The pre-season, love it or loathe it, was finally over for Crows fans. Months of hard work and preparation on the training track drew to a close on Easter Sunday against the Western Bulldogs at the Telstra Dome.
It was a beautiful day in Melbourne. The sun managed to break through some light clouds as I made my way across the footbridge from Melbourne’s Spencer Street to the Dome. Banter jokingly flowed between both supporter groups who were all eager to see their sides play.
On entering the ground I found the tickets I had purchased were situated at the Bulldogs’ end of the ground. Great if we won, not so much if we lost. Fortunately I was able to find a seat at the Coventry end amongst hundreds of passionate Crows supporters.
As I waited for the game to begin it was comforting to look around and see plenty of Crows fans dressed proudly in blue, red and yellow, seemingly discussing their Easter trips and thoughts on the coming game. The Bulldogs supporters were just as excited being Brad Johnson’s 300th game as they reminisced over footage shown on the big screen of their past 300-game players.
Eventually both teams made their way onto the ground ready to kick their season off.
The first quarter began well for the Crows with forward Brett Burton kicking a goal less than a minute into the game. Down the other end, it was ex-Crow Scott Welsh who put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard. Brent Reilly showcased his skills in one smooth piece of play, gathering several possessions from the half backline which brought the ball into the forward 50 in one swift movement.
But it was the Bulldogs who capitalised on turnovers and were looking good in the middle of the ground, to lead by 21 points going at the first break. Reflecting on the Crows’ first quarter for the premiership season, I was a little worried with the direction the game could be heading in, but I had certainly not given up hope.
The Crows were able to grab hold of the momentum in the second quarter, kicking five goals to the Bulldogs’ one. Edwards, Burton, McGregor, McLeod and Douglas were the contributors. McLeod’s goal celebration was uplifting, to see the passion and emotion he exerted after bringing the Crows even closer to the Bulldogs lifted the Crows supporters in the crowd. Douglas’ goal oozed class, as he calmly gathered the ball 40m from goal, composed himself and kicked truly. Holding a five-point lead at half, the Crows began to look on song to further their lead in the second half.
Not overly content with my seat in the second to last row in the pocket, I was able to find a better seat close to the Crows’ interchange bench on the opposite side of the ground.
It was a case of numerous lead changes in the third quarter. The Crows started off well with Douglas shrugging off a tackle in the pocket to score his second goal for the day. Edwards and Burton also added another goal to their tally. Young Kurt Tippett kicked his first goal in the AFL and Reilly also contributed, coming back on after hurting his left wrist. Porplyzia’s polished skills were on show in the midfield, but the Bulldogs were able to nab a two-point lead going into the final quarter.
I had to laugh at one point in the third quarter when a young Bulldogs fan went against the grain of the smattering of Crows supporters around. While they were throwing threatening expletives towards the umpire, this particular fan Bulldogs fan had plenty of guts to call out ‘Great umpiring!’ in a cute, high-pitched tone.
Now, the last quarter was not for faint-hearted fans. The Bulldogs got on the board early to increase their lead. The Crows bounced back gaining a nine point lead with goals from Tippett, Burton and McGregor. The Bulldogs then worked themselves back into the game with a number of scores but Crows captain Simon Goodwin replied with a goal, the margin now at eight points.
I was feeling comfortable, planning my route to the fence to high-five the players as they made their way off the ground after the win. Too easy, right? Things didn’t quite pan out the way I imagined, with Bulldog’s hero, Brad Johnson, kicking two goals with minutes remaining to take them to a ten-point lead. It was not over yet as Porplyzia won a free in the centre and sent a long kick to the 50 metre line. Rutten then gathered the ball and handpassed to Stevens who kicked a goal. I waved my flag with little enthusiasm.
Before the final centre bounce the Bulldogs had all their players in the Crows attacking half of the ground, there could not have been much time remaining, I was ready for a defeat. What I wasn’t ready for was a Crows comeback, as they won the ball in the centre and worked the ball into Nathan Bock in the far pocket.
Now I was nervous. My heart was thumping against my ribcage; imagine this, a moment every young buy dreams of, to kick the winning goal, oh the jubilation. With my hands up against my face, I watched as he took his kick. A lump formed in my throat, he’s missed! And the siren sounds! It was all over.
I remained in my seat as I watched the Crows form a guard of honour for Johnson, a fitting tribute to a fantastic player. I noticed Brent Reilly had his left wrist supported and iced, I could only hope it wasn’t too serious.
After the game, a fair amount of Crows supporters moved into the food court on aisle 10 to reflect and await player interviews. Ken McGregor, Jason Porplyzia and first gamer David Mackay all spoke well and a few other players who were present signed some autographs.
Later in the evening I reflected on the game on a flight back to Adelaide. It was promising to see a handful of players with less than 20 games experience play well and they will only be better off for the experience. Now we can look forward to the Crows’ round two game against West Coast at AAMI Stadium this Saturday afternoon
