On the eve of the Club’s 500th game, we asked you - our 19th Man - to name your top-five favourite Crows matches of all-time. The 1997 and 1998 Grand Finals and Preliminary Finals were obvious picks, but a number of other memorable games made the list.
Here’s a selection of Facebook and Twitter responses from our supporters:
Robert Morrow: one game has always stuck to mind for me. Adelaide v Richmond 2000, can’t remember the round, but the game was non-stop start to finish, goal for goal, it was just a fast action packed game until the final siren, absolutely brilliant.
Matty Rowe: Beating Carlton at Optus Oval when Ricciuto bagged six in the wet.
Kerrie McDonald: the 1st game & winning, 97 prelim beating Bulldogs to get into Grand Final, 97 & 98 Grand Final & of course when we beat Port Adelaide!
Jessica O'Loughlin: Beating Essendon by 23 goals in McLeod's 250th game, while sitting next to my best friend who's a Bombers supporter
Claire Cotton: I would say that the 97/98 Grand Finals would have to be up there, didn’t see either, but we sat all around the radio listening to it!
Joshua Sampson: v Port Adelaide 2008, won with no bench in a brutal encounter which we were behind in for most of the day 4 - v West Coast 2005 won at Subiaco to claim our first minor premiership 3 - v Carlton 2001 when we were winless and it poured with rain all day, Ricciuto kicked six and dished out numerous epic hits 2 - v Collingwood 1993 we had to win to make the finals, started slowly and destroyed them in the second half and 1 - it's boring and cliché but I just can't split the 97/98 premierships!
Paul Kudliman: my 5 top games are, 1. 97 prelim final, we were down and out, we came from behind to give the Dogs a lesson, 2. the final against Port was a great game for us but not for them, 3. the 98 premiership game, where we proved that the 97 was no fluke by beating a better team, 4. 98 prelim final, we trashed the Bulldogs that time around, 5.
Michael Wundersitz: the 1st game ever because my best mate goes for Hawthorn.
Matt Winfield: Jameson kick after siren in pouring rain in 91 to beat Fitzroy.
Steve Sampson: 98 GF. Was with my son who was 12 at the time and had a day out he still talks about today, he is now 26.
David Stidston: 5th- Game 1 v Hawthorn (1991) we all waited in anticipation for a first glimpse at the Crows, but who expected an 80 point inaugural win against a side who won a premiership just 18 months prior. 4th- SF v Hawthorn (1993) The boys first final where all expected Hawthorn to have our measure at Waverley, but instead the Crows advanced to week 2 of the finals against Carlton
3rd- Showdown 2 v Port (1997)- With our tail between our legs after showdown 1, the Crows once again were being embarrassed by Port until 3/4 in the rain, but that memorable last qtr saw a 5 goal deficit turned into a win courtesy of legends like Troy Bond.
2nd- SF v Port (2005)- It was horrible witnessing Port win the GF of 2004 and then we were upset at home by St Kilda in the qualifying final of 2005, but how sweet it was to eliminate our arch enemy and embarrassing them by 80 points in the first ever showdown final :)
1st- PF v Bulldogs (1997)- Dunno bout other Crows supporters, but I conceded we were gone at 3/4 time down by 5 goals. What a great comeback by the Crows to advance through to their first GF, with special thanks to Chris Grant for missing a goal only a few metres out! :)
Matthew Spratt: 1997 Prelim against Bulldogs,
1997 Showdown II against Port, down by 4 goals at 3QT, won by 7 points in the rain
2005 Round 22, beat WCE in Perth to finish top, 10th in a row
2005 Ultimate Showdown, beat reigning premiers Port by 83 points in the Semis
2010 beating Geelong
Haili Sullivan: Win at home against Geelong, 2010 I think.
Marjorie Smith: Crows belting Port in first showdown final, 1997-1998 preliminary finals, th showdown where Port kept trying to take Crow players out of the game including Bernie Vince who came back on & won the award for best player. Winning the game against West Coast to win the Minor Premiership at Subiaco, so many of them including watching Modra kick bags of goals to win the Coleman.
Nathan Harrison: Modra playing his first game kicking 13 goals against Richmond at the MCG. 97 prelim. 97&98 grand final.. What a sensational player Jars was... Being at FOOTBALL PARK when Modra took the mark out the year.. The atmosphere was amazing!! The atmosphere of the city after the crows won both premierships
Paul Corfiatis: Apart from the premierships I must say 1993 Round 22 win over the Pies, 1993 EF win over Hawks, 1997 PF, 2010 win over Geelong, 2012 win over Sydney.
Frank Di Sario: one scrappy game against Collingwood a few years ago at Docklands. Scores were tied with a few minutes to go and Andrew McLeod gathered the ball from a throw in, on the boundary about 40 out and put it straight through to win! Truly Awesome.
George Trumble: Crows vs bombers 2009 at docklands Tippett kicked 7; Knights kicked 5 in what was the highest goals to behinds ratio in the history of the game. I think it might have been Tyson Edwards’ 300th where he collected 40 touches
Andrew McGlynn: 1. Showdown 4 (we finally got a dry day and belted them by 84) 2. 97 Prelim come from the dead v a sobbing Liberatore and co (pure joy) 3.Next game after showdown 1 when we played WB's at Optus Ov and the Big Pussy made his comeback (No Rehn, no flags) 4. The day at Optus v Carlton in pouring rain and hail when Ricciuto became a one man wrecking machine belting soft Carlton players and won us the game off his own boot 5. I know they don’t count here but THOSE BLOODY BIG BEAUTIFUL PREMIERSHIPS!! (May Sando deliver our 3rd)
Kane Ryan: Adelaide vs Hawthorn in 95.. Wet game came from 5 goals down at half time. McLeod kicked the winner
Mark Sky Drynan: The game this year v Tigers. Down 33 pts at 1/4 time and win by 19... that was a gr8 game....
Ben Freshney: the 83-point Semi-Final win against Port in 2005. I also liked that shootout against Essendon in 2009 where both teams kicked very accurately. Out of the games I've been to: the last 2 Showdowns (just because we beat Port) and the 70-something point thrashing of West Coast in 2009 (nice to see the Mexican Wave isn't banned in footy unlike in cricket).
Sash Domonji: Mark Ricciuto's 300th game, a win against the Kangas
Justin Purvis: Every win is a fav...GO CROWS!
Corey Jones: I think the next showdown will be my favourite
David Huppatz: 1 1997 prelim against bulldogs, 2. the first game ever 3. when Modra kicked 13 against Roos 4. game against bombers where Edwards had 41 possessions and 10 tackles 5 2002 semi-final win over demons
Aaron Kelly: last round of 93 season vs Collingwood when we beat Collingwood for the first time to make finals for first time
Danny O'Connell@DannyOConnell10 smashing Port in the 05 semi final
Jac@Jac15_9 '98 semi vs Sydney, '02 semi vs Melb, and the final vs port in '05!
Andrew Culshaw@The_Culsh picking prelims is cheating. Showdown II - laid the platform and instilled the belief for wins from behind in big games.
Jayden Paues@JaydenPaues 2010 farewell match for our legends vs St Kilda Round 22 #thanksEdwardsBunjiRowdyGoodyBirdman
