It is 20 years since the Crows took off.

On November 28, 1990, the AFL approved the Adelaide Football Club’s guernsey, colours, nickname and logo as the new club continued rushed preparations for its first season in the national competition.

The composite club, created by the SANFL in response to Port Adelaide’s decision to apply for an AFL licence, had been thrown together in the previous two months.

By November Adelaide had picked a coach (former Glenelg coach Graham Cornes), found a general manager (Bill Sanders), named a long training list of SANFL hopefuls and had also lured Tony McGuinness back to his home state. But the news was not all positive, with several players involved in contract or payment disputes with the new club, other SANFL stars signing with interstate clubs, and widespread predictions of massive financial losses.

The official launch of the Crows, however, proved a key turning point as South Australia rallied behind the new team.

Young recruit Simon Tregenza modelled the new guernsey, developed using the state colours and featuring hoops.

Lawrie McCauley wrote in The Advertiser: “The official launch of the Crows will do much to bring the club closer to the heart of every South Australian, especially as the State colors of red, blue and gold are incorporated in the design. “I don’t think they could have come up with a better design and color combination than that,” Adelaide football manager Neil Kerley said.  And football director Bob Hammond said: “I’m thrilled with it - it’s a great football jumper.”

Interim board chairman Max Basheer said many colours, designs and nicknames were considered. Green, white and blue was the popular early option and nicknames discussed included the Sharks, Lakers, Giants and Crows. “Ed and Iola Betro came up with this great design and colours that we all liked,” Basheer revealed in the book The Pride of South Australia. “And when the old Crows name came up again, we thought yeah, why not - it’s South Australian heritage.”

Next year the Adelaide Football Club celebrates the 20^th anniversary of its first AFL game for premiership points when it plays Hawthorn in the opening round - two decades after the Crows thumped Hawthorn by 86 points at Football Park.

For the next few months www.afc.com.au will run a regular feature highlighting the main footy news events from 20 years ago.