As the Crows piled on goal after goal to record their best half of football in more than a decade, it was hard not to take notice of the lopsided AAMI Stadium scoreboard.
But when debutant Josh Jenkins jogged over towards the change rooms at half time of Saturday’s clash with Geelong, the 63-point margin caught him by complete surprise.
“I was so caught up in the game I didn’t know the score most of the time,” Jenkins said on Monday.
“I was just trying to focus on the things I was supposed to do and the scoreboard was the last thing I was thinking of. I walked off at half time and the crowd was going nuts. I remember looking at the scoreboard and I was really surprised at the score.”
Jenkins, 22, contributed to Adelaide’s avalanche of goals, marking strongly in the goal square in the opening quarter and registering a goal with his first kick in AFL.
The former Essendon rookie was also involved in a goal to Graham Johncock in the second term.
Jenkins contested the ball-up and, in a move reminiscent of his basketball playing days with the Townsville Crocodiles, tapped the ball over his head and into the path of an unmanned Johncock.
“I saw ‘Stiffy’ (Johncock) there, but I knew I couldn’t take possession of the ball because I would’ve been tackled straight away,” Jenkins said.
“I knew he had a run at it and that he would have space, so I just tried to flick it over the back. Luckily, it went onto his chest.
“I don’t get a stat or anything, but all the boys got to me really quickly. Sometimes it can be a better feeling knowing that you’ve set someone else up (for a goal) than being on the receiving end. It was a great moment.”
Jenkins was rookie-listed by the Bombers at the end of 2010 after making the switch from basketball earlier that year.
The quick and agile utility impressed with Bendigo in the VFL last season, and was lured to West Lakes with the promise of greater opportunity.
He impressed over the pre-season and also with Sturt in the early rounds of the SANFL, and earned a call-up when Crows back-up ruckman Shaun McKernan was suspended for striking Sydney defender Alex Johnson.
The competitive 197cm, 104kg, big man finished with a modest return of seven possessions, four marks, eight hit-outs and a goal against the Cats, but showed enough to suggest he has a bright future at AFL level.
“‘Sando’ made it clear that I’d get opportunities provided I was playing well,” Jenkins said.
“I thought I was ready and got a bit fortunate that Shaun McKernan had to miss a week. My debut was everything I’d hoped for and it was great to play my first game against a great opponent in Geelong … it made it a bit more special.
“I spent a lot of time on Harry Taylor and Andrew Mackie and those guys give you an insight into how good you’ve got to be, and how tough it is to crack it at AFL level.”
Like most first-gamers, Jenkins found the speed of the game the biggest challenge.
“Everywhere you turn, there are big bodies and they’re moving at top speed all the time. If you’re half-a-second slower … you’re pretty much out of the contest,” he said.
“I started well, but blew up pretty quickly and by quarter time I was looking for the red vest. I got a second wind and was able to run out the game okay. I didn’t have a massive influence over the game, but I tried to provide energy and effort because those are things you can control yourself - you don’t need the bounce of the ball or anything.”
Jenkins understands his place in the team to play Carlton on Sunday isn’t guaranteed.
McKernan has served his suspension and is free to play.
Injured midfielders Richard Douglas and Bernie Vince are available for selection, while several players in the SANFL put in strong performances.
Jenkins said the ongoing competition for spots was a positive for the Club.
“I didn’t set the world on fire … so that’ll be up to the match committee [whether I hold my spot],” he said.
“The competition is great. You can’t control how well someone else plays, but if you see one of the guys playing well at SANFL level you know that you really need to perform as well. It probably does give you that little edge that you need.”