'You've got to be loyal, good times and bad': Crows fans commiserate finals loss

Crows fans gathered in Adelaide's inner-south to watch their team take on the Lions on Saturday night. While disappointed with the outcome, fans were appreciative of veteran Tex Walker who played his final game. What's next? Adelaide's season is over, while the Lions will face Hawthorn in a preliminary final next weekend. Crows fans were flying high before their grand final dreams were smashed by the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba with a 53-point feat on Saturday night. Fans who could not make it to the game in Brisbane gathered at venues around Adelaide to watch the match. At half-time the Crows trailed by 38 points but some fans remained optimistic. "It's going to be a grind to get back in it, we were nearly there, weren't we," Lee Mason said during the break in play. Others though were not so sure. "Good for about five minutes in the second quarter, and we were all up and about, getting a bit rowdy with it, but since then it's been nothing really," Blake Kerley said. Mr Kerley said watching a not-so-distant 2017 grand final made him want to stick with his team. "That heartbreak, and you ride with them through the highs and lows," Mr Kerley said. Longtime fan Jenni Read-Smith had a similar view. "You've got to be loyal, good times and bad times, you can't be a fair-weather supporter … that's what team sport is all about," Ms Read-Smith said. George Koutsamanis told the ABC at half-time that it would be a difficult road to victory. "You let a team kick five goals in five minutes — it's a long way back," he said. "The team's done well, they've fought well, but the finals are never easy, to be the best, you've got to beat the best." When it was all over for the Crows, Jimmy Pritchard commended the team for "having a good crack at it." "They call it the Gabbatoir for a reason, you go there and get absolutely mauled," Mr Pritchard said. Emotional end to Walker's career Mr Pritchard said he appreciated everything retiring player Tex Walker did for the club, with the veteran completing his 318th and final AFL game on Saturday. [Image text:] ADEAIDE CROMWS ND