| ||||||
| Team information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | The Croweaters | |||||
| Governing body | South Australian National Football League | |||||
| Most caps | Lindsay Head (37) | |||||
| Home stadium | AAMI Stadium (51,515) Adelaide Oval (53,583) Various SANFL grounds | |||||
| First game | ||||||
 Victoria 7–0 South Australia  1879 | ||||||
The South Australia state football team is the representative side of South Australia in the sport of Australian rules football.
South Australia has a proud history in interstate football, having a successful historical record. South Australia won the second National Football Carnival in 1911 and won two out of the four Interstate Carnivals in the State of Origin era, including the last two.[1][2] While the senior team no longer plays, it continues to contest the underage men's (5 division 1 titles) and underage women's championships (1 division 2 title).
South Australia has a long and intense rivalry with Victoria.[3] The rivalry was characterised by the catchcry in South Australia called "Kick a Vic", and fans would bring signs of the cry to the games.[1] The South Australia–Victoria rivalry was characterised by long-time South Australian player Andrew Jarman, who has said "it was the mother of all battles".[4] Some of the games between South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia in the 1980s and 1990s have been described as "some of greatest games in the history of Australian football".[5]
The rivalry with Victoria stems from before State of Origin started, when the standard rules prior to 1977 mandated that all VFL players must only play interstate football for Victoria.[6] As most of the country's best players played in the VFL, Victoria dominated the pre–State of Origin era,[6] it created a culture of disdain towards Victoria.[7][3] Another component of the rivalry is a historical feeling in South Australia that Victoria doesn't rate any player or league outside Victoria.[7] Another contributing factor is a feeling in South Australia that Victorians think they own the game.[8]
- ^ a b SAfootballarchive (6 March 2012), 1988 State of Origin South Australia 15.12.102 d Victoria 6.6.42, retrieved 2 March 2016[dead YouTube link]
- ^ SAfootballarchive (6 March 2012), 1993 State of Origin Final South Australia 16.13.109 d Victoria 14.13.97, retrieved 2 March 2016[dead YouTube link]
- ^ a b "Cornes leads SANFL with pride in jumper at forefront". WA Football. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ SAfootballarchive (6 March 2012), 1992 State of Origin South Australia 19.19.133 d Victoria 18.12.120, retrieved 2 March 2016
- ^ "The greatest State of Origin game ever, WA v Victoria '86". The Roar. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Australian Football - West Coast Football Club - Stats". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ a b Adelaide Football Club (19 August 2013), Graham Cornes on Open Mike - 19 August 2013, retrieved 2 March 2016
- ^ "Australian Football - The+pride+of+South+Australia". australianfootball.com. Retrieved 2 March 2016.