From the Sidelines – 2021 AFLW Grand Final
Adelaide Crows AFLW Captain, Chelsea Randall has given Sherrin a first-hand perspective of her AFLW Grand Final experience; a raw, honest re-cap of the week leading up to the big game and her feelings post the Grand Final defeat.
Preliminary final against Melbourne Demons. A very competitive side with exceptional talent. Adelaide Oval. We had to win to get ourselves into our third Grand Final. In the 8th minute of the first quarter, the ball spills into some open space, I took off after it with the only thought of winning the ball for my team. I collected the ball just in time, braced for the contact, collided with the opposition and the next thing I knew, we’d been knocked out for a second or so, blood spilled from my mouth and both of us were taken off the field.
I sat there on the bench watching my teammates rotate on and off the field every few minutes. I spoke to my team at quarter time and explained, “I’ve been ruled out for the rest of the game, I may not be out there with you, but I’m in each and every single one of your hearts, get the job done”. The look in their eyes, I’ll never forget. Players like Ebony Marinoff, Rachelle Martin, MJ Rajcic, Sarah Allan, Stevie Thompson and Erin Phillips lifted and continued to inspire the group through their actions, amongst many others. To their credit they went to work, brought outstanding pressure and we got the result. I was so proud of them, as I always have been and as I always will be.
The news was confirmed to me after the game that the new AFL concussion protocol rule still stood. It required AFL and AFLW players to have a minimum of 12 days off prior to returning to play football. This meant, as captain, I would miss the AFLW Grand Final.
Initially, internally I was a mix of emotions. Anger, frustration, sadness. I’d sacrificed so much, as does every AFLW player and elite athlete, so the thought of missing out on playing or performing on the biggest stage for the biggest game was devastating. Not to mention, I’d spent the previous year going through a 12-month ACL rehabilitation. Yet, externally I was genuinely so excited and happy for my teammates who had all worked tremendously hard and earnt the right to play in a Grand Final. Especially some of our younger players and those who had missed the opportunities in previous years to play in a grand final, it was their turn.
After resting in a dark room for two days straight, no phones, no books, no screens and all my windows closed, I passed my concussion test with flying colours. Yet the rule still stood. I didn’t take any further action, because what kind of message would it have sent to our grassroots football? This was bigger than just me, and as much as it hurt that I wasn’t allowed to play, as much as I was completely devastated, I accepted the ruling the AFL had set. Concussion is a serious topic and should be treated as such.
When I was 20, I saw a young man die in front of my eyes. He had been concussed in the week prior, he went to a few different doctors to get approval to play in his E Division Grand Final, he was the captain. He received a normal bump at a centre bounce and he never got back up. I shared this story not to scare people but to educate, just how serious concussion is.
Once it was confirmed that I wouldn’t be playing in the Grand Final, I poured all my energy into being a positive figure and continued to lead my team in every way possible in the lead up to the big dance. As I mentioned to my team, the past 6 months, the past 10 games, it wasn’t about me or one individual, it was about everyone. We have many capable and outstanding leaders within our team, young and senior. I’d asked senior leader Angela Foley, to take the captaincy reigns and help lead our team on the day. She had been an exceptional leader over the past 5 years for our club.
Grand Final day. As the fans piled into the Adelaide Oval stands, dressed in their footy colours and voices louder than ever, my team were lined up in the race, ready to run out onto the iconic ground. I walked out behind them and took my place on the bench. Everything from this point onwards was completely out of my control.
Brisbane brought the pressure and hunger. We lost Ange in the third quarter with a suspected ACL, which was later confirmed after the game. Brisbane’s defence was exceptional and they ran away with it.
The grand final siren sounded, loud cheers erupted from the bench next to me, it was all over. Heartbreak, as I watch the sadness and the reality hit my players. We’d lost the Grand Final.
There isn’t much you can say after defeat, and many deal with it differently. It’s life. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. Competitors loath losing, and it burns deep inside. But it’s important we don’t forget to celebrate just how far we have come, the joy we shared with one another each and every day, the ups and downs that made us stronger and that taught us so much. It’s the journey and the people that we cherish the most. I’ll be forever proud of my team. We’ll continue to strive for greatness on and off the field and leave a legacy for others to follow.
by Chelsea Randall, Adelaide Crows