Read Crows chairman Bill Sanders' address to the function before the Showdown ...

DURING THE WEEK GREG BOULTON & I ATTENDED AN HISTORICAL MEETING OF A.F.L. CLUBS. IT WAS BOTH PRODUCTIVE & UNUSUAL.
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UNUSUAL, AS ALL CLUBS WERE IN ACCORD ON MOST MATTERS, - HOWEVER, - OF INTEREST TO BOTH CROWS & POWER SUPPORTERS, IS THE AFL’S COMMITMENT TO ASSIST FUNDING SEVERAL PROJECTS AT AAMI STADIUM, WHICH INCLUDE THE UPGRADING OF GENERAL PUBLIC FACILITIES, - ALSO THEIR COMMITMENT TO AN INCREASE IN GAME DEVELOPMENT FUNDING, WHERE-BY THE TRADITIONAL FOOTBALL STATES OF S.A. & W.A. WILL NOT BE OVER-LOOKED.
THESE DECISIONS ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO STRENGTHENING THE UNDER-BELLY OF FOOTBALL IN S.A.
HOW THE REST OF THE BROADCAST RIGHTS IS APPORTIONED IS THE ULTIMATE DECISION OF THE A.F.L. COMMISION, A DECISION WE WILL RESPECT.
TONIGHT MARKS THE 20TH TIME ADELAIDE & PORT ADELAIDE HAVE PLAYED A SHOWDOWN SINCE 1997.
I’M SURE YOU WOULD ALL AGREE IT IS FITTING THAT THIS CONTEST BETWEEN THE S.A. CLUBS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE A.F.L. RIVALRY ROUND.
THERE IS NOTHING ARTIFICIAL ABOUT THE RIVALRY BETWEEN THE CROWS & THE POWER, IN FACT, -
RIVALRY WAS INTENSE WELL BEFORE THE FIRST BOUNCE IN SHOWDOWN 1, NINE YEARS AGO.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MEMORABLE MATCHES SINCE, - & I BELIEVE IF HISTORY IS ANYTHING TO GO BY, FORM & POSITION ON THE PREMIERSHIP LADDER IS NOT ALWAYS A GUIDE TO THE EVENTUAL RESULT WHEN THESE TWO CLUBS MEET AT AAMI STADIUM.
I STILL REMEMBER THE FEELING IN OUR CHANGE-ROOMS, - & THE PAIN FELT BY OUR SUPPORTERS AFTER SHOWDOWN 1 WHEN PORT TRIUMPHED.

ALTHOUGH HISTORY ALSO REMINDS US THAT THE SHOWDOWNS ARE ‘JUST A GAME’ IN A LONG SEASON, - THERE IS NO DOUBT THESE GAMES ARE SPECIAL DATES ON THE FOOTBALL CALENDAR & THAT SURELY MUST BE GOOD FOR THE CODE.
TONIGHT’S FIXTURE IS ANOTHER SELL-OUT, WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY MAIN TOPIC THIS EVENING.
‘WHERE WOULD THE A.F.L. & THEIR CLUBS BE WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORTERS?’
THE ADELAIDE FOOTBALL CLUB IS EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE NEARLY 50,000 TICKETED MEMBERS & MANY THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS ACROSS AUSTRALIA & THE WORLD!
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FOR ANY A.F.L. CLUB, IS LOOKING AFTER THESE PEOPLE & MAKING THEM FEEL PART OF THEIR CLUB, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, THE GAME WOULD NOT EXIST AS WE KNOW IT.
IT COULD BE ARGUED FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS ARE THE GAME'S GREATEST ASSET.
THEY ARE KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN ECONOMIC TERMS, PROVIDING SUBSTANTIAL REVENUE STREAMS THROUGH THEIR REPEATED & COMMITTED ATTENDANCE, - AND THEIR VALUE AS POTENTIAL CONSUMERS TO SPONSORS, BROADCASTERS & THE MEDIA.
TAKE YOUR SUPPORTERS FOR GRANTED & YOUR CLUB WILL SOON SUFFER. IT IS CLEARLY IN OUR BEST INTERESTS TO INVOLVE THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN THE AFFAIRS OF THE GAME.
WE CANNOT JUST EXPECT THEM TO TURN UP WEEK AFTER WEEK REGARDLESS OF THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT, - REAL & ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH FANS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
A MAJOR STRENGTH OF THE ADELAIDE FOOTBALL CLUB HAS BEEN OUR SUPPORTER BASE.

WITHOUT THE MAGNIFICENT SUPPORT OUR CLUB HAS RECEIVED SINCE OUR BEGINNING IN 1991, - THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT WE COULD NOT HAVE FLOURISHED AS WE HAVE.
WE ARE IN DEBT TO THE FANS WHO HAVE CHOSEN THE CROWS AS THEIR CLUB.
YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED SOME OF OUR NEW BRANDING IN THE ROOM.
THERE ARE THREE KEY WORDS WE DESCRIBE AS TRADEMARK VALUES………
‘UNCOMPROMISING’,
‘INCLUSIVE’,
AND ‘PROUD’.
THESE WORDS ARE ALL LINKED TO OUR MEMBERSHIP & SUPPORTER BASE, - BUT TONIGHT I WANT TO BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT OUR INCREASING EFFORTS TO BE ‘INCLUSIVE’.
AFTER EVERY HOME GAME A SIGNED MATCH BALL IS HANDED OUT TO A JUNIOR SUPPORTER IN THE CROWD BY A SELECTED PLAYER, - WHILE AT THE INSISTENCE OF OUR PLAYERS, THE REST OF THE PLAYING GROUP ARE HANDING OUT PROMOTIONAL FOOTBALLS & INTERACTING WITH THE FANS BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE GROUND.
FOR A YOUNG MAN NAMED SCOTT ELDERSFIELD, LAST WEEKEND MEANT THE CHANCE TO JOIN PLAYERS & OFFICIALS IN THE CHANGE-ROOMS TO SING THE CLUB SONG AFTER OUR WIN OVER THE WESTERN BULLDOGS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THIS AT EVERY WINNING HOME GAME.
THE POTENTIAL POWER OF THE FANS AT OUR GAMES, HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY COACH
NEIL CRAIG, WHO UNDERSTANDS THE DIFFERENCE THEIR SUPPORT CAN MAKE TO THE PLAYERS.
NEIL IS ALSO IS COMMITTED TO KEEPING THE FANS INFORMED THROUGH THE MEDIA.
ANOTHER INITIATIVE IN THIS AREA LAST WEEK, WAS ALLOWING RADIO 5AA TO TALK TO ASSISTANT COACH, DON PYKE JUST AFTER HALF-TIME, SO LISTENERS COULD GET A FEEL OF THE THOUGHTS OF THE COACHING GROUP & THEME FROM THE ROOMS.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE USE OF A SUPPORTERS’ FACILITY AS INCLUSIVE AS ‘THE CROWS’ SHED’, WHERE MORE THAN 2000 FANS GATHER BEFORE & AFTER THE GAME, TO MINGLE & HEAR FROM THE PLAYERS.
OUR OFFICIAL CLUB WEBSITE PROVIDES NEWS & INFORMATION FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVERY WEEK. IN THE PAST FEW DAYS THE SITE HAS BEEN ACCESSED BY PEOPLE IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS COLOMBIA, LATVIA & MACAU, - WHILE JUST UNDER HALF OUR DAILY AVERAGE OF 30,000WEBSITE HITS ARE RECORDED FROM VICTORIA & N.S.W.
KEY INDICATORS SHOW OUR INCLUSIVE VALUE IS WORKING.

IT’S A PRIVILEGED POSITION THAT OUR SEASON TICKETS ARE SOLD OUT EVERY YEAR, - OUR GOLD MEMBERSHIP IS CAPPED, - OUR WEBSITE HITS HAVE DOUBLED, - OUR 5000 DAILY TICKETS HAVE SOLD FOR EVERY HOME GAME AND THERE IS NO DOUBTWE ARE ATTRACTING INCREASING NUMBERS OF CROWS SUPPORTERS AT AWAY GAMES.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP PLANS & IDEAS TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP OUR FANS INCLUDED & CONNECTED TO OUR CLUB.

LET’S HOPE WE HAVE A GREAT GAME TONIGHT……
& THAT THE SIREN IS WORKING LOUD & CLEAR.