Visiting boss predicts more Top End games
AN interstate link created by Adelaide great Andrew McLeod has grown to a full-strength brotherhood, Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan said last night.
Adelaide played its first AFL match for premiership points in Darwin last night and Fagan has forecast more.
The top of the ladder Crows and fifth placed Melbourne attracted more than 12,100 fans to TIO Stadium, a record for the ground since the construction of the Michael Long Centre reduced maximum capacity by about 2000.
Last night’s game was the most significant in terms of ladder positions since premiership points were first contested in the Top End between Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs in 2004.
While McLeod’s 340 games created the bridge between the Territory and the Crows, Fagan said the partnership was now a lot deeper with the establishment of the Adelaide women’s team in the AFLW.
“At the same time we’ve established a partnership with the NT Government that culminated in winning the inaugural women’s premiership,’’ he said. “It was great to play games up here with our women’s side, including a preseason game against Fremantle and an AFLW premiership game against Melbourne earlier this year.
“We’ve always had wonderful support and I’ve noticed that walking the streets the last couple of days.’’
Those factors have Fagan and his board comfortable with an increased presence in the Top End with their men’s side
“We’ve always had wonderful support and I’ve noticed that walking the streets the last couple of days” ADELAIDE CEO ANDREW FAGAN
and that means premiership matches.
“Obviously we’re the away side up here with Melbourne playing home games, but we view this game as a success to date with the turnout and ticket sales,’’ he said.
“So from our point of view we’d be really comfortable supporting it and making it a regular occurrence, subject of course to the fixture gods in the AFL where finding out where you are playing does not always work out so easily.
‘’But they know our longterm connection with Andrew, the central corridor approach we take with our community programs and our association with the AFLW, AFLNT and the NT Government means there are plenty of reasons to have Adelaide play up here as the away team.”