Crows joint vice captain Patrick Dangerfield says The 19th Man played a huge part in Adelaide’s Balfours Showdown XXXVII triumph over the Power.
50,522 supporters packed into Adelaide Oval to witness the Crows topple Port Adelaide by 23 points. It was the venue’s second biggest attendance since the stadium’s redevelopment.
Dangerfield said the players were in awe of the oval’s incredible atmosphere during Sunday’s Showdown spectacle.
“It was unbelievable,” Dangerfield said on FIVEaa on Monday.
“It’s an absolute credit to our fans who just keep turning up each and every week.
“They’ve turned up when we really have been inconsistent this year, but they constantly back us in.”
The Club has averaged a crowd of almost 48,000 supporters per game – ranked third in the AFL behind big Victorian clubs Collingwood and Richmond.
Stadium management was forced to beef up the venue’s sirens to combat the deafening roar of Crows supporters following Adelaide’s Round Nine win over Collingwood.
Dangerfield said the impact of the Club’s loyal following could not be understated on game day.
“They show up in force and it makes a massive difference to our performance,” he said.
“I believe we’ve got the best supporters in the AFL.”
Adelaide displayed great resilience in downing Port Adelaide on Sunday afternoon. Elite runner Sam Kerridge (foot) and reliable utility Rory Laird (quad) were both late withdrawals from the side while in-form wingman David Mackay (concussion) was forced out of the initial 25-man squad.
Dangerfield said the Crows were almost forced to activate all three of their emergencies when Daniel Talia reported back tightness on the eve of the team warm up.
“He was in a bit of strife really close to game time basically,” Dangerfield said of the 2012 NAB AFL Rising Star.
“The physios did a great job getting him up and right to play. He’s a credit to himself because he is such a well-prepared player and he did his job yesterday, which is all we ask of him.”
Adelaide now faces a six-day break before travelling to Spotless Stadium to confront Greater Western Sydney on Saturday afternoon.
Whilst the win over Port Adelaide was a phenomenal boost for the Club, Dangerfield said this week’s clash with the Giants was immense in the context of the Crows’ season.
“It’s always more enjoyable when you win those tight ones, and particularly against quality opposition like Port,” he said.
“But we can’t enjoy the win for too long because we need to prepare for this week.
“We will review the game and do a bit of recovery, and then basically it’s all about GWS.”
“We’re certainly aware that we haven’t won two games in a row for awhile now, so that’s our challenge for this week. For us its super important that we string a few games together.”
