Crows Farewell Blake "Big Show" McLean

On May 21st, 2011 The Austin Crows will bid farewell to Blake "Big Show"McLean.  Blake leaves the Austin Crows after a solid two year stint while completing his Masters at UT Austin.  Not only did Blake provide a solid all-round performance, helping the Crows take their first ever nationals title in 2010, he is also leaving behind a legacy as the Crows fitness & stretching coach.  Blake received Best & Fairest at the 2010 Nationals as awarded by US Footy, and a host of 'Best on Ground' awards by the Austin Crows.  The Crows wish Blake well as he moves to Melbourne Australia to work for the Collingwood Magpies to continue his legacy of strength & fitness.  Blake will be sorely missed on and off the ground

Austin Crows defeat Dallas and Baton Rouge to take out Crawfish Cup

The Austin Crows travelled to Dallas on Saturday the 7th of May for the annual Crawfish Cup.

A big squad of Crows players headed to Celebration Park in Allen, TX to face off against traditional rivals.  The Crows were missing a number of stars from last year’s victorious Division 3 National Championship winning team but were buoyed and excited by the 7 new rookies that had joined the squad and made the trip north to Dallas.

The Crows were intent on putting in a good performance having not beaten Dallas since 2009. The players also had extra incentive as it would be the last game for Crows favorite, superstar Big Man, Blake "Bigshow" McLean who would be leaving Austin in two weeks to take up a job in the sports science department of the Collingwood Football Club.  Doing it for "Big Show" was certainly a motivation and feature of the pre-game rev up.

The Crows had been working hard for the last four weeks to ready themselves for the big game, and were excited to see how they would fare against Dallas who had been somewhat of a measuring stick for the Crows over the last two years.  Questions were being asked; Had the Crows improved?  What difference would the loss of key players make to the Crows?  To Dallas?  Were the new guys going to be any good and be able to handle the games intensity?  Had the Crows done enough fitness work?

The excitement amongst the Crows squad was further heightened fifteen minutes before the bounce, when coach Campbell pulled on the boots and suited up after being in doubt through a groin injury he had been carrying for the last three weeks.  No, the injury wasn’t sustained through increased horizontal activities on the homefront, rather just a silly old man in his twilight years playing Rugby in the off season.

With Big Show acting captain for the day in his last game, the Crows would win the toss and elect to kick with the breeze blowing down the ground. From that point on, it would be all the Crows for the next 40mins.  In a vintage display possibly as good as any he has put on in his decorated career, Coach Old Man Campbell turned it on in the first half.  Starting inside the forward 50 in an effort to preserve his troublesome groin the old man put on a clinic for the crowd and players in Dallas.  10 mins into the first half he had 3 goals to his name and was already on his second opponent.  The Crows were up and about, attacking every contest with great tenacity and every player taking their turn when it was their time to go.  The midfielders were on top with Jeremiah keeping Craig Storer in close check and Barnes, Silva, Herrera, Jehangir and new recruit Anthony clearing the ball at every opportunity.  When "Big Show" put through the Crows fourth goal of the half the scoreboard read 26-0.  Campbell would kick his 4th and 5th for the half and the Crows would kick 6 goals to zero for the half.  The Crows could have been further in front if it weren’t for assistant coach Gloster hitting the post from a yard, but nevertheless the Crows would take a big lead into half time in an electrifying display of Aussie Rules footy.

Kicking into the breeze in the second half the Crows knew that they needed to continue to press hard and not let up on a Dallas team that would have copped a serve from Coach Rackham at half time.  Old Man Campbell would drift back as a loose man in defence along with Noor Jehangir to provide support for the other Crows defenders.  But the Crows again stood tall with defensive stalwarts, Chad, Rey and Seymour repelling Magpie attacks and Big Show and Barnes continuing to work hard through the midfield the Crows remained on top.  When Jeremiah bulldogged another pack to win yet another contested possession, which resulted in Gloster marking and finding J.B in the forward pocket the Crows could sense and opportunity to put the game beyond the reach of the Magpies.  J.B would go back and slot the set shot into the wind, and when Gloster snapped truly for the Crows 8th goal the result was beyond doubt.

Certainly Campbell's 5 goals was an amazing individual effort, with some scribes believing it was perhaps the best performance in the Crows strip, but it was the overall evenness of the Crows team and the desire and hunger for the contest that resulted in such an outstanding victory.

The Crows running out victorious by 26 points.

But the Crows goal of taking out the Crawfish Cup was only half finished.  The second game against Baton Rouge would provide Austin with an opportunity to claim their first Crawfish Cup and debut some more of the 7 new rookies on the squad.

Baton Rouge were determined to spoil a Crows party, and made the Crows work for every possession.  The Baton Rouge squad has grown significantly since 2010 thanks in part to stronger ties with Houston, which has resulted in a much stronger line up.  Baton Rouge was on top early and committed to trying to spoil Austin's efforts to win the Crawfish Cup.  10 minutes into the clash with the Crows kicking with the wind Baton Rouge had held Austin to just 1 goal and had also kicked a goal of their own.  The Crows swung the changes and Old Man Cambo again went forward for the last 10 minutes of the half, another 4 goals from the Crows superstar to take his total for the day to 9, would ensure the Crows went in with a healthy lead at half time.

Coach Campbell threw down the challenge to the Crows players to win the final half and dig deep into the breeze.  Baton Rouge started the half strongly kicking the first goal of the half, but the Crows steadied the ship through the intense midfield efforts of Jeremiah and Anthony and would respond with a goal of their own. Each side would kick another goal before the Crows ran out winners by 24 points.  Happy with their efforts, the hard work will continue for the Crows who are keen to improve and get better throughout the year.   

Aussie Rules is alive and well in Texas and Austin look forward to the next fixture at Baton Rouge in June this year, with the Magpies sure to be hungry to extract some revenge and the Tigers looking to continue on their promising start to the year.

Austin announced as 2011 Nationals Host