Rucci's Rip: Showdown worth savouring

Port's David Rodan and Brodie Martin vie for the ball during Showdown XXX in April 2011. Picture Simon Cross Source: adelaidenow

HIS name is Bill. He is a "devoted" Crows fan. But he says in his correspondence he will not go to a Showdown if Port Adelaide is the host club.

Bill is not alone. He is among a large species of "dedicated" Adelaide supporters who will not be at AAMI Stadium if the Crows are wearing white shorts (to signify they are the away team).

The MCG yesterday was filled by fans of arch-rival clubs Collingwod and Carlton not caring who had hosting rights at football's grandest theatre.

Why Crows fans abandon their team - bringing into doubt the power of the club's "19th Man" campaign - is worthy of a social-study thesis. David Attenborough could make a television series from analysing the character of the Crows fan such as Bill.

He is like the creatures Attenborough recently catalogued in his return to the Galapagos Islands. They were born in isolation in 1991. They became rusted on to their seats at West Lakes.

Gallery: Showdown XXXII in pictures

Port Adelaide's Hamish Hartlett gets a kick away under pressure in Showdown XXVI match as the Crows wear the white shorts at AAMI Stadium. Picture: Morne De Klerk

And then in 1997 the Showdown arrived. No longer were the Crows fans the dominant voice during AFL games at AAMI Stadium. They had to deal with banter from a rival club's fans. They had to cope with finding another seat when the Power hosted the derby.

The reasons Crows fans offer for abandoning their team at Port derbies are always built on paradox.

THEY won't buy tickets that hand money to the Port Adelaide Football Club. But Bill admits he will travel to Melbourne to watch the Crows play Collingwood and thereby fill Eddie McGuire's wallet. Go figure.

THEY say, "Why should we go to a Power Showdown?" The fear of giving money to the Power is always bemusing.

The big moneywinner at AAMI Stadium is usually the SANFL that pockets the carparking and catering revenue at West Lakes. Strange that Bill would be happy to give his money to Collingwood rather than the SANFL.

THEY say it is not safe to be at Power-hosted Showdowns. Yet, figures recently offered by the SANFL reveal the most evictions at AAMI Stadium are during Crows games. Obviously, they fight among themselves.

Chad Cornes and Ben Rutten clash during Showdown XXXI in 2011. Picture: Simon Cross

THEY don't like being denied their regular seat at AAMI Stadium. How many Collingwood or Essendon fans care where they are placed at the MCG on Anzac Day?

Gallery: Crowd colour from Showdown XXXII

So here is the question of the century.

Should - and every South Australian should wish this dream - Port and the Crows reach the AFL Grand Final at the MCG, would Bill and his Galapogos mates stay in Adelaide because they do not want to share an arena with the Power fans?

Adelaide chairman Rob Chapman yesterday told The Rip he will be contacting Port president David Koch today to commit everything he can to filling AAMI Stadium on Sunday - for the sake of SA football's image and restoring the Showdown as a rivalry Malcolm Blight once described as the biggest in the modern AFL.

Perhaps Chapman should first call Bill and the Galapogos crowd who suffer from the "white-shorts syndrome" and significant shortsightedness.

After all, the "19th Man" is supposed to be an unconditional commitment to the Adelaide Football Club.

RIP IT UP
1. MELBOURNE FC
NO AFL club appears more dysfunctional than Melbourne. And the game's oldest club will not solve its woes by sacking coach Mark Neeld, after all what did the Demons achieve by dismissing Dean Bailey?

Melbourne has to face up to the same problems addressed at Port Adelaide.

The adage of the fish rotting from the head compels the Melbourne board to reflect on its decision in 2011 to sack Bailey and re-instate chief executive Cameron Schwab. Before Melbourne deals with Neeld, the board and the incredibly silent Schwab need to consider their positions.

2. PORT FANS
THERE is now debate as to whether there were, as the SANFL reported, just 25,122 at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night when the Port Adelaide fans were compelled to rush to West Lakes as a vote of support for the changes at their club - and as a mark of respect for former player John McCarthy in his tribute match.

If the figure is right, the Power supporters who stayed home are rightly open to criticism.

If the figure is wrong - amid reports scanners at the gate were not working - the SANFL needs to today report exactly how many tickets were sold for the match. At least this figure cannot be disputed.

3. SCORE REVIEW
AT a time when the AFL is putting $245 million through its cash registers, it is staggering that the league will not allocate $10,000 to have cameras on the goal-line to make score review legitimate.

The problems with score review were highlighted at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night when match officials had to rely on cameras far from the goalfront to decide if kicks by Power pair Hamish Hartlett and Kane Mitchell had grazed the back of goalposts with thick padding.

But the real problem with score review came in the third term with Power forward Jay Schulz having a shot at goal called touched off the boot - and match officials not having access to a replay to check this before the GWS defenders played the ball to satisfy the AFL's six-second rule on kick-ins.

Score review does not allow the play to be recalled.

4. JACK WATTS
MELBOURNE'S No. 1 draft pick from 2008 needs to get away from the Demons if he is to achieve his promise as an AFL player.

Watts appears to lack the confidence of his club - and certainly has lost the faith of the Melbourne fans who jeered him off the ground when he was substituted on Saturday night.

Watts would certainly ask to get away from Melbourne if he comes to learn what Demons officials are reported to have said of him at trade talks and draft camps last year.

5. BEN RUTTEN
NO Adelaide player has copped more sniggers and questions from Crows fans in recent seasons than veteran defender Ben Rutten.

But the full back proved his quality yet again on Saturday when he kept one of the game's best forwards, Brisbane captain Jonathan Brown, to a behind at the Gabba. Crows football chief Phil Harper says Rutten's record against Brown reads as 14 duels, 15 goals to Brown. Adelaide's fans may want to keep this in mind.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"RATHER than play stupid games and see who can grow the longest beard, how about train?" - WAYNE Carey on how the Melbourne players appear to be anything but focused AFL footballers.

Perhaps the Demons could borrow the shavers that were dished out at Alberton during the summer and learn from the Port Adelaide players who put some pride in their work during the pre-season.

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