History In the beginning there was the San Antonio Diablos. Much effort was expended to expand the team to critical mass. With a loss of players, however, and a move by key personnel to Austin, just 80 miles up I-35, the Diablos were reborn in 2002 as the Austin Crows. The Crows died off in 2004, with some players now playing for the Dallas Magpies in the countries premier MAAFL league. In 2006 the Crows have reformed with a push from Dallas to restart the TXAFL, and the incentive of a division 3 birth in the 2006 Nationals in Las Vegas.

Why the Crows? Austin and Adelaide the home of the professional Australian Rules Football team the Adelaide Crows have long enjoyed a strong Sister City relationship. The Sister City relationship was established on May 12, 1983. The two cities have exchanged delegations led by several Austin mayors and Lord Mayors from Adelaide. Artistic exchanges from Adelaide have included the band Kelly's Revenge, a group of Bush Dancers (an all male dance style somewhat resembling square dancing or contra dancing), and solo country blues artist Pete Miller (August-September 1999). Folk artist Christine Albert has performed in Adelaide and performance artist Carolyn Cohagan performed her comedic piece "No Spleen" at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in February-March 2000. Adelaide citizens have visited Austin to learn more about various aspects of Austin's high-tech industries. In spring 1999, a group of students in the MS degree program in Science and Technology Commercialization at the IC2 Institute of the University of Texas at Austin visited the University of Adelaide. Now Adelaide graduate students are included in the Austin-based program through video-conferencing and the Internet. That program also includes students in Portugal and Spain. In December 1999, the Adelaide participants in the Master's program visited Austin. The Austin-Adelaide Committee welcomed a delegation from Adelaide in May 1996. A delegation of more than 20 people from Austin to Adelaide was sent October 1996. Twice Austin and Adelaide television stations have exchanged evening news anchors. In the most recent exchange, Stacie Schaible of KXAN-TV 36 and Georgina Thomas of Adelaide News 9 exchanged jobs for a week. Schaible was well received in Adelaide, where there were no female anchors during the workweek at that time. Thomas was given airtime to convey her impressions of such topics as high school football and barbeque. The sister city relationship played a key role in Austin winning the bid to host the WCIT 2006, with a delegation of 25 people from Austin attending the WCIT 2002 in Adelaide. Austin has hosted many Australian dignitaries over the years, including Ministers from both the State and Federal governments. We have continued success with cultural exchanges - including the development of a formal music and film exchange between Austin and Adelaide. Last year, Austin was host to over 120 Australians at SXSW, which included 28 bands from Australia.

Adelaide Crows a brief History Maintenance of accurate historical records is of major importance to all professional organisations. It is appropriate then that the Adelaide Football Club tells the story and itemises the sequence of events which brought about the formation of the club and it's entry into the Australian Football League. First commitment to such a course came as long ago as Friday June 12th, 1981, when at a special meeting of the South Australian National Football League, the then League Directors voted unanimously to support an application for the inclusion of an SANFL team in the Victorian Football League competition commencing Season 1982. Importantly, even at this very initial stage, firm guidelines were set and the decision embraced the basic principles that: 1. The team be corporately owned and managed by the SANFL. 2. It be known as the Adelaide Football Club 3. It be a composite team of players selected from the member clubs of the SANFL 4. Football Park be its home ground, and it establish playing, training and administrative headquarters at that venue. An SANFL delegation comprising Messrs. M.R. Basheer (President), R.W. Lee (Vice President), J. Swain (Director) and D.V. Roach (General Manager) presented this application to a full meeting of the Victorian Football League in July 1981. On August 27th, 1981, the VFL advised that the application for entry into Season 1982 had not been approved, but that it wished to continue discussions on the possibility of a team being accepted in 1983 or 1984. Discussion and negotiations did continue through 1983 and 1984, and on through 1985 and 1986: but to no avail. On May 21st, 1986, the SANFL formed a company, Adelaide Football Club Incorporated, with all issued shares in the said company owned by the league. Discussion and negotiations with the VFL continued through 1987, 1988, and 1989, still without agreement reached; and in 1990 the VFL became the Australian Football League. Then, notwithstanding the unanimous resolution of the SANFL clubs in May 1990 that a team would not be entered into the AFL until season 1993, the Port Adelaide Football Club, in July 1990, reached heads of agreement with the AFL to enter a team into its competition in season 1991. The other nine league clubs reacted strongly and entered into litigation in an endevour to halt Port's bid. It was noted that terms and conditions offered to Port Adelaide in respect to its proposed entry, were significantly more favourable than those which had previously been offered to the SANFL in respect to a composite team, and in September 1990 the league officially applied to the AFL for the admission of the Adelaide Football Club under terms and conditions similiar to those offered to Port Adelaide. At the Australian Football League meeting held on 19th September 1990, directors voted in favour of the Adelaide Football Club application. The Adelaide Football Club was well and truly alive. The SANFL moved immediately to protect and secure playing strength for the new club. South Australian football legends Bob Hammond and Neil Kerley were co-opted to work with SANFL Administration Manager, Murray Tippet, to identify, commit to, and contract required players. There can be no doubt that 1991 playing performance reflected their dedication and professionalism in fulfilling this assignment. The Head Licence between South Australian National Football League and the Australian Football League was signed on October 11th, 1990. At a meeting of Directors held on October 12th, 1990, the SANFL elected the Inaugural Board of the Adelaide Football Club comprising Messrs. M.R. Basheer (Chairman), R. Allert, E. Betro, R. Hammond, R.W. Lee, A. Sutter and L.R. Whicker. This board, which was to act in an interim capacity until such time as a permanent board could be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the SANFL, first met on Monday, October 15th, 1990. It took responsibility for setting the structure of the club, for negotiating agreements, for launching the club and for all planning and activity associated with early operations of the club. The Inaugural Board at its meeting on February 13th, 1991 agreed and signed the Sub-Licence Agreement between SANFL, AFL, and AFC. The Inaugural Board last met on February 20th, 1991. It had made a huge contribution to our formation. At the Annual General Meeting of the South Australian National Football League on February 25th, 1991, directors of the league elected the first permanent board of the Adelaide Football Club. When this board first met on Tuesday, February 26th, 1991, Adelaide Football Club had been well and truly formed - Long may it survive and prosper. WE'RE THE PRIDE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND WE'RE KNOWN AS THE ADELAIDE CROWS WE'RE COURAGEOUS, STRONGER, FASTER AND RESPECTED BY OUR FOES. ADMIRATION OF THE NATION OUR DETERMINATION SHOWS. WE'RE THE PRIDE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA WE'RE THE MIGHTY ADELAIDE CROWS. WE GIVE OUR BEST FROM COAST TO COAST WHERE THE STORY WILL BE TOLD. AS WE FIGHT THE RUGGED BATTLES THE FLAG WILL BE OUR GOAL OUR SKILL AND NERVE WILL SEE US THROUGH OUR COMMITMENT EVER GROWS. WE'RE THE PRIDE OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA WE'RE THE MIGHTY ADELAIDE CROWS source: http://www.afc.com.au