Adelaide Crows

If it wasn't already apparent how important Phillips is to the fledgling league, not just her Adelaide Crows, it was made crystal clear against the Western Bulldogs this weekend.

Yes, she's a dual sport star — she is a two-time WNBA champion, an Olympic silver medallist and world championship gold medallist with the Opals.

Her performances for the Crows in the AFLW, however, are re-emphasising her star power.

Last season she kicked eight goals in the regular season, six less than the top scorer, Carlton's Darcy Vescio. But that was only one element of her game.

Much like the Bulldogs last year, the Tigers have dominated the pre-game talk and will load the MCG with yellow and black. It's a quirk of our Victorian-focused game that the best team in the league this season is almost billed as the support act to the main thing.

It's a phenomenon that creates a certain set of problems for both teams — the pressure that comes with the hype could be overwhelming for Richmond, while Adelaide could be forgiven for feeling like the entire country is against it.

The Port Adelaide Power spectator aimed the banana at Adelaide Crows' Eddie Betts after he celebrated scoring a goal in the game at Adelaide's Oval.

Port Adelaide have banned her "indefinitely" after deciding her actions breached their code of conduct.

"It is clear that the offender's behaviour was racially motivated," said a club statement.