Arabic version: جماهير كروز تكرّم تيكس ووكر بعد الخسارة أمام ليونز

According to ABC News, Adelaide Crows supporters gathered at venues across Adelaide to watch their team’s finals match against Brisbane, but their grand final hopes ended with a 53-point loss at the Gabba on Saturday night. Adelaide’s season is over, while the Lions will play Hawthorn in a preliminary final next weekend.

At half-time, the Crows were 38 points behind, though some fans at a pub in Adelaide’s inner-south remained hopeful. Lee Mason said it would be “a grind to get back in it”, while Blake Kerley said the team had been competitive for only about five minutes in the second quarter. Kerley said the disappointment of Adelaide’s 2017 grand final loss to Richmond had reinforced his commitment to the club through its highs and lows.

Jenni Read-Smith said supporters had to remain loyal in both good and bad times. George Koutsamanis said the Crows had fought well, but noted that allowing Brisbane to kick five goals in five minutes made the task difficult. After the match, Jimmy Pritchard praised Adelaide for “having a good crack at it” and referred to the Gabba as the “Gabbatoir”.

Fans also marked the final game of retiring veteran Tex Walker, who completed his 318th AFL match after 19 seasons. Walker kicked two goals in the last quarter before a tearful farewell after full-time. Pritchard said he loved seeing Walker leave the field emotionally with his children, while Tony Casiero said Walker should be proud of what he had achieved for the team, club and state.

Josh Nacca said Adelaide needed strategic changes to win a premiership, pointing to the first-quarter goals that “really killed the game”. He said the Crows could become a “real powerhouse”, but named Hawthorn, Fremantle and Brisbane as strong rivals. Katerina Panayi, who had booked flights and accommodation for Melbourne, said she had been optimistic this year but believed the team still had work to do.