When Wayne Weidemann debuted for the Crows in Round 16, 1991, he had one thought running through his head: “I’ve finally got here”.
Victorian-born Weidemann had toiled for years to break into the AFL, enduring rejection from St Kilda, Collingwood and Geelong.
He spent a year in the SANFL in 1990 and trained with the Crows ahead of the inaugural 1991 season.
“Just to be a part of the concept and inception of the Crows was a great thing,” Weidemann told The Crows Show, brought to you by Optus.
“One of my greatest memories is beating Collingwood to make the Final Five, as it was then, and then to beat Hawthorn at the MCG.
“All the hysteria and hope when we landed back in Adelaide was pretty big.”
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The Crows ultimately crashed out of the finals against Carlton, but that didn’t stop Weidemann from winning a flag.
“(I was) then lucky to go back and play in the (SANFL) Grand Final for Woodville-West Torrens which we won,” Weidemann said.
“1993 was a good year for me.”
Weidemann left the Crows at the end of the 1996 season and eventually transitioned into coaching.
For the past three years, Weidemann has been coaching Walkerville in the SAAFL fourth division.
Also on The Crows Show this week, Luke Brown talks his early days of football, Don Pyke has a hit of golf with the Thunderbirds’ Chelsea Pitman and Adelaide skipper Taylor Walker fires questions at Brodie Smith.
The Crows Show will air on Sunday at 11.30am on Channel 7.