Footy Forecast: Your weekly AFL preview from SA’s most diehard fans
In this week’s forecast, an Adelaide Crows fan will have his allegiance tested when the team faces his favourite player, while a Port fan is preparing to jet off interstate to watch his side face an old rival.
Can beat anyone at their best: Adelaide Crows’ Dylan Clark
Adelaide Crows Supporters Group vice-president Dylan Clark decided to support the Crows as a youngster living in Tasmania, “simply because of their colours”.
“I moved to Adelaide and have been a pretty passionate supporter ever since,” Clark said.
Adelaide had arguably their strongest team performance last round, defeating the Western Bulldogs by 57 points at Marvel Stadium.
The Crows got off to a blistering start last Thursday night, kicking a commanding score of 56 in the first quarter, the team’s equal second-highest first-quarter score ever.
“I spent most of the first quarter with my jaw open, wondering where this team has been all year,” Clark said.
Jordan Dawson put together another best on ground performance with 32 disposals, eight tackles and three goals.
Small forward Josh Rachele was among the team’s best, booting four goals, while full-forward Riley Thilthorpe returned to the side with three goals.
“What I find is when we win like that, it’s a team effort. I have to say Dawson was absolutely unreal, but he was well supported by the team,” Clark said.
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Adelaide will be playing Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Saturday as both teams look to secure spots in the top four on the ladder.
Melbourne has won its last two matches, last week defeating Essendon by 45 points with Kysaiah Pickett gathering 32 disposals and three goals and ruckman Max Gawn amassing 24 disposals and 29 hitouts.
Even though Clark is a diehard Crows supporter, he said it was the “one game of the year” where his support is conflicted.
“It’s no surprise that big Max Gawn is my favourite player,” Clark said.
“I’ll obviously be wanting the Crows to win, but I’ll also be wanting Max to have a good game as well — but not too good.”
The Crows supporter recently dressed up as the Melbourne captain for his Fight MND fundraiser and ice bucket challenge, raising more than $1200 from generous fans.
While he admitted that Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett is an “unreal player”, Clark remains confident that Crows can continue their good form and get the victory on Saturday.
He said the team could go deep into the finals campaign after losing in straight sets last year.
“When they’re at their best they can beat anyone. I think the couple of really close wins we’ve had this year gives them all good experience as well,” he said.
“I’m certainly looking forward to the Showdown next week, then we’re off to Perth to play West Coast. despite where they are on the ladder you can’t deny they are a pretty good up and coming young team.”
Clark said he does not remember much of the 1997 and 1998 Premiership wins but is looking forward to “making a memory” of his own.
The ‘anti-bandwagoners’: Port Adelaide’s Phil Rollas
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Phil Rollas, co-founder of Port Adelaide fan group The Alberton Crowd, has been a staunch Port Adelaide supporter since he was four years of age.
“I remember my nanna, who was a very ardent Crows fan, was able to put that aside and knit me a jumper in black, white and teal,” Rollas said.
“She hated Port Adelaide, but she still did that for me.”
Port Adelaide’s string of close losses continued last Saturday night, losing to Sydney by three points at Adelaide Oval. It marked the fifth game Port Adelaide has lost by three points or less this season.
Rollas said ruckman Jordon Sweet was the team’s standout player, finishing the game with 35 hitouts, 17 disposals and two goals.
Joe Richards was also among the team’s best, gathering 23 touches and kicking one goal, while Zak Butters was again impressive with 27 disposals and one goal.
Despite yet another close loss, Rollas said the vibe around the team’s fan base remained “relatively positive”.
“Nobody expected us to even come close last week. I was a bit more optimistic and I thought we would give it a good crack,” he said.
“You score one more goal in all five of those close losses and suddenly the year looks substantially different. We’re not far off the mark.”
The Power will head to the MCG to face Collingwood on Saturday night as they look to break a streak of five consecutive losses against the Magpies.
Port Adelaide last defeated Collingwood at the MCG in 2021, winning that bout by a single point.
Despite Collingwood having arguably the most in-form player and Brownlow favourite Nick Daicos playing in the midfield, Rollas isn’t worried about any Magpies player.
“It’s our biggest game of the year. Collingwood are almost another rival of sorts which dates to the clash of jumpers with the prison bars,” he said.
“Collingwood aren’t exactly coming in with flying colours either, so I think we’ll give it a good crack.
“It’s looking like it will be another close finish, which none of us fans want, but I’ll take that over an 80-point drubbing.”
The Alberton Crowd will be heading to the MCG as part of its seventh annual ‘Tour of Duty’, with at least several hundred Port fans joining the brigade.
“We’ll pick an away game each year when we try to make one that is as accessible and affordable as possible for many fans to go, and we make a big event of it,” Rollas said.
Rollas describes The Alberton Crowd as the “anti-bandwagoners”, starting the group in 2011 when Port Adelaide recorded its worst ever season, finishing second bottom on the ladder with just three wins.
He said his fondest memory is the 2004 Premiership win featuring his all-time favourite player, the “eternally ageless” Gavin Wanganeen, who kicked four goals on the day.
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