Australian Football

Match Report

There haven't been too many bad Showdowns in recent years and edition XXXVII was no exception as Adelaide and Port Adelaide put an outstanding display of football, with the Crows coming out as upset winners, keeping their finals chances alive, and knocking Port off the top of the ladder in the process. 

The Crows got the first goal of the match via Eddie Betts but then the Power gradually asserted their ascendency over the remainder, kicking five of the next six goals to lead by 16 points late ion the first term before a major just before the quarter-time siren brought the difference back to 10 at the first break. After Justin Westhoff kicked the first goal of the second quarter, Adelaide turned up the heat and was possibly the better side for the remainder of the first half, kicking three of the next four goals. Port did have its chances though, kicking 2.7 for the term and the difference at the long break was still 10 points. 

For Adelaide, the third term proved to be the pivotal one of the match. The Crows kept Port to just four behinds for the term and added 3.6 of their own, with goals to Scott Thompson, Eddie Betts and Taylor Walker seeing the "home" team to a 10-point lead at the final end-change. With the Power renowned for their big last quarters, Adelaide was keen to get the first goal on the board in the final term and Jacobs delivered after a pass from Thompson. But Jay Schulz answered for the Power at the eight-minute mark and there was a sense that the Power were about to make their move. But the Crows answered with a major from Taylor Walker and the Crows, 23 points ahead, looked winners. Jared Polec and Brad Ebert then kick goals for Port and, with the margin back to 11 points, the packed Adelaide Oval crowd rose to fever pitch. It proved to be an Adelaide import who sealed the deal for the Crows, with ex-Blue Eddie Betts kicking two late goals to get his team home by 23 points.

Best for the Crows included Jacobs (36 hitouts and three goals), Thompson (34 disposals, seven tackles) and Patrick Dangerfied (32 touches and four tackles). For the Power, Travis Boak (33 disposals) was magnificent as skipper and veteran Kane Cornes (10 tackles, 22 disposals) played a fine game.

Only a game outside the top eight, the Crows could push their way into it with a win against GWS at the Sydney Showground on Saturday. The Power, having slipped back to second place in the wake of two losses in three weeks, will take on Essendon at home on the same day.

GOALS
Adelaide: Betts 4; Jacobs 3; Walker 2; Dangerfield, Porplyzia, Jenkins, Crouch, Thompson
Port Adelaide: Polec 3; Schulz 2; Hartlett, White, Boak, Westhoff

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Jacobs, Thompson, Crouch, Sloane, Talia, Betts
Port Adelaide: Boak, Wines, Pittard, Polec, White, Cornes

BEST - THE AGE
Adelaide: Jacobs, S. Thompson, Talia, Crouch, Dangerfield, Betts
Port Adelaide: Boak, Wines, Ebedrt, Cornes, Pittard, White.

INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Port Adelaide: Trengove (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Jason Porplyzia replaced by Jarryd Lyons in the fourth quarter.
Port Adelaide: Jackson Trengove replaced by Kane Mitchell at half-time.

UMPIRES: Farmer, Armstrong, Hay

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Gerard Healy, Brad Johnson, Cameron Mooney