Two-time Adelaide Premiership Captain Mark Bickley never got a chance to line up with the Crows in the SANFL.

But that hasn’t stopped Bickley and other past Crows players throwing their support behind Adelaide’s State League side this season.

To connect the past with the present, the Crows SANFL side introduced a new initiative this season - to have a past Adelaide player present an award to the best on ground after each match.

Bickley (South Adelaide junior), Simon Tregenza (Port Adelaide product) and Jason Porplyzia (West Adelaide) have been among those involved.

Speaking on this week’s episode of The Crows Show, Adelaide SANFL and Academies Manager Jarrod Meers Meers said the idea helped build a strong culture and gave the players a chance to learn about the importance of the SANFL.

“It’s well documented how young our AFL list is, so we took it upon ourselves this year to put a real off-field focus on developing players and understanding the SANFL,” Meers said.

“Each week, we bring in a past player from the SANFL team we are playing against and ask them to talk about their journey at their SANFL Club and how they got to then eventually play at the Adelaide Footy Club.

“It’s been really well received. 

“The players and coaches have loved it, the past players have that connection back to the club, so it’s been a really positive experience.”

“The players and coaches have loved it, the past players have that connection back to the club.

Former Crows wingman Stephen Schwerdt featured with Central District before joining Adelaide’s list.

The now 54-year-old was the special guest for Adelaide’s Round 18 SANFL clash against Central and presented the award to Lachlan Gollant, who produced a five-goal, best-on-ground performance.

“I think it’s a bit of gratitude for the work the Club and the SANFL have done to get their own SANFL Crows team. It’s really important,” Schwerdt said.

“I was watching the game and the thing I also mentioned to the boys was the real care they had for each other.

“You could tell they were operating as a team and that’s a great asset to have when you are trying to develop players to play at the next level.”

Also on The Crows Show this week, three-time AFLW Premiership star Anne Hatchard joins Belinda Sloane to talk about her new business venture, Hatch Coffee Co., while Fischer McAsey reveals his Hungry Jack's Whopper Moment.

The final episode for 2022 airs on Channel 7 this Saturday at 4.30pm.