‘Heads to roll’: Adelaide Crows called out over Riley Thilthorpe move

The Adelaide Crows found themselves in the crosshairs of footy fans on Saturday after a star was denied joining in the celebrations.

Riley Thilthorpe left out of the team song.

Come on Adelaide, have some heart.

The Crows got over the line against St Kilda in a rain-soaked affair at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night with Riley Thilthorpe stealing the limelight.

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Thilthorpe returned to the Crows line-up for the first time since a knee injury and was brought into the game ahead of the fourth quarter.

His impact was felt immediately as he slotted two goals and racked up seven disposals to guide the Crows to the 10.11 (71) to 5.9 (39) victory.

But it was what unfolded after the final siren that got under the skin of several AFL greats.

As the Crows players walked down into the rooms and began to circle up to belt out the team song, Thilthorpe was nowhere to be seen.

Instead of getting to revel in the celebrations alongside his teammates, Thilthorpe was being put through his paces out on Adelaide Oval.

The move didn’t sit well with Richmond great Jack Riewoldt.

Watch Thilthorpe missing out on the team song in the video player above

Riley Thilthorpe going through his paces after the match.

Thilthorpe missed the team song.

“One of the great crimes, this. He won them the game! Not good enough! Where is he?” Jack Riewoldt said on Fox Footy, telling Crows great and board member Mark Ricciuto: “I want heads to roll over this.”

Ricciuto however hit back and said, with tongue firmly in cheek: “Nah, run him into the ground.”

Former Port Adelaide ruckman Dean Brogan wasn’t a fan of the look and said it would have been a brutal feeling for the returning star.

“That would be the worst feeling to stay out there while everyone is celebrating,” Brogan said on ABC.

Despite it all, Thilthorpe was thrilled just to be back out on the park with his teammates after overcoming his injury.

“So good, so much fun to be back out there with the boys. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time,” he said post-game.

The Crows celebrate Riley’s first goal in his comeback game. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Thilthorpe was a bright spot on a rather dour contest at Adelaide Oval with one of the biggest talking point coming when Saints coach Ross Lyon smashed a phone in the coaches box.

After a Riley Bonner error lead to a Darcy Fogarty goal and gave the Crows back the lead, Lyon smashed his handset into the desk.

To his credit, the veteran coach could quickly see the funny side as he attempted to put it back together.

The Saints, coming off a big win over ladder leaders Sydney, started impressively, but managed just one goal in the second half to suffer their eleventh loss of the season.

The win for the Crows bumps their record to 6-10-1 and moves them above the Saints into 14th spot on the ladder.

Originally published as ‘Heads to roll’: Adelaide Crows called out over Riley Thilthorpe move