Adelaide has honoured its premiership past and key figures in its foundation by welcoming four new inductees into the Club’s Hall of Fame.
Inaugural captain Chris McDermott, dual premiership captain Mark Bickley as well as premiership players Tyson Edwards and Nigel Smart have been celebrated for their contribution that spanned a combined 988 AFL games with the Crows over 20 years.
The quartet was honoured at a gala ceremony attended by more than 750 people, including current men’s and women’s Crows players, at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Thursday night.
They join the Club’s inaugural Hall of Fame inductees in 2015 who were Bob Hammond, Bill Sanders, Ben Hart, Tony Modra, Andrew McLeod, Malcolm Blight, Mark Ricciuto and Simon Goodwin.
Chris McDermott
117 games (1991-1996)
McDermott was Adelaide’s first ever captain and led the Club to victory in its first AFL game against Hawthorn in Round One, 1991.
He joined the Club after a distinguished 276-game SANFL career with Glenelg and brought the same trademark toughness that he showed while captaining South Australia to the state’s first team in the national competition.
Aged 27 when he made his AFL debut, McDermott led from the front on and off the field. In 1992 he was named Club Champion and All-Australian and was at the helm for the Crows’ first ever finals campaign when they made the 1993 preliminary final.
Mark Bickley
272 games (1991-2003)
Bickley played alongside McDermott in the Club’s formative years and was later appointed captain who led the team to its dual premierships in 1997 and 1998.
Lauded for his courage, toughness and versatility, Bickley carved out an impressive 272-game AFL career starting as a defender and becoming a midfielder and was ever-reliable in big games.
He was named best team man three times and captained the Crows in 102 games across four seasons, before returning to the Club in retirement as an assistant and caretaker senior coach.
Tyson Edwards
321 games (1995-2010)
The classy midfielder sits second on Adelaide’s all-time games played list with 321 across an incredible 16-year career with the Crows which included both premierships in 1997 and 1998.
Edwards debuted in 1995 as a small defender and went on to establish himself as one of the premier midfielders in the competition, kicking 192 goals and finishing runner-up in the Club’s best-and-fairest on three occasions.
He also became a fan favourite and was voted the Members’ Most Valuable Player in 2002, 2004 and 2006 before retiring in 2010.
Nigel Smart
278 games (1991 to 2004)
Smart played in Adelaide’s inaugural AFL season in 1991 and made an instant impact by being named in the All-Australian team.
He was also All-Australian in 1993 and 1998, the first Crow to reach 250 games and played in the Club’s two premierships in a brilliant 278-game career which ended at the age of 35 in 2004.
While Smart predominantly made a name for himself as a defender, he was also a dangerous threat inside forward 50m where he kicked 116 goals including three in the 1998 grand final win over North Melbourne.
Post-playing career, Smart served as Board member and administrator and played a key role in the Club’s successful move to Adelaide Oval and the establishment of its AFLW side.
