Adelaide Football Club

This article is about the Australian rules football club. For the association football club, see Adelaide United FC.

Adelaide Football Club
File:Adelaide Crows logo.png
Names
Full name	Adelaide Football Club
Nickname(s)	Crows
2010 season
Home-and-away season	11th
Pre-season	Round 1
Leading goalkicker	Kurt Tippett (46)
Best and fairest	Richard Douglas
Club details
Founded	1990
Colours	Navy Blue   Red   Gold
Competition	Australian Football League
Chairman	Rob Chapman
Coach	Neil Craig
Captain(s)	TBA
Premierships	2 (1997, 1998)
Ground(s)	AAMI Stadium (capacity: 51,515)
Other information
Official website	www.afc.com.au
Guernsey: File:Adelaide Crows Jumper.svg

The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League, based in Adelaide, South Australia. its the worst club, they can't play and Port Adelaide is a better team.

The club was formed in 1990 as a composite team owned by the SANFL and played its first game in the 1991 season. Adelaide has been noted in recent years for its professionalism and competitiveness, having competed in eight of the last ten finals series, including a streak of five straight from 2005 to 2009, two feats that no other club in the AFL has been able to achieve. Although Sydney also has competed in eight of the last ten finals series, including a streak of six straight from 2003 to 2008. The club also holds the distinction of being the only club in VFL/AFL history to never lose a grand final. However this has to be put into context as Fitzroy also won its first two grand finals. Likewise Melbourne won in its first five grand final appearances.

The club is currently coached by Neil Craig. The club is based at AAMI Stadium (formerly Football Park) in West Lakes and the club song is "The Pride of South Australia", to the tune of the Marine's Hymn.

History

1993: First finals series

After finishing 9th in both 1991 and 92, the 1993 season would be the first year the young Adelaide Crows would see September action after an up and down home and away season. At home the Crows were almost unstoppable going an all-time best 9–1 and selling out every single game in which attendance was at least 44,000 each time. Tony Modra had a superb year kicking a club record 129 goals, and took the Mark of the Year in Round 8 against North Melbourne at the southern end of Football Park. However, Adelaide struggled away from West Lakes going just 3–7, and would finish the season in fifth place after beating Collingwood in a superb game at home in Round 22 to earn their first Finals berth.

Adelaide knocked out fourth-placed Hawthorn six days later at the MCG in the Elimination Final by 15 points, with Nigel Smart kicking 6 goals and the win giving Adelaide a double-chance to play in the grand final. The Crows struggled against Carlton in week 2 at Waverley Park in an 18 point loss, which denied them direct entry into the grand final. However, they still had another chance in the Preliminary Final which was played at the MCG against Essendon, who had finished as minor premier.

The Crows led by 42 points at halftime after a superb first half performance, but in the second half their performance became dismal as Essendon came back to win by 11 points. This gave the Crows the honour of having the the second biggest finals choke in history, only surpassed by Collingwood in the 1970 grand final. Essendon then went on to defeat Carlton a week later in the grand final. It has been suggested by a broadcaster during the Radio 5AA sports show and reported in the Melbourne print media that the second half fade out may have inadvertently been caused by one of the Adelaide players' unfortunate bout of flatulence that occurred during the coach's half time address. The unnamed player's actions created great mirth within the rest of the playing group and may have contributed to an unwanted break in the team's concentration and resolve. This has caused some debate amongst many supporters as to how much of an effect this had but most commentators have suggested coaching decisions and player moves as having a greater impact on the outcome.

1997—1998: Premiership years

With former Woodville and North Melbourne star Malcolm Blight taking over as coach, Adelaide went 13–9 in 1997, finishing in fourth place. Tony Modra was the club's leading goalkicker for the fifth straight season with 84, also winning his first and only Coleman Medal and victimising North Melbourne again with the Mark of the Year in exactly the same spot at the southern end, riding with his knees on Mick Martyn's shoulders and grabbing the ball facing backwards. Adelaide then went on to do what no side had ever done before, winning four consecutive finals to claim their first premiership. The Crows downed the West Coast Eagles at home on a Sunday – the first Final to be played at Football Park – and then defeated Geelong at home on a Saturday night, before defeating the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda in successive Saturday afternoons at the MCG to claim the premiership. The Preliminary Final against the Western Bulldogs was arguably the greatest game in the Crows' history: after losing Tony Modra in the first quarter to an ACL injury, they defied inaccurate kicking and a 22-point three quarter time margin to record a miraculous two-point victory. St Kilda were hot favourites to win just their second Premiership in the VFL/AFL the next week, with that year's Brownlow Medalist Robert Harvey expected to star against an Adelaide side without 1997 All Australians Modra and Mark Ricciuto, and goalsneak Peter Vardy. However, the Crows managed to again defy the critics and a half-time deficit to win by 31 points – one of the great sporting moments in the city of Adelaide, setting off a wild celebration. Utility Shane Ellen stepped into the vacancy left by Modra, bagging five goals for the match, while Darren Jarman booted five of his six goals in the last quarter to put the game beyond doubt. Andrew McLeod's heroics in the midfield and backlines earned him the Norm Smith medal for the best afield.

Adelaide again finished with 13 wins and 9 losses in an inconsistent 1998 home-and-away season and ended up in fifth position on the ladder. The season included their first of three one-point losses to Fremantle at Subiaco Oval in the clubs' history – in which Nigel Smart had the chance to tie the scores up with 5 seconds remaining, but was controversially given on the full – and a few other close defeats, but this did not faze them in the finals. Adelaide was beaten badly by Melbourne in the qualifying final but had a second chance and used it well, dominating their way to the grand final. They defeated Sydney at the SCG, and then, in what was expected to be a classic rematch with the Western Bulldogs after the previous year's Preliminary Final, thrashed the hapless Bulldogs by 68 points at the MCG. This set up a Grand Final meeting with North Melbourne who, like the Saints, started the game as unbackable favorites. Adelaide trailed by 24 points at half-time, but a superb comeback in the second half combined with North's inaccurate kicking saw them run out with a 35-point victory. Andrew McLeod again was the Norm Smith medallist, joining his future coach Gary Ayres as one of only two players to have twice won the award, and the only player to have won it back-to-back.

1999—2001: Rebuilding

The Crows quest for 3 straight premierships began in 1999, and despite a good start to the season they struggled all year with injuries, eventually finishing at 8–14 in 13th place and earning the dubious honour of having the worst so-called "premiership hangover" of any club. The year culminated with an embarrassing 76-point loss to the Kangaroos at Football Park in th last round of the season, the second worst home loss in club history. Despite the loss, outgoing coach Malcolm Blight was chaired off the ground to one of the loudest standing ovations ever heard at Football Park, while Rod Jameson, a popular Crows player throughout the 90s, also played his final game that day. It was the end of a short era; the Crows were hapless and battered. Gary Ayres took over from Blight in 2000 as the Crows began the rebuild back into a Premiership contender.

After their worst ever year in 1999, the rebuilding began in the 2000 season. It did not start well as Adelaide lost their first 5 games to sit in last place. However, they managed their first win of the season in Round 6 – ending a 10 game losing streak – and pulled off a miracle victory in Showdowns VII against Port Adelaide in round 7, recovering from a 42-point deficit to seal a win through Andrew McLeod's goal in the final minute. The Crows would improve to 9–10 but they would lose their last three games to finish 11th.

Adelaide had an inconsistent 2001 season. They struggled at home finishing 6–5, a club worst at the time, but their 6–5 away record ensured they made the finals. Adelaide lost their first three games of the season before going 12–6 from Rounds 4 to 21, but then lost to wooden spooner Fremantle in Round 22 – only Fremantle's second win for the season – limped into the finals in eighth place and were quickly eliminated by 5th placed Carlton by 68 points in a hapless performance. This was Darren Jarman's final game, and he was in tears after announcing his retirement after the game.

2002—2004: Ups and downs

The Crows finished in the top four of the premiership ladder in 2002 with a 15–7 record, finishing in third spot after defeating Fremantle at Subiaco in Round 22, with several impressive wins including a seven-point triumph over Brisbane in Round 10. Unfortunately the Crows went into the finals without the aid of their captain Mark Bickley, who was suspended for five weeks for elbowing an unsuspecting Darryl Wakelin and smashing his cheekbone in an off the ball incident. As a result they were unable to replicate this form in the finals, being crushed by Brisbane in a Qualifying Final at the Gabba by 71 points. Finishing in the top four, however, had given them a second chance against Melbourne at the MCG the next week, and in one of the more remarkable finals in history, Adelaide shot out to a 40-point lead at quarter time, before the Demons rallied through ex-Crow Peter Vardy to take the lead and extend it to 29 points. However, the Crows responded with a final-quarter surge to pull off a miracle 12-point win, with the injured Andrew McLeod kicking a goal midway through the quarter to put Adelaide in front. The win gave them a Preliminary Final berth against Collingwood at the MCG. Adelaide built to a 3 goal lead late in the second term before injuries took their toll and the Magpies marched into the grand final with the help of a deafening crowd. The Crows made one last desperate effort in the final quarter, reducing the deficit to 13 points before the Magpies put the game away, eventually winning 13.13 (91) – 9.9 (63). They would then lose to Brisbane the following week in the first of successive grand finals to be contested by the two teams.

After the great improvement in 2002, Adelaide started 2003 as one of the favourites for the AFL premiership, as the club secured the services of ex-Kangaroos champion Wayne Carey, and stormed through the pre-season competition, defeating Collingwood to claim their first Wizard Cup. However, several injuries throughout the year, including to Carey, restricted the club to 13–9 and sixth position, having lost the last three games of the minor round. The Qualifying Final saw the Crows easily defeat West Coast at AAMI Stadium on a Saturday afternoon, but they would then lose a Friday night Semi Final to Brisbane, who would go on to win their third successive premiership. This game marked the final appearance for dual premiership captain Mark Bickley. Captain Mark Ricciuto had one of the best individual years in the club's history, winning the Brownlow Medal for the best and fairest player in the AFL in a three-way tie with Adam Goodes and Nathan Buckley. However, 2003 was certainly a painful year for fans, with the team's seeming inability to win close games a huge problem.

The Crows struggled in 2004, losing its first 4 games of the season and never fully recovering, finishing 8–14, including a 5–6 mark at home. Wayne Carey, who played 28 games and kicked 56 goals for the club, suffered a season ending neck injury against West Coast in round 12 and announced his retirement soon after. Club legend Nigel Smart, the last remaining player from the inaugural 1991 team, played his final game in a Round 13 win against the Western Bulldogs at AAMI Stadium. This was also to be Gary Ayres' last game as Adelaide coach, as he was advised of his fate after the game and decided against staying until the end of the year. Assistant coach Neil Craig was appointed caretaker coach, and in his first game the Crows thrashed second-placed Melbourne at home. However, the club would then lose their next 3 games, including a humiliating 141 point loss to the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in Round 17, the worst loss ever in Crows history. Adelaide regrouped and finished the season strongly, winning three of their last five games, and Craig was confirmed as senior coach for 2005 and beyond. Supporters continued to marvel at the feats of Mark Ricciuto, who became the club's first All-Australian Captain. Also in 2004 Port Adelaide won the AFL Grand Final which broke the Crows fans hearts!

2005—2007: Success and frustration

2005 AFL Home & Away Season	W	D	L	Total	%
File:Adelaide Crows logo.png Adelaide	17	0	5	68	136.5
	Minor Premiers

2005 saw Adelaide have their best home and away season in the history of the club, finishing 17–5 and winning the minor premiership, the clubs first ever McClelland Trophy. The Crows won this prize after a stunning eight-point victory in round 22 against hot premiership favourite West Coast at Subiaco. A game in which captain Mark Ricciuto was reported for elbowing Adam Selwood in the head.

Main article: 2005 AFL Finals Series

Ricciuto was subsequently suspended and would miss Adelaide's home Qualifying Final against St. Kilda, a massive blow that in the eyes of many proved the deciding factor in a low scoring struggle that St Kilda led most of the way and beat the leaderless Adelaide Crows by eight points. The loss set up a sudden death Semi Final against bitter rival and reigning premier Port Adelaide. The Crows regained Ricciuto, and in one of the most keenly anticipated matches in South Australian football history, defeated Port Adelaide in front of a crowd of 50,521. This victory took a lot out of Adelaide as their celebrations were short-lived, with the team suffering a humiliating 16-point Preliminary Final loss to West Coast at Subiaco. In a tough, close encounter in windy and overcast conditions, a third quarter Adelaide lapse saw the Eagles mount a match-winning lead in front of a hostile home crowd. The Crows fell 35 points behind but made a late comeback before the Eagles put the game away. Adelaide joined Essendon (1999) and Port Adelaide (2002 & 2003) as recent AFL minor premiers who had failed to make the grand final.

2006 was a year of individual milestones for the Adelaide Crows. Ben Hart entered his 15th season and became the first player in Crows history to play 300 games, achieving the feat in a loss in Round 2 against West Coast. Andrew McLeod entered his 12th season and played his 250th game in a 138-point dismantling of Essendon in Round 10. Mark Ricciuto also celebrated his 300th game with five goals in the Crows' Round 16 victory over the Kangaroos on a Friday night. In each game the crowd provided a fitting tribute to the three club legends, who have amassed an amazing 16 All Australian selections between them. After 16 dominant rounds, Adelaide sat on top of the AFL ladder with a remarkable 14–2 win/loss record, and the best percentage since West Coast in 1991. However, with little warning, the Crows were thumped by a massive 82 points in round 17 by the Eagles themselves. This loss set off a dramatic change of fortunes for the Crows, as after rebounding the following week with a rare home win over Collingwood, injuries and a sudden loss of form would see the Crows lose their next three consecutive games to Fremantle, the Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide. In a dramatic twist of fate, the Crows took to the field in Round 22 against Melbourne with several key contributors from 2006 on the sidelines including Ricciuto – who had been diagnosed with a rare virus – McLeod, Hart, Brett Burton and leading goalkicker Trent Hentschel, who had suffered a shocking knee injury against Port Adelaide that would keep him out of the game for the next two seasons. However, they managed to win their first game in nearly a month, thrashing the Demons by 58 points and finishing the minor round in second place behind West Coast, with 16 wins and 6 losses.

Main article: 2006 AFL Finals Series

Despite fielding the same undermanned team in the Qualifying Final against third-placed Fremantle, the Crows produced one of the best performances in the club's history to win by 30 points. This gave the team a valuable week's rest, and enabled the club to regain McLeod and Burton in time for the preliminary final. For the second year in a row the opponent was the unbackable West Coast Eagles, however this time the match would be played at AAMI Stadium. The Crows lost ruckman Rhett Biglands to a serious knee injury early in the game, and despite leading the minor premiers at half time, the Eagles again dominated the 3rd quarter to set up victory and held on despite a desperate Adelaide surge to win by 10 points. For the second year in a row, captain Mark Ricciuto was forced to endure a home final loss from the sidelines. Although injuries and illness conspired against the Crows, supporters and players alike will remember 2006 with bitter disappointment as the one that got away.

After losing their first home game of the 2007 season to Essendon, Adelaide won their next 3 games before suffering a costly loss to Fremantle by a point at Subiaco Oval in Round 5, the third such loss in their history. They then faced a tough task against a Collingwood side at home with Adelaide coming off a six day break, compared to Collingwood's 10 day break after their ANZAC Day win and good record at AAMI Stadium, and the fatigue showed in a last-quarter fadout that saw the Magpies claim a 24-point win. These opening rounds set the tone for a see-sawing season, as Adelaide improved to 6–3 before winning only two of their next nine games to fall out of the eight. One of their best wins, an 8 point come from behind victory over Port Adelaide, in Round 18, proved the breakout; despite falling to Geelong the next week, Adelaide beat the Western Bulldogs in Round 20 to secure successive home wins for the first time in the season. In Round 21 the Crows took on Brisbane in front of an emphatic crowd of 46,500, in what was Mark Ricciuto's last home game before his retirement at the end of the season, and won convincingly despite inaccurate kicking. A 19 point victory over Collingwood in Round 22 then allowed the Crows to qualify for the finals for the sixth time in seven years.

Main article: 2007 AFL Finals Series

Despite finishing eighth, Adelaide entered the First Elimination Final against fifth-placed Hawthorn with a great deal of excitement after having thrashed the Hawks mid-season. In a see-sawing, free-flowing game, Adelaide led by 31 points just before half-time, but got too comfortable and started to wilt under pressure. In a heartstopping finish, Lance Franklin's 7th goal in the dying seconds of the game gave Hawthorn victory. Eighth place finished a rather disappointing season for the Crows, during and after which coach Neil Craig was criticised by the fans due to his strict rules and game-plan.

2008—2009: Finals failure

Main article: 2008 Adelaide Football Club season

2008 saw a new-look Adelaide side, with departures including Jason Torney, Martin Mattner, Scott Welsh and Ben Hudson. The acquisition of Brad Symes supported Neil Craig's plan to rejuvenate the ageing midfield, while Brad Moran added depth in the ruck and key position divisions, and several other younger players began to take up major roles. Additionally, former Adelaide players Ben Hart and Matthew Clarke were appointed as assistant coaches. Adelaide had a promising start in the pre-season NAB Cup, losing the final to St Kilda, and by the middle of the year they had amassed a solid 8–3 win/loss record and sat in fourth place on the table, surprising critics who expected the Crows to "bottom out". The lack of an settled forward line was compensated for by a very strong defence led by Ben Rutten, Nathan Bassett and 2008 All-Australian Nathan Bock. However, a combination of a tough draw, a tiring midfield and injuries – a season-ending knee injury to Brett Burton and a recurrence of a shoulder dislocation for Jason Porplyzia – resulted in five straight losses from round 12, and saw the club slide to ninth on the premiership ladder after the round 16 defeat to Port Adelaide. The earlier-than-expected return of Porplyzia in round 17 saw a return to good times for the club and they only lost once more in the home and away season. Mid-way through Round 22, after a shock victory over the third-placed Western Bulldogs, the Crows found themselves in fourth position, but a big win by St Kilda over Essendon saw them fall to fifth, with a 13–9 record and a percentage of 109.74. Collingwood visited Adelaide in the first week of the finals and capitalised on their good record at AAMI Stadium, running out winners by 31 points. This loss dropped the Crows to 7th at the end of the season, a disappointing result after such a promising start to the season. There were signs of good things to come, however, with the likes of Scott Thompson, Bernie Vince and Nathan van Berlo having breakout seasons, and youngsters such as Kurt Tippett and David Mackay showing plenty of promise.

Main article: 2009 Adelaide Football Club season

2009 saw a surprisingly potent forward line for the Adelaide side. Retiring was Nathan Bassett, Rhett Biglands and Ken McGregor and Bryce Campbell, Luke Jericho, Kris Massie and Edward Curnow were delisted. Phil Davis, Shaun McKernan, Rory Sloane, Tom Lee, Will Young were picked up in the draft and Ricky Henderson, Chris Schmidt, Brian Donnelly were added to the rookie list. Patrick Dangerfield, Andy Otten and Taylor Walker had breakout seasons; Jared Petrenko, Myke Cook and James Sellar showed signs of good thing to come.

The pre-season was disappointing, with a first round exit against Geelong, the 35 point loss was also Trent Hentschel's return after his struggle with a knee injury. A mid season run of seven straight wins put the Crows in position to make the finals for the 8th time in the decade. Losing against St Kilda, Geelong and Collingwood put them in the position of relying on percentage to gain a top four position, they were unable to achieve this, finishing the season in 5th with a 14-8 record and a percentage of 117.61.

Essendon visited AAMI in the first week of the finals, Adelaide easily won by 96 points. The win put the Crows into the second elimination final against Collingwood. Against expectations Adelaide looked the better of the two teams and led at half-time before the Magpies came back to take the lead in the third quarter. In an extremely tight finish and right in front of an avid Adelaide Crows fan, a late free kick was awarded to John Anthony and handed the game to Collingwood, ending Adelaide's finals hopes.

2010: Current

Main article: Adelaide Football Club season 2010

2010 had a lackluster start to the season including a first round NAB Cup exit against Port Adelaide and a demoralising 0-6 win/loss record after the first six rounds - the worst start to a season in the clubs history - had many predicting the club's worst season yet, and some the club's first wooden spoon. This came due to a combination of poor form and injury troubles; no less than six players made their AFL debut in the first nine rounds of the season. After having lost their first six games and having a 3-9 record at the mid-season break, Adelaide finally regained their form of the previous season, and have won four successive games - including a boilover victory against reigning premiers and league leaders Geelong - putting them miraculously into finals contention with six rounds of the season remaining. The win against Geelong also turned out to be the final career games of Andrew McLeod and Simon Goodwin. The very next week they lost to cross town rivals Port Adelaide for the second time that season. The Crows were not able to recover after losing to the following week and they were no longer capable of making the finals and their stated pre-season ambitions of competing with the top four were dashed. A young Adelaide recorded 2 wins in their last 3 games to close out the season, finishing with 9 wins and 13 losses, they played well at home winning 7 of their 11 home games. This marked the first time under Neil Craig the team did not make the finals.

Kurt Tippett was Adelaide's leading goal scorer with 46 goals but was far more inaccurate in the latter half of the season. Taylor Walker booted 35 goals and 28 behinds in 18 games. Andrew McLeod, Brett Burton, Tyson Edwards, Simon Goodwin and Trent Hentschel all announced their retirements during the season, all but Edwards taking a lap of honour at AAMI Stadium after the final home game of the season.

Club symbols

Club guernsey

Adelaide currently has two guernsey designs which are used in different matches throughout the season.

2010 season

Home guernseys

The home guernsey is worn at all matches designated as home games for the club as well as in selected away games and generally at all finals. There have been only two finals matches where it hasn't been used against West Coast at Subiaco Oval in 2005 and Hawthorn at Telstra Dome in 2007. It has had minor variations through its history since debuting with the club in 1991, including adding a white outline to the numbers in 1996, and removing of yellow cuffs and addition of blue strips down the sides (due to manufacturers template design) in 2006. In 2009 the yellow cuffs and full hoops returned. In 2010 the hoops were cut off again at the sides vertically replaced with dark blue. This jumper is worn with navy shorts at all home games, and usually with white shorts in away games.

Clash guernsey

The clash guernsey is a predominately white based design, worn in away games where their standard home guernsey may cause a clash of colours with the home team. It features the club logo on the front with stylised curves in club colours on the front and back with navy stripes down the sides. It is worn with white shorts and the socks worn differ slightly from those with the home guernsey. Both of the Crows away wins in their disappointing 2010 season came in the clash guernsey.

Past

In previous seasons, the Crows had five guernseys, a home guernsey, 2 away guernseys and 2 clash guernseys.

Away guernsey (1999–2007)

The away guernsey was originally intended for use in all matches designated as away games, except finals. The design had changed several times over the years since it was first used in 1999. From 2006 the red was removed from the top of the guernsey. Its usage had waned since the introduction of the "clash" guernsey, to the point where it was only used twice in 2007, against the Western Bulldogs in Round 2 and Collingwood in Round 22. In a few away matches that year, the club also continued to use the traditional "home" gunersey, something which had rarely been done since the away strip was introduced.

Clash guernseys (2006–2009)

The clash guernsey was first introduced for season 2006 and was radically different to the "home" and "away" designs at the time. It was worn at all away games where the AFL deemed there to be a clash with the home team's gunersey design. Those clubs officially on the "clash list" included Carlton, Essendon, Fremantle, Melbourne and Richmond. Despite this, the AFL forced the club to wear it against other teams, such as St. Kilda and Hawthorn in 2007, Brisbane Lions (2008, 2009) and West Coast in 2008. The decision for it to be worn in the 2007 final against Hawthorn was particularly strange considering Hawthorn didn't have a clash jumper at the time as the AFL deemed they didn't clash with any other team. In 2008 and 2009 Adelaide introduced a secondary clash guernsey with red on the back and a large sweeping crow emblem on the front for most of its away games in those two seasons.

Club songs

1991 - 1993

To the Tune of “Stars and Stripes Forever"

They’re windy up on windy hill.
There aint no sauce for the pies.
The hawks have had their wings clipped
‘cos we’re reaching for the skies.

The lions have stopped their roarin’.
The bulldogs have lost their bite.
The blues have got a case of the blues
And here’s the reason why ...

Here we go, here we go, Camry Crows,
Here we go, Camry Crows, Here we go-o.
We'll be there in the square nose to nose,
Revvin’ hard 'till the siren goes.

We're the new boys with so much to show.
Bringing greetings from ever-lovin’ Adeladie.
Gonna tread on a few people's toes,
so here we go, here we go, Camry Crows.

Oh what a feeling.....Camry Crows !

1994 - present

To the Tune of "The Marines Hymn"

We're the pride of South Australia
And we're known as the Adelaide Crows
We're courageous, stronger, faster
And respected by our foes
Admiration of the nation
Our determination shows
We're the pride of South Australia
We're the mighty Adelaide Crows
We give our best from coast to coast
Where the story will be told
As we fight the rugged battles
The flag will be our goal
Our skill and nerve will see us through
Our commitment ever grows
We're the pride of South Australia
We're the mighty Adelaide Crows

(In the original version the second line was “We’re the mighty Adelaide Crows”)

Membership base and sponsorship

In 2006, the club made history becoming the first club in VFL/AFL history to have more than 50,000 members. They broke that record in 2007, signing up 50,146 members after only round one of the season. The club failed to continue this record run and subsequently signed 48,720 members in 2008. The club has enjoyed a long standing partnership with the Toyota Camry brand since its inception, leading the club to be known in promotional materials as the "Camry Crows".

Year	Members	Home & Away Finish	Finish after finals	Average home crowd^	Major Sponsor
1991	25,087	9th	-	40,479	Toyota
1992	38,673	9th	-	38,275	Toyota
1993	40,100	5th	3rd	46,128	Toyota
1994	40,611	11th	-	42,864	Toyota
1995	41,654	11th	-	38,552	Toyota
1996	42,283	12th	-	39,428	Toyota
1997	41,395	4th	1st	40,116	Toyota
1998	41,985	5th	1st	41,203	Toyota
1999	42,120	13th	-	39,386	Toyota
2000	42,896	11th	-	38,447	Toyota
2001	42,014	8th	8th	39,627	Toyota
2002	46,620	3rd	4th	43,068	Toyota
2003	47,097	6th	5th	44,524	Toyota
2004	45,642	12th	-	39,879	Toyota
2005	43,256	1st	4th	42,336	Toyota
2006	50,138	2nd	3rd	42,329	Toyota
2007	50,976	8th	8th	42,042	Toyota
2008	48,720	5th	7th	40,678	Toyota
2009	46,472	5th	5th	38,801	Toyota
2010	45,545	11th	-	35,773	Toyota

^ Average home crowd excludes home final matches.

Club honour board

Match records

• Highest score: 30.8 (188) against Essendon at AAMI Stadium on 2 June 2006

• Longest winning streak: 10 games (Rounds 13–22, 2005)

• Longest losing streak: 10 games (Round 18 1999 to Round 5 2000)

• Largest home attendance: 51,140 against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on 26 April 2003

• Largest attendance: 99,645 against St. Kilda at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – 1997 Grand Final

• Most Goals in a Game: Tony Modra 13 goals vs Richmond (1993), Tony Modra 13 goals vs Carlton (1994)

• Largest Winning Margin: 139 points – Round 16, 1993 v Richmond at Football Park

• Largest Losing Margin: 141 points – Round 17, 2004 v Brisbane at Gabba

Premierships

1997 AFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
St. Kilda	13	16	94
Adelaide	19	11	125
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 99,645

1998 AFL Grand Final	G	B	Total
North Melbourne	8	22	70
Adelaide	15	15	105
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground	Crowd: 94,431

Premiership teams

1997 Premiership Team

B:	Ben Hart	Rod Jameson	Peter Caven
HB:	Andrew McLeod	David Pittman	Simon Goodwin
C:	Kym Koster	Kane Johnson	Matthew Connell
HF:	Troy Bond	Matthew Robran	Nigel Smart
F:	Chad Rintoul	Shane Ellen	Clay Sampson
Foll:	Shaun Rehn	Mark Bickley (Capt)	Darren Jarman
Int:	Tyson Edwards	Aaron Keating	Brett James
Coach:	Malcolm Blight

1998 Premiership Team

B:	Tyson Edwards	Ben Hart	David Pittman
HB:	Simon Goodwin	Peter Caven	Nigel Smart
C:	Kym Koster	Darren Jarman	Andrew Eccles
HF:	Peter Vardy	Matthew Robran	Andrew McLeod
F:	Mark Bickley (Capt.)	Mark Stevens	Shane Ellen
Foll:	Shaun Rehn	Mark Ricciuto	Kane Johnson
Int:	Matthew Connell	Brett James	Ben Marsh
	James Thiessen
Coach:	Malcolm Blight

"Team of the Decade"

While some sides named their "Team of the Century" to coincide with the AFL centenary celebrations in 1996, Adelaide only joined the league in 1991, and so later on named their "Team of the Decade", covering the period from 1991 to 2000. As well as earning selection in the team, Mark Ricciuto was named 'Player of the Decade' and Mark Bickley 'Team Man of the Decade.'

Adelaide Team of the Decade

B:	Ben Hart	Rod Jameson	Mark Bickley
HB:	Nigel Smart	Peter Caven	Andrew Mcleod
C:	Greg Anderson	Andrew Jarman	Simon Tregenza
HF:	Kane Johnson	Matthew Robran	Mark Ricciuto
F:	Darren Jarman	Tony Modra	Matthew Liptak
Foll:	Shaun Rehn	Chris McDermott	Tony McGuinness
Int:	Mark Mickan	Simon Goodwin	Rodney Maynard
	David Pittman
Coach:	Malcolm Blight

Coaches

• Graham Cornes, 1991–1994
• Robert Shaw, 1995–1996
• Malcolm Blight, 1997–1999
• Gary Ayres, 2000–2004*
• Neil Craig, 2004–present

*Gary Ayres was told that his contract would not be extended when it expired after the 2004 season, and he decided to quit immediately. Assistant Coach Neil Craig took over from Round 14 as a caretaker coach and was appointed Senior Coach for 2005 and beyond.

Captains

• Chris McDermott, 1991–1994
• Tony McGuinness, 1995–1996
• Mark Bickley, 1997–2000
• Mark Ricciuto, 2001–2007
• Simon Goodwin, 2008–2010

Current playing list

As of 18 November 2010

Adelaide Football Club

Senior list						Rookie list		Coaching staff
1 Chayce Jones 2 Ben Keays (vc) 3 Sam Berry 4 Lachlan Murphy 5 Matt Crouch 6 Daniel Curtin 7 Riley Thilthorpe 8 Josh Rachele 9 Rory Sloane 10 Luke Pedlar 11 Charlie Edwards 12 Jordan Dawson (c) 13 Taylor Walker 14 Jake Soligo 15 Brayden Cook 16 Max Michalanney 19 Zac Taylor 20 Mitch Hinge 21 Chris Burgess 22 Oscar Ryan		23 Izak Rankine 24 Josh Worrell 25 Ned McHenry 26 Harry Schoenberg 27 Luke Nankervis 28 Nick Murray 29 Rory Laird 30 Wayne Milera 31 Billy Dowling 32 Darcy Fogarty 33 Brodie Smith (vc) 34 Elliott Himmelberg 38 Lachlan Sholl 40 Hugh Bond 41 Jordon Butts 43 Reilly O'Brien (vc) 44 Lachlan Gollant 45 Kieran Strachan				17 Will Hamill 35 James Borlase 36 Karl Gallagher (B) 37 Patrick Parnell 39 Toby Murray 48 Mark Keane		Head coach Matthew Nicks Assistant coaches Scott Burns (senior assistant & forwards) Nathan van Berlo (midfield) Jack Hombsch (defence) Sam Baulderstone (ruck) Michael Godden (development, SANFL coach) Marco Bello (head of development) Matthew Wright (development) Chelsea Randall (development) Andrew McPherson (development) Legend: (c) Captain(s) (vc) Vice-captain(s) (B) - Category B rookie italics - Inactive player list Long-term injury Updated: 26 November 2010 Source(s): Senior list, Rookie list, Coaching staff, Injuries

Retirees from 2010:
Tyson Edwards
Andrew McLeod
Brett Burton
Simon Goodwin
Trent Hentschel
Delisted from 2010:
Jarrhan Jacky
Brian Donnelly (rookie)
Traded out from 2010::
Nathan Bock (Gold Coast Suns)
Jonathon Griffin (Fremantle)

Previous playing lists

• Adelaide Crows 1991 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 1992 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 1993 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 1994 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 1995 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 1996 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 1997 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 1998 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 1999 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2000 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2001 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2002 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2003 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2004 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2005 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2006 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2007 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2008 Playing List
• Adelaide Crows 2009 Playing List

Pre-season competition

2003 Wizard Cup Grand Final	SG	G	B	Total
Adelaide	2	13	8	104
Collingwood	1	9	10	73
Venue: Telstra Dome, Melbourne	Crowd: 43,571

See also

• Adelaide Football Club coaches
• Australian rules football in South Australia
• List of Adelaide Football Club players
• Sport in Australia
• Sport in South Australia
• Wikipedia listing of Adelaide players

External links

• Official Website of the Adelaide Football Club
• Official Website of AFL