme song continues to divide

IT is a South Aussie footy feat fans across the state should be crowing about. But our championship-winning state under-18 team’s choice of anthem continues to divide.

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IT is a South Aussie footy feat fans across the state should be crowing about in unison from the top of their lungs.

Our brightest young stars kicking the Vics by 55 points on their home turf to claim their first AFL under-18 division one championship in four years.

As tradition dictates, in the immediate aftermath of the impressive win which will no doubt enhance the AFL draft hopes of many, the SA players celebrated by boisterously belting out their war cry in the Etihad Stadium rooms.

Then the online debate once again cranked into overdrive.

The team’s choice of victory song continues to divide, particularly with those whose AFL allegiance is dyed in teal, black and white.

The war cry, a reworked version of the Adelaide Crows’ Pride of South Australia tune, has been sung by the state junior team for more than a decade.

But Port Adelaide greats Warren Tredrea and Kane and Chad Cornes have led a chorus of Power fans arguing the song is too biased towards the Crows, who adopted the United States Marine Corps anthem - the 20th century tune ‘ From the Halls of Montezuma ’ – in 1991 with lyrics reworked by inaugural CEO Bill Sanders.

High performance and talent manager Brenton Phillips told The Advertiser’s Andrew Capel last week the SANFL would not bow to outside pressure and that the song “blends in’’ with what the young Croweaters are trying to achieve.

“It’s been around for as long as I can remember,’’ Phillips said.

“It’s in our handbook and my understanding is that it started 12 or 13 years ago when we had a great win against Vic Country in Melbourne and the boys didn’t know what song to sing so they used the Crows song and just changed a few words around.”

Phillips pointed out that under-age representative teams from other states use the songs of other AFL clubs, with a few words changed. Vic Metro celebrates to North Melbourne’s ‘Join in the Chorus’ tune, Western Australia sing to Sydney’s ‘Cheer, cheer the red and the white’ and the Allies theme is to Richmond’s ‘We’re from Tigerland’.

But that hasn’t stopped the outcry.

So is there a need for a universal state sporting anthem that can be used by our representative teams from all codes? And if so, what should it be?

Should it draw from our convict-free heritage, ala sea shanty ‘Bound for South Australia’?

An adaptation or original from one of our songwriting masters John Schumann, Peter Combe, Paul Kelly or Jim Keays?

A reworking of a rock ’n’ roll hit born out of the Adelaide suburbs, such as something from Cold Chisel, The Angels or The Mark of Cain? An ode honouring our hip hop icons Hilltop Hoods or pop sensation Sia? Sister Janet Mead?