Port players honour John McCarthy ahead of tribute match.
Fans, Port Adelaide staff and officials stand during a minute silence for John McCarthy. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: News Limited
Port Adelaide vs Greater Western Sydney at AAMI Stadium starts. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: News Limited
NEVER has AAMI Stadium been so silent while so many have had their emotions left raw. Even after the minute's silence to honour John McCarthy was over, no one moved, no one spoke nor did anyone lift their eyes.
It seemed a minute was not enough to reflect on the loss of McCarthy, particularly after the seven-and-a-half-minute video tribute from nine of his Port Adelaide teammates had left many reaching into their pockets or bags to wipe away tears.
The heartfelt emotion from the terraces was pre-empted by Port president David Koch. In his pre-game speech, he chose to remember McCarthy in the words of the fans.
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"From the moment John wore the Port Adelaide jumper against St Kilda and scored his first goal for the club, he became a fan's favourite,'' said Koch.
"We remember that amazing smile.
"No wonder there has been an outpouring of emotion. I take a quote from one of the fans from the shrine they made in honour of J-Mac at Alberton Oval, `It's hard to believe you are gone ... you were here for only a season, but had such a big impact on our team'.''
Koch declared McCarthy, who came to Alberton in the summer of 2011-12 after starting his AFL career at Collingwood, would ``forever be a part of the Port Adelaide Football Club''.
He also noted there are times when football's rule of ``no one being bigger than the game'' has an exception.
"And the tribute to J-Mac is one of them,'' said Koch.
McCarthy's family, who live on Victoria's Sorrento coast, and his girlfriend, Danni, who had moved to Adelaide with J-Mac, were at AAMI Stadium last night to see and feel how much McCarthy had come to mean to the "Port Adelaide family'' in less than a year at Alberton.
GWS was always in a difficult position last night. The Giants arrived wanting to pay their tribute to McCarthy as well.
They wore black armbands, they took part in the minute's silence and they were always going to be the unwanted guest at AAMI Stadium if they threatened to deny the Power players the appropriate send-off for McCarthy.
GWS coach Kevin Sheedy said yesterday morning his team's part in respecting McCarthy was for the Giants to play their best football and to deliver a contest that honoured J-Mac's love of the Australian game.
The Giants certainly put this on the agenda early with a stunning opening the first two goals of the game.
Port's slow start was probably inevitable from a player base that in the video tributes had shown its emotional pain in losing McCarthy during the end-of-season holiday to Las Vegas in September.
The fightback was to be equally expected from a group charged to honour their mate.
The banner the Port fans drew down from the outer wing after the minute's silence said ``J-MAC, IN MEMORY OF OUR FRIEND''.
That memory was honoured last night. And some.
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