It was of course 16-year-old Mark Ricciuto walking into the club to embark on a remarkable AFL career.
Fond memories of a boyish Ricciuto are shared between Maria Ballestrin, Diane Bean and Ann Pilkington, who have all been employees at the Adelaide Crows since the first season.
Back in 1991 there was no three-storey modern club headquarters with a staff of 50 plus.
Maria Ballestrin remembers all too well the temporary ATCO hut on the outskirts of Football Park where five full time staff frantically got an AFL team ready in four months for their first season.
"It was a great nightmare," Maria chuckles. "Footy was never my passion - I had young children at home and they were my focus.
"I was working part time for the SANFL and they sent me over to answer the phones in the hut.
"Now it's my life and every player that has been through the club has been like a son to me."
Maria is the sole female in a busy football operations department and says she has the very best job in the world.
"You can't help but get close to the players - especially the ones that arrive at a young age from interstate," Maria says.
"We watch and help them grow into men. Look at Ben Hart - I remember his first press conference in the hut with him standing in his school blazer.
"Now he's a grown man who's played 300 games for the club and has a wife and two young children."
While Maria obviously cites the 1997 premiership as her stand-out, she also recalls with great affection her 50th birthday party.
Celebrating at her home with 70 guests, she answered a knock at her front door to find Ricciuto and Brett Burton standing outside and eager to celebrate with her.
Diane Bean, who works in administration alongside Steven Trigg, also smiles when she recalls those early, hectic days.
"We used an old typewriter to type up the player contracts," Diane says. "We were so busy and had so little time to prepare.
"There was enormous relief and euphoria surrounding that first AFL match against Hawthorn.
"Not only did we win but we'd successfully got the boys ready in time - it's a moment I will never forget. I remember thinking this is the real thing."
Diane remembers how proud she felt when the club's first guernsey design was revealed with the State colours emblazoned on it.
Her fondest highlight was without a doubt the 1997 premiership and standing in the change rooms when the jubilant players came off the field.
"I had tears rolling down my cheeks and I will never forget the looks on the boys faces - it was incredibly special," she says.
Nicknamed Auntie Di by Andrew McLeod, Diane says the hardest thing she has had to learn to deal with, is saying goodbye to players who are delisted.
"It took me a long time to get used to that part of football," Diane says. "They are like your family and then they are gone.
"I shed plenty of tears in those early days over players leaving but I've toughened up - it's part of footy life."
Ann Pilkington's journey at the club began when she answered an SOS from Bill Sanders on the radio.
Ann had dropped the children at school and heard then CEO Bill Sanders mention how busy the staff were, and how they would need to employ more help soon.
So she drove home, grabbed her resume and dropped it off at the ATCO hut.
Days later she was offered part time work and since then has worked in finance, membership and now is an integral part of the marketing team.
Babysitting has also become an unexpected job credential. Simon Goodwin used to bring his baby daughter into her office and rush off to training.
Overwhelmingly Ann, Di and Maria all say how privileged they have been to be a part of the Crows first 16 years.
Di emphatically says: "We are just one huge family, all inclusive - on a journey together."
