History of the Adelaide Football Club facts for kids
The Adelaide Football Club was started in 1990. This happened when the Australian Football League (AFL) decided to have a new team in Adelaide, South Australia. The club also has a team in the AFL Women's competition, which began in 2017.
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History of the Crows
How the Club Started
In the 1980s, the Victorian Football League (VFL) began to grow. Teams moved to New South Wales (the Sydney Swans) and new teams started in Western Australia (the West Coast Eagles) and Queensland (the Brisbane Bears). The South Australian National Football League (SANFL) didn't want a South Australian team to join the VFL at first.
The VFL, which later became the AFL in 1990, talked directly with some SANFL clubs like Port Adelaide and Norwood Football Club. But they couldn't agree.
In May 1990, the SANFL clubs decided not to join the AFL until 1993. The AFL didn't agree with this. Then, the Port Adelaide Football Club made a deal to join in 1991. The other SANFL clubs were very upset and tried to stop it.
Because the new offer was better, talks started again. On September 19, 1990, the AFL decided to create a brand new South Australian club for the league, instead of just letting one existing SANFL club join. This new club became the Adelaide Crows!
Early Years and Winning Big (1990s)
First Season: 1991
The Adelaide Crows played their first AFL season in 1991. Their first coach was Graham Cornes, and Chris McDermott was their first captain.
The Crows' first AFL game was on March 22 against Hawthorn at their home ground, Football Park. The Crows won by a huge 86 points! They finished ninth out of 15 teams that year.
Mark Mickan won the club's first best and fairest award. Rod Jameson kicked the most goals for the club with 49.
Growing Stronger: 1992–1996
In 1992, the Crows again finished ninth. Chris McDermott won the best and fairest award. Scott Hodges kicked 48 goals, including 11 in one game!
The 1993 season was exciting. Adelaide finished fifth and made the finals for the first time! They won their first final against Hawthorn. They then played Carlton and lost, and later lost a very close preliminary final to Essendon. This ended their season.
Tony McGuinness won the best and fairest award. Tony Modra kicked an amazing 129 goals that season, a club record! He also won the AFL Mark of the Year award for a spectacular catch.
In 1994, Adelaide didn't make the finals, finishing 11th. Shaun Rehn won the best and fairest. After this season, Graham Cornes was replaced by Robert Shaw as coach. Tony McGuinness became the new captain. The Crows also got future star Andrew McLeod in a trade.
The Crows finished 11th again in 1995. Matthew Connell won the best and fairest. Tony Modra kicked 42 goals and won the AFL Goal of the Year. After the season, the Crows traded for Darren Jarman, a famous player and brother of Andrew Jarman.
In 1996, Adelaide started well but then struggled, finishing 12th. Matthew Liptak won the best and fairest. Tony Modra was the top goalkicker again with 75 goals. Coach Robert Shaw was replaced by Malcolm Blight. Blight made big changes, and Mark Bickley became the new captain.
Premiership Glory: 1997
The 1997 season was special. A new South Australian team, Port Adelaide, joined the AFL. Games between Adelaide and Port Adelaide became known as "Showdowns."
Adelaide had a strong season, finishing fourth. They won their first two finals at Football Park. In the preliminary final, they faced the Western Bulldogs. Even though they lost their top goalkicker Tony Modra to injury early, the Crows came back from a big deficit to win by two points! Darren Jarman kicked the winning goal with less than two minutes left.
This win sent the Crows to their first ever Grand Final against St Kilda. St Kilda was favored to win. But the Crows, led by Darren Jarman's six goals (five in the last quarter) and Shane Ellen's five goals, won by 31 points! Andrew McLeod was named the best player on the field, winning the Norm Smith Medal. It was an amazing victory!
Andrew McLeod won the best and fairest award. Tony Modra won the Coleman Medal for kicking the most goals in the league (84 goals) and also won Mark of the Year again.
Back-to-Back Wins: 1998
The Crows started slowly in 1998 but improved to finish fifth. They lost their first final but got a second chance. They then beat Sydney and went on to play the Western Bulldogs in another preliminary final. This time, the Crows won easily by 68 points! Matthew Robran kicked six goals and Andrew McLeod kicked seven.
Adelaide played North Melbourne in the Grand Final. North Melbourne was expected to win. At half-time, North Melbourne was ahead. But just like the year before, Adelaide played brilliantly in the second half, winning by 35 points! Darren Jarman kicked five goals, and Andrew McLeod won his second straight Norm Smith Medal, which was a first for any player!
Mark Ricciuto won the best and fairest award. Darren Jarman was the leading goalkicker with 45 goals. After the season, star forward Tony Modra was traded to Fremantle.
A New Chapter: 1999
In 1999, the Crows struggled after their two premierships, finishing 13th. This was their lowest finish ever at the time.
Malcolm Blight resigned as coach and was replaced by Gary Ayres. The best and fairest award was renamed the Malcolm Blight Medal in Blight's honor. Ben Hart won the award. Darren Jarman led the goalkicking with 58 goals.
Close Calls and Changes (2000s)
Tough Start to the Decade: 2000–2001
The Crows had a very difficult start to 2000, losing their first five games. They improved later in the season but finished 11th. Mark Bickley stepped down as captain, and Mark Ricciuto took over.
Simon Goodwin won the Malcolm Blight Medal. Scott Welsh kicked the most goals with 47.
In 2001, Adelaide's form was up and down. They made the finals, finishing eighth. They lost their elimination final to Carlton by a large margin. After this game, Darren Jarman retired.
Andrew McLeod won his second Malcolm Blight Medal. Darren Jarman was the leading goalkicker with 40 goals. The Crows made many trades, bringing in players like Ryan Fitzgerald and Kris Massie. They also drafted future stars like Brent Reilly, Nathan Bock, Ben Rutten, and Martin Mattner.
Strong Seasons: 2002–2003
Adelaide started 2002 well and finished third, their best home and away season record at the time. They lost their first final to Brisbane. But they won a thrilling semi-final against Melbourne at the MCG. They then lost the preliminary final to Collingwood, ending their season.
Ben Hart won his second Malcolm Blight Medal. Brett Burton was the leading goalkicker with 51 goals. After the season, the Crows traded for champion player Wayne Carey.
In 2003, Adelaide won the pre-season competition for the first time! They made the finals again, finishing sixth. They won their elimination final against West Coast. But they lost their semi-final to Brisbane. This was the last game for dual premiership captain Mark Bickley.
In 2003, captain Mark Ricciuto became the first Crow to win the Brownlow Medal, which is given to the best and fairest player in the AFL. He shared the award with two other players. He also won his second Malcolm Blight Medal. Graham Johncock was the leading goalkicker with 30 goals.
Challenges and New Coaches: 2004
The 2004 season was tough. Adelaide lost their first four games. Wayne Carey suffered a serious neck injury and retired. Nigel Smart, the last player from the Crows' first game, also retired. Coach Gary Ayres resigned, and assistant coach Neil Craig took over.
The Crows finished 12th. Mark Ricciuto won his third Malcolm Blight Medal and was named All-Australian captain. Scott Welsh led the goalkicking with 36 goals. The Crows traded for young midfielder Scott Thompson and drafted future captain Nathan van Berlo.
Minor Premiers: 2005
2005 was Adelaide's best home and away season ever! They finished first on the ladder with 17 wins and won their first McClelland Trophy. They won 10 games in a row late in the season.
However, they lost their first final to St Kilda. They then played Port Adelaide in a semi-final and won by a record 83 points! But their season ended in the preliminary final, where they lost to West Coast.
Simon Goodwin won his second Malcolm Blight Medal. Scott Welsh was the leading goalkicker with 58 goals.
Another Strong Season: 2006
The Crows started 2006 very strongly, winning 14 of their first 16 games. But injuries to key players like Mark Ricciuto, Andrew McLeod, and Trent Hentschel caused them to fade. They finished second on the ladder.
They won their qualifying final against Fremantle. But for the second year in a row, they lost a preliminary final to West Coast in a very close game.
Simon Goodwin won his third Malcolm Blight Medal. Mark Ricciuto was the leading goalkicker with 44 goals. Ben Hart played his 300th AFL game, a club first, before retiring.
Inconsistent Years: 2007–2009
In 2007, the Crows had an up and down season. They finished eighth and played Hawthorn in an elimination final. In a very close game, Hawthorn won with a goal in the last seconds.
Andrew McLeod won his third Malcolm Blight Medal and was named All-Australian captain. Scott Welsh was the leading goalkicker with 49 goals. Captain Mark Ricciuto retired due to injuries, and Simon Goodwin became the new captain. The Crows drafted future stars Patrick Dangerfield and Taylor Walker.
Adelaide started 2008 well but then had a mid-season slump due to injuries. They finished fifth and lost their elimination final to Collingwood.
Nathan Bock won the Malcolm Blight Medal. Brett Burton was the leading goalkicker with 34 goals. The Crows drafted future club champion Rory Sloane.
In 2009, Adelaide had a strong middle part of the season, winning seven games in a row. They finished fifth again. They won their elimination final against Essendon by a huge margin. But they lost a very close semi-final to Collingwood by five points, with Collingwood kicking the winning goal in the final seconds.
Bernie Vince won the Malcolm Blight Medal. Jason Porplyzia was the leading goalkicker with 57 goals. Young players Patrick Dangerfield, Andy Otten, and Taylor Walker all received Rising Star nominations.
Rebuilding and New Challenges (2010s to Present)
Tough Times: 2010–2011
The 2010 season started very badly for Adelaide, as they lost their first six games. This was the worst start in the club's history. Their form improved later, and they finished 11th. This was the first time under coach Neil Craig that they missed the finals.
Richard Douglas won the Malcolm Blight Medal. Kurt Tippett was the leading goalkicker with 46 goals. Many club legends like Andrew McLeod, Simon Goodwin, Brett Burton, and Tyson Edwards retired. Nathan van Berlo became the new captain.
In 2011, the young Crows had their worst season ever, finishing 14th. After a big loss, long-serving coach Neil Craig stepped down. Former captain Mark Bickley took over as caretaker coach.
Scott Thompson won the Malcolm Blight Medal. Taylor Walker led the goalkicking with 32 goals. The Crows made many trades to get new players and draft picks. They hired Brenton Sanderson as their new senior coach.
A Strong Season and Controversy: 2012
Under new coach Brenton Sanderson, Adelaide had a great 2012 season. They won the pre-season competition and finished second on the ladder, equaling their best home and away record.
They lost their qualifying final to Sydney. But they won a close semi-final against Fremantle. They then played Hawthorn in a preliminary final and lost by just five points in a thrilling game.
Scott Thompson won his second Malcolm Blight Medal. Patrick Dangerfield was runner-up. Both were named All-Australians. Taylor Walker was the leading goalkicker with 63 goals. Daniel Talia became Adelaide's first ever Rising Star winner.
After the season, the club faced some trouble regarding player payments and draft rules related to player Kurt Tippett. The club was fined and lost draft picks.
More Challenges: 2013–2014
The Crows had an inconsistent 2013 season. Key forward Taylor Walker suffered a serious knee injury and missed the year. The club struggled to kick enough goals and finished 11th. Their last game at AAMI Stadium was a win, as they prepared to move to the new Adelaide Oval.
Rory Sloane won the Malcolm Blight Medal. Patrick Dangerfield was an All-Australian again. Tom Lynch led the goalkicking with 33 goals, including 10 in one game! The Crows drafted Matt Crouch and Charlie Cameron.
In 2014, captain Nathan van Berlo was injured and missed the season. The Crows had another inconsistent year, finishing 10th. They played their first games at the new Adelaide Oval.
Daniel Talia won the Malcolm Blight Medal. Eddie Betts led the goalkicking in his first year at Adelaide with 51 goals. Coach Brenton Sanderson was replaced by Phil Walsh. Taylor Walker was appointed the new captain.
A Sad Loss and Resilience: 2015
The 2015 season started well for Adelaide. But on July 3, coach Phil Walsh tragically died in a sad incident. The game against Geelong was cancelled, and the club received huge support from the AFL community. Assistant coach Scott Camporeale became the interim coach.
The team showed great strength and won six of their next seven games to make the finals! They finished seventh. They won a thrilling elimination final against the Western Bulldogs by seven points, with Eddie Betts kicking five goals. But their season ended with a big loss to Hawthorn in the semi-final.
Star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield left the club after the season. Rory Laird won the Malcolm Blight Medal. Eddie Betts was an All-Australian and led the goalkicking with 63 goals. He also kicked the AFL Goal of the Year. Don Pyke was appointed the new senior coach.
Recent Seasons: 2016–2020
In 2016, many thought Adelaide would struggle, but they played very well. They were a high-scoring team and finished fifth. They won their elimination final against North Melbourne. But their season ended in the semi-final, where they lost to Sydney.
The Crows had a fantastic 2017 season, finishing first on the ladder and reaching their first Grand Final in almost 20 years! However, they lost the Grand Final to Richmond by 48 points, finishing as runner-up.
In 2018, Adelaide hoped to do better after the Grand Final loss. But injuries and other issues meant they missed the finals, finishing 12th.
After a disappointing 2018, the Crows were expected to be strong in 2019. They had a good first half of the season but then struggled, winning only two of their last nine games. They finished 11th and missed the finals again. Coach Don Pyke resigned, and Taylor Walker stepped down as co-captain, leaving Rory Sloane as the sole captain.
Matthew Nicks was appointed as Adelaide's new senior coach for the 2020 season. 2020 was a very tough year for the Crows, as they won only three matches and finished last on the ladder. However, they ended the season strongly with three wins in their final four games.
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