Midfielder Sam Kerridge says he’s proud of his teammates following what’s been the most difficult week in the Club’s history.
Adelaide’s young SANFL team was the first to return to the field on Saturday afternoon against Central District after the tragic passing of Phil Walsh last Friday morning.
While the result went to the home side, Adelaide played ‘Walshy’s way’ in gusty and soggy conditions at Elizabeth Oval.
The Crows were strong in the clinches, winning the contested possession count (123-117), hard-ball gets (42-28) and clearances (45-31). The visitors never gave up on the contest, with the final 35-point margin an unfair reflection of the game’s competitiveness.
Kerridge said it was the most difficult game he’s had to prepare for in his entire career.
“It’s been the toughest week by far,” he said.
“Obviously it’s been a big week, but to the boys' credit they did really well today. They came out and gave a massive effort.
“Unfortunately we couldn’t ‘get the job done’, as Walshy would say, but I’m really proud of the boys. They dug in and had a crack, and that’s all we could ask for coming off the week we’ve had.”
Like their AFL counterparts, the SANFL Crows observed a minute’s silence before the match and wore black armbands to remember their fallen leader.
The Crows and Bulldogs also left the field as one following the final siren. The players received a standing ovation from the local crowd in what was a moving tribute to Walsh.
“The boys had a little moment towards the end there,” Kerridge said.
“We all huddled up and decided to walk off together for Walshy, which was really nice.”
Returning for his first game since Round Eight, Kerridge was one of Adelaide’s better contributors against the Bulldogs. The hard-running midfielder collected 23 disposals and an equal game-high eight clearances in what was an impressive return from a serious ankle sprain.
Andy Otten also made his comeback from his second knee reconstruction. The versatile tall did not register a possession in the opening term, but worked his way into the game nicely to finish with six marks and 16 disposals at 93 per cent efficiency.
Kerridge said both he and Otten would be better for the run.
“It was great to see ‘Otto’ back out there,” Kerridge said.
“He’s done the hard yards, and he’s had to do it more than once. He was great in defence along with Sam Shaw, they were the generals back there. We’re very proud of him.
“He had a slow start, but he’s missed 11 months of footy, so you can only expect him to warm into the game.
“Honestly, I’m knackered now. After half-time I was just wrecked.
“Nothing beats match fitness, so a few more games under our belts will be more than handy in the next few weeks.”
