Advertiser Football Survey

[Violetta]

Crows and Power fans are a lot a like.
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
10oct02

STRIP away their fervent loyalties to their AFL clubs and Crows and Power supporters would not seem so totally different after all.

Regardless of the socio-economic stereotypes – of Adelaide's supporter base being white-collar and wine sippers while Port Adelaide has blue-collar beer guzzlers – Crows and Power fan have remarkably similar wants and opinions on football.

This is revealed in The Advertiser's first AFL Footy Fans Survey which drew 1400 respondents over the Internet from July 12 to August 26.

The survey confirmed the long-held belief there is a 65-35 split of the market favouring the Crows, who were SA's first AFL team, joining the national league in 1991 - a six-year headstart on the Power.

When the 1400 respondents were isolated to take into account only Adelaide and Port fans, the survey revealed a 64-36 split favouring the Crows.

All up, Adelaide had a 51.4 per cent input to the survey, Port 29.3 and each of the other 14 non-South Australian AFL clubs could not manage more than a 2.7 per cent share (Carlton). Essendon had 2.5, Hawthorn 2.1 and Collingwood 2.

The AFL's dream to have a fierce rivalry between two passionate and devoted supporter bases in SA is fulfilled with Adelaide and Port.

Of the Crows fans who responded, 47.7 per cent said the club they like the least is Port. The mutual dislike was returned by 44.2 per cent of Power fans.

It is clearly them-versus-us in SA football.

Take away that home-town rivalry and there are many similarities between Crows and Power fans.

[Violetta]

OUTSIDE of the SA loyalty test, their least-favoured AFL team is Collingwood (21.7 per cent response from Crows fans/20.3 from the Power).

THE player they least like in rival AFL teams is Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley (29.1/24.2).

Brownlow Medallist and former Power captain Gavin Wanganeen is the least-liked Port player among Crows fans (9.9, ahead of current Port captain Matthew Primus, 4.3). Former Crows vice-captain and defender Nigel Smart is the least-favoured Adelaide player among Power fans (7.6).

OUTSIDE their own ranks, they regard Kangaroos defender Glenn Archer as the toughest player in the AFL (17.1/16.3). Adelaide fans say their captain Mark Ricciuto is the game's toughest player (21.3) and Power supporters opted for Essendon recruit Damien Hardwick (27.6).

OUTSIDE SA, Crows and Power fans agree Brisbane captain Michael Voss is the AFL's best player (19.8/16.5).

Interestingly, Port fans regard Adelaide midfielder Andrew McLeod (19.4) – a former Port Adelaide Magpie – as the best player outside the Power ranks.

AGAIN outside their own clubs, Crows and Power fans regard Collingwood president Eddie McGuire as the most-effective club leader this season (37.1/35.5).

Crows fans voted more often for McGuire than their own low-profile chairman Bob Campbell (23.7) while Power supporters backed their president Greg Boulton (42.7) as the game's most-effective club leader.


THEY agree on the worst coaches in the AFL – St Kilda's Grant Thomas (37/30.5) and Carlton's recently dismissed Wayne Brittain (24.2/23.7), who took the Saints and Blues to the last two spots on the AFL ladder this season.

While Port fans clearly regard Mark Williams as the best AFL coach (54.2, ahead of Brisbane premiership coach Leigh Matthews, 15.9), Crows supporters rated three-time premiership mentor Matthews (31) and Essendon master Kevin Sheedy (22.3) ahead of their own Gary Ayres (15.1).

ON the regular chestnuts in AFL football, Crows and Power fans also are of similar thoughts. They want a countdown clock at AFL games (46.1/47.2); there is a 37.1/34.9 split for no countdown clock; they want fans ejected for bad behaviour (45.4/44.9); a majority of Crows and Power fans believe umpiring standards are average or better (54.6/57.6) while 43.8 per cent of Crows fans said they are poor and 41.9 per cent of Power supporters expressed their disapproval.

A vast majority of Crows and Power fans (71.5/77.9) believe the AFL should scrap its rule stopping coaches and players publicly criticising umpires. An even stronger count (81.7/86.8) want umpires to explain decisions after a match and a majority (53.3/58.6) believe the AFL should have a fourth umpire in the stands reviewing video of contentious shots at goal.

Beyond being poles apart on the best coaches in the game, there is one issue which has Crows and Power fans divided:

BROWNLOW Medal eligibility. A majority of Crows fans, 52.1 per cent, believe a tribunal suspension should not rule a player out of the Brownlow count. This would seem in reaction to McLeod's one-match suspension on a controversial charging report with Essendon full forward Matthew Lloyd this season. The majority of Port fans, 56.5 per cent, agree the current system of ruling suspended players out of the Brownlow count should stand.

Crows and Power fans also were emphatic on the best player at their respective clubs. Adelaide's fans gave a 63.2 approval rating for McLeod with Ricciuto and Bickley second most-liked at 5.6 per cent.

Port fans were split between captain Matthew Primus (39) and vice-captain Warren Tredrea (29.2).

Of the 1400 respondents to the survey, 69.1 per cent were males; 30.9 per cent, female. There was an even spread through all age groups. Country fans embraced the survey making up 17.9 per cent of respondents.

[paralowiepower]

It was good to see that the crow fans backed there coach Gary Ayers. not. I think they picked him 3rd best in the AFL. At least we backed Mark Williams. Cannot believe people want a count down clock. I hate that thing, next they will want time outs as well, or is that just Malcom Blight? I voted in the survey, did anyone else?

[powerfan]

yeah I did

I still think that Matty is the most gorgeous.

What I did not like about the survey is that there was not much chance to bag the AFL administration and the fairness of the competition.

I want a countdown clock on the telly but not at the game.

[Violetta]

Yes I did the survey too. It seems so long ago now I can't even remember all the questions.

[wilburfan1521]

I did the survey too.

I want the countdown clock...the suspense it too much for me! LOL!

Bec xxx

[nicski]

Hahaha, agreed Bec!!! I go crazy at close games when I don't know how much time is left - I feel sorry for anyone sitting near me!!

Oh well, it adds to the fun