SPORT Passion, pride in Crows’ journey
SUNDAY, March 31, 2019 – a day that will forever remain in the hearts and minds of 21 girls for the rest of their lives.
For another 21 girls, it will be a memory that will hurt them as a lost opportunity that they may never get the chance to redeem.
Grand finals are the pinnacle of AFL – we all strive to make them at the start of a season and when we do, we strive to achieve that ultimate success, to hold aloft that big shiny premiership cup.
Some people say premierships are hard to come by and others you speak to have had the privilege to triumph in multiple deciders.
It’s funny how everyone will have a different journey in football, some marked with success, like Joel Selwood – a three-time premiership player and others who never got to achieve that success, like Nathan Buckley, drafted to Brisbane in 1993, moved to Collingwood the following year and missed out on premierships at Brisbane in 2001, ‘02 and ‘03.
Ask Nathan Buckley to forego any of his individual successes for a flag and you would know the answer.
Having played in the inaugural 2017 AFLW premiership as well as a number of local club flags, one thing I know is that no two premierships are the same.
They hold the same amount of value as being crowned the ultimate team in the competition in that year, but each team is different, each team has taken a slightly different journey, has different players and different staff who have . AFLW GRAND FINAL 11.30AM CENTRAL AUST TIME
What I know about this Crows side of 2019 is that there is something special about each and every one of us, not just as footballers and as people, but as a collective in the way we have been on this journey together.
Some of us have been together for a number of years now, and some for less than 12 months.
We have enjoyed every part of this season, from the sweat sessions back in November in the heat, to travelling to our other home in the Northern Territory for our pre-season camp.
What makes this team special is that we know we have more to give.
Our systems are well drilled, our preparation is better, we have continued to improve our execution game by game and today will be our final test.
Today may be a first flag for some, a second or third premiership for others, but it will also be another first for our great state, hosting an AFLW Grand Final at the home of football, Adelaide Oval.
What we know about South Australian footy fans is that they are passionate and we urge everyone to come along and be our 19th supporter … women and men, girls and boys, be there today or watching on TV, and share this journey with us, as we strive for the ultimate success: that big, shiny cup.