Were the Adelaide Crows wrong in wanting to use the State Jumper?

SA celebrates a win over WA in 1996

image: www.afl.com.au

In a move that was controversial as well as surprising the Adelaide Crows unveiled that they were going to wear the SA State Jumper for their Round 2 clash against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. This significance of this is that it will be the first match for these clubs at the revamped Adelaide Oval, which was the home of Australian Rules football in South Australia until 1974 when all operations moved to Football Park in suburban West Lakes.

Furthermore, the Crows were going to sell naming spots on the jumper for supporters and/or members. That is, your name would be on the jumper that was worn by the players on match day. In all fairness the idea is good, but NOT for the state jumper. The state jumper is after all a representative jumper and the players who have worn that jumper with pride are the ones that should be aggrieved the most by this decision.

Fortunately commonsense prevailed and the AFL stepped in to disallow the Crows from using the jumper in their clash. But it should never have progressed this far and it shows that the Crows still have much to learn as a football club. Of course their opponents, Port Power, also have a large involvement in South Australian Football history so this move by Adelaide was seen by many to alienate or even disassociate Port Adelaide from that history.

Then there was the other point raised that the jumper will never be used again at the highest level in a State of Origin format so we should use here to celebrate our rich football history. It has been 15 years since the jumper was used in a competitive match at AFL level so this had some weight amongst some fans.

Here are my thoughts as to why the SA State jumper should not be used by any club to wear in this situation or any club game and the state jumper needs to be earned and worn by South Australians.

Firstly I believe (rightly or wrongly) that State of Origin will be played at the highest level again. The players are often quoted as wanting to play SOO and I think that it will happen in the future. The jumper is sacred and to be picked in the best 22 players for your state should be something that is special. It also infers that the players hold earning a state jumper in very high regard.

Secondly, there are instances when non South Australian’s have worn the state jumper in State League matches (eg SANFL vs VFL) I have thought this practice to be wrong in the same way that I think Victoria cheated when Dunstall (a Queenslander) played for the Big V against SA at the MCG.

Thirdly, because of my second point I think it is inappropriate for the non-SA players within the Crows (i.e Dangerfield) to wear the state jumper when there is no allegiance to the state jumper. There are often issues with “qualifying” for a particular state, my answer is simple it is the place that is listed on a birth certificate.

Fourthly, I believe that if football was never going to return to Adelaide Oval then the jumper would not have been used. Yes I understand the sense of occasion, and the reasons why the Crows were created. If Football Park was the venue this year, would the Crows try to wheel out the State jumper to “Honour 150 years of SA Footy” as stated in their advertising e-mail? ... I don’t think so.

Lastly, selling places on the State jumper was outright wrong and indicates to me it was a marketing exercise rather than a opportunity to celebrating a rich football history that includes their opponents. Perhaps it would have been better to include all the names of players who have represented South Australia. The jumper could still be sold to the public as everything is for sale these days.

As mentioned earlier commonsense has prevailed, but it has encouraged healthy (and some not so healthy) debate across the Australian Rules football world. Perhaps this may be an indication to the AFL that State of Origin could be brought back into the football program as the public want to see the best players from one state play against the best players from another state.

Then again, it may take a change in CEO at the AFL before this comes to fruition.