MEREDITH Walsh, the widow of late Adelaide coach Phil Walsh, has been invited to attend Saturday’s Grand Final against Richmond.
Intensely private and media shy, Mrs Walsh is expected to attend the game as a guest of a club.
It’s understood Mrs Walsh has continued to closely follow the team’s progress since her husband died.
The Crows declined to confirm any details.
"We speak to Meredith often, including this week, and she knows that she’s an important part of this football club and she’ll be supporting the boys on Saturday afternoon," Adelaide chief executive Andrew Fagan said on Wednesday.
"We’ve had a well-documented journey over the last couple of years, and yeah it’s been hard, but all clubs have their stories.
"Richmond have their stories to tell as well.
"Regardless of the result, but particularly if we win, it’ll be a really emotional day and there’ll be a lot of people proud of the boys’ achievements over the course of the season, hopefully especially about five or six o’clock on Saturday afternoon."
Fagan believes Phil Walsh would have been tremendously proud of the club’s achievements under current coach Don Pyke.
"He was proud of the footy club in the time that he spent with us, and he was driven to achieve success," Fagan said.
"I think he’d be looking down tremendously proud of what the boys have achieved so far.
"But I also know that he’d be absolutely focused on getting the job done come Saturday afternoon and it’s not about just getting there, it’s about taking that next step and that’s what our focus is."
The Adelaide playing group and coaching staff will fly to Melbourne later on Thursday ahead the Grand Final.
The Crows will hold a closed training session at the MCG on Friday morning before the traditional parade from the edge of Melbourne’s CBD to Yarra Park.