The Adelaide Crows must be hoping that it’s their time to party when the curtain goes up for their inaugural home fixture at the remodelled Adelaide Oval against the Sydney Swans on Saturday.
The Crows endured a torrid time when they were the official ‘visitors” to the first AFL fixture at the new arena last weekend. It was Port Adelaide who relished their time in the spotlight with a thumping Showdown success that left their arch rivals on the outside looking in. Port have laid down an emphatic statement of intent after making sure they instantly felt right at home in their new surrounds. Now the Crows need to bandage up the scars of last week’s mauling and look ahead to see what they can achieve at the same venue. The city of Adelaide has been basking in the afterglow of the unveiling of the Adelaide Oval for last weekend’s blockbuster. Rightly so. I had already sampled the aura and feel of the updated stadium for Sheffield Shield cricket and a rather hurtful Ashes surrender by England. It instantly won my hearty vote of approval. The retention of the Hill area means that the Oval still has a unique quality. A capacity of just over 50,000 should be ample for the sporting needs of a city of Adelaide’s size. So long as that is the case, all should be fine. If a need for greed suddenly sprouts and there are calls to build another stand on the Hill, then the ground will become just another identikit stadium. And all the good work will be undone. From my seat in the Robin Hood Hotel on Portrush Road in Norwood, all seemed fine on the big screen as I imbibed on Coopers’ Pale. I never saw any need to sample the atmosphere first-hand as it was a personal dispute between two not-so-friendly neighbours for the AFL’s new beginning. The atmosphere in the Robin Hood was moderately intense with various groups of patrons divided between their allegiances to their respective teams. It was possible to spot the Crows fans as the match unfolded and the magnitude of the loss began to sink in. There were expressions of sheer exasperation on certain faces. Another drink seemed to be the only recourse. However, they have the chance to exorcise the experience from their minds and set out on an adventure of their own against the Swans. Both clubs have started with two losses and much will be on the line this weekend. The razamataz following the arrival of Lance “Buddy” Franklin from Hawthorn seems to have disrupted some of the traditional “all for one, one for all” Bloods culture of the Sydneysiders. Suddenly the Swans are perceived as a glamour team, there to be shot at. It will be interesting to see how they cope with the switch in viewpoints. The Swans will certainly feel the pressure as they walk into the Crows’ new den. A few ales in the city and a stroll across the Torrens bridge should put Crows’ fans in fine fettle for their team’s new era. Certainly, it will be a far different experience from the soulless cavern that was AAMI Stadium. My views on that depressing pit have been documented earlier. Meanwhile, tonight sees my first trek of the season onto Coopers’ Hill in Norwood for the Redlegs’ opener against Port Adelaide Reserves, which opens the SANFL campaign. The introduction of Reserve teams for the Crows and Port has not been met with universal approval. Let’s hope the move doesn’t wreck the fabric of a competition with real appeal. I will mull over the possible side-effects with a couple of swift ones in the Colonist on The Parade. Then it will be across the road for a goulash pie before the action unfolds…
thedaverosecolumn 