IT STARTED with the remarkable sight of Adelaide players being clapped onto the field by a normally hostile West Coast crowd and ended with them – many in tears – receiving a standing ovation from the same fans.

In between a football match was played by 44 players happy just to concentrate on chasing a ball around and clearing their heads of grief.

Click here for full match coverage

The thin veneer crumbled after the match as players from both teams formed a circle in the middle of the ground.

It started with a trickle of tears from first-gamer Riley Knight which quickly turned into a flood and spread around his more seasoned teammates.

As they made the 80-metre journey to the change room there was barely a dry eye on or off the field.

“The emotion probably hit me at the end of the game,” defender Daniel Talia said.

“It was tough getting through that game and in that last quarter especially your mind did wander.”

And who could blame him. 

It was always going to be more than just another game, the first Adelaide match since coach Phil Walsh died.

Unprecedented circumstances – with the link of Walsh to both clubs only adding to the occasion.

Walsh's work must go on, says proud Camporeale

The crowd gathered around Domain Stadium much earlier than usual on Saturday afternoon, swelled by numerous Crows fans who had made the journey across the Nullarbor and the families of Adelaide players and staff who came over on a chartered flight.

Apart from the tradition of ‘Auzzie’ the eagle’s flight around the perimeter of the oval before landing on his perch in the centre of the ground, the pre-match was subdued.

The crowd was quiet but filled with goodwill – towards players from both sides in the warm-up and particularly towards former Eagles coach, now Adelaide director of coaching, John Worsfold.

The hard man of WA football looked close to tears as fans stood and applauded him on his walk around the oval from the Crows’ changeroom to the gate and up to the coaches’ box 10 minutes before bouncedown.

The simple lead-in was more reminiscent of a grass roots match – no banners, no songs, no mascots - just the players and umpires gracing the field.

It was a nice touch and a nice change.

A minute of silence when you could have heard a pin drop came before the bounce but once the siren sounded it was just another match.

Crows' return 'bigger than football': Simpson

The Eagles ran harder, got their forward pressure working and within eight minutes were up by three goals.

They were showing why they are second on the ladder and while not considered genuine flag fancies by many critics, illustrated they should be.

It looked like the occasion was all too much for the Crows just a week after losing their coach – that the grief might be crushing them.

But from nowhere the Crows hit back, booting six of the next seven goals to take a 14-point lead to the first change.

It was an inspiring run.

Captain Tex Walker willed himself into the game with two goals, Patrick Dangerfield worked inside and out, nabbing 13 first-term touches and five clearances, Josh Jenkins looked imposing in the air and Charlie Cameron snapped a couple as Adelaide found its mojo in a 20-minute purple patch.

Walker proudly held up that first term after the match, defiantly saying they had come and they had played “Crows footy”.

“Walshy had set such a cornerstone, ‘Campo’ (interim coach Scott Camporeale) kept it simple for the whole week and we knew exactly what we had to do,” Walker said.

“We just needed 22 blokes to play their role ... in the second half and especially the first quarter we played Crows footy.”

But it proved to be a false dawn for the travelling fans.

Dangerfield went off bleeding heavily from the mouth early in the second and the Eagles took control of the stoppages and simply out-ran and out-pressured the visitors.

Just like they’ve done to every other team that has visited Domain Stadium this year, with the exception of Fremantle.

The Eagles’ second term run of 8.7 to 0.1 turned that 14-point deficit into a commanding 40-point half-time lead.

Adelaide players leave the field after an emotional tribute to Phil Walsh. Picture: AFL Media

The most noticeable aspect was the lack of a 'real' Eagles roar during the run-on.

Usually the fans are very vocal, goals produce enough noise to shake the northern stand.

But the subdued nature of the celebrations stood out as a mark of respect.

Footy is more than a sport to fans.

But this was just a game of football. Albeit a game Phil Walsh devoted his life to.

It's in the code's DNA for there to be a winner and loser. But there were only winners on Saturday night.

Talia was asked after the match: ‘Can you enjoy the footy again this year?’

His answer put a silver lining on a horrific week.

“Yeah, definitely,” Talia said with some youthful verve.

“I think footy is the game that you love and you want to play and we are all good to do that so we are going to do it together as a group.

“What we’ve been through this week has only made us stronger.”

Adelaide players' family members embrace after the final siren. Picture: AFL Media