AFL

Crows turn to 19th Century explorer for AFL inspiration

By AAP Newswire

Jul 6, 2023

Matthew Nicks (pic) took the Adelaide Crows to the movies to prepare them for their Essendon match. -AAP Image

A famous polar explorer who died more than a century ago is providing inspiration to Adelaide's players as they seek to end their AFL finals drought.

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Crows coach Matthew Nicks has taken his players to the movies in the lead-up to their pivotal away game against Essendon on Sunday.

Adelaide's players and coaches watched Shackleton: The Greatest Story of Survival, a movie about Ernest Shackleton.

Nicks hopes the story of the Irish-born explorer, who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic from 1901-09, resonates deeply with the Crows.

"Shackleton is probably one of the greatest leaders of all time and a leader that I have admired from when I first came out of footy," Nicks told reporters on Thursday.

"So you pile those together, it made the perfect visual for us to go and watch.

"Look at his leadership, look at his composure under pressure, look at how he worked with his teammates or his comrades.

"But then also learn a little bit more about the planet and what it is we need to do."

Shackleton died in 1922 but Nicks said his story was "completely different and exactly the same" when related to the current AFL.

"It's all about people," he said.

"It's about emotional intelligence, it's about understanding what makes people perform at their best - in their case, what helps people survive in treacherous conditions.

"We don't experience those conditions but we were looking to make our guys perform at their best under pressure."

Adelaide-based explorer Tim Jarvis also attended the movie session and held a meet-and-greet with the Crows.

Jarvis in 2013 led the first authentic retracing of Shackleton's famed double exploration, sailing a replica boat 1500km across the Southern Ocean from Antarctica to South Georgia.

He then climbed over South Georgia's mountainous interior with the same rudimentary equipment and technology, and wore period clothing, as Shackleton did nearly 100 years before.

The Crows haven't played finals since 2017 but hold seventh spot on the ladder enter their next battle, against eighth-placed Essendon.

The Crows sit atop the Bombers by percentage only ahead of the Marvel Stadium fixture but are also just a win behind fourth-placed Melbourne.