Two-time Premiership Captain Mark Bickley has plenty of never-before-told stories, following a 13-year AFL career spanning across 272 games, and three years within the coaching ranks.

This year, Bicks will be lifting the lid on those stories with us, taking you inside the four walls at West Lakes, with an aim of giving an insight into football life.

Adelaide takes on the Western Bulldogs this week and Bickley reflects on the thrilling 1997 Preliminary Final against the ‘Dogs and how Shaun Rehn inspired the group.

The 1997 Preliminary Final ranks as the most exhilarating game of footy I was involved in.

Obviously winning back-to-back flags was incredible, but in terms of the way we won this game and the pure elation, it rates as one of the best.

We certainly didn’t start well and were hugely disadvantaged early with Tony Modra going down in the first quarter, rupturing his ACL and Mark Rucciuto wasn’t out there due to an injury.

Finding ourselves 31 points down at half-time wasn’t ideal.

But four years ago, in the 1993 Prelim against Essendon we were 42 points up at half-time, before the Bombers mounted a comeback and we ended up losing by 11 points.

I knew it could be done, we just needed a few things to go our way.

As Captain, I reminded the boys what the Bombers had done to us and that “we’re not out of this, let’s dig deep and produce something special”.

There was no way I wanted this game to slip.

Shaun Rehn really helped galvanise the group as well. He had returned that year from a knee recon and played every game with a full-length knee brace on.

Like all of us, Rehny hadn’t had the best first half.

Rehn was a bit of a spiritual leader for us and I think to make a bit of a statement at half-time, he threw his knee brace off into the changerooms and played the remainder of the day without it.

I was so inspired by his action and knew everyone would do everything in their power to get us over the line.

Malcolm Blight, our coach at the time, also made some marvellous moves on the whiteboard, switching players to different positions to help spark us.

Rehn, Nigel Smart, Darren Jarman and Andrew McLeod were moved to the forward line, Rod Jameson and Tyson Edwards into defence, while Chad Rintoul and Kane Johnson were sent to the midfield.

This proved a masterstroke!

Jarman produced a special performance and was one of the keys to our comeback win.

But not before Tony Liberatore almost sealed the game for the Bulldogs.

He snapped from the forward pocket and celebrated like it had gone through, leaping into the arms of his teammates.

But luckily for us, the goal umpire called it a behind.

Jarman goaled, then Smart slotted one through to put us just 10 points behind. 

From then on, we had all the momentum but the finish was frantic.

Simon Goodwin took a strong mark in the forward pocket and goaled to cut the deficit to four points.

Then, enter Johnson and Jars.

Johnson streamed out of defence, through the middle and with his pin-point accuracy laced out Jars.

With ice in his veins, Jars kicked perfectly through the ball, giving us the lead. I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to have the ball and to be in that moment than Jars. He was just so cool and calm.

That goal gave us a two-point lead and before we knew it, the siren sounded.

Pure elation was what I felt. We had done it. We had made our very first Grand Final.

I just couldn’t believe it.

As Skipper, though, it was my job to try and settle everyone down. We still had one more game to go and that would be the biggest of our careers to date.

I remember telling the boys to enjoy it, but also to remember the job was not done. The rest, as they say, is history.

Go Crows!