Australian Football

Match Report

The 42nd Showdown between Port Adelaide and Adelaide on Saturday night was yet another classic encounter between these two sides, with extra spice added to this match with the sides occupying the top two spots leading into the game. Port started the match strongly, and led until late in the second term, but once the Crows hit the front they did not relinquish their advantage, withstanding a fightback from the Power in the third and final quarters to win by 17 points.

Things were tight and dour in the early stages of the match, neither side scoring so much as a point in the first seven minutes. A behind to Port's Sam Gray finagling opened things up, with Brodie Smith responding for the Crows with his first behind. The first goal of the match came through Robbie Gray, and when Justin Westhoff kicked another a minute later, the Power led by two goals. After Taylor Walker kicked Adelaide's second behind, Jarman Impey kicked Port's third and the Power was ahead by 17 points. Eddie Betts finally rolled the Crows' first goal through at the 19-minute mark and when Tom Lynch added another, Port's lead was back to eight points. The two sides added a further goal each to end the term, Port leading by nine at the first break. 

Port opened the second quarter strongly as it did in the first, a goal to Ollie Wines at the four-minute mark extending its lead to 14 points. Andy Otten pulled one back for the Crows but a second major for Wines had the Power's lead beyond two goals once more after 10 minutes. A great goal from David Mackay had Adelaide back within five points midway through the quarter, and then a second goal to Otten saw the Crows hit the front at the 18-minute mark. They would maintain that lead for the rest of the match. Betts followed up with his second goal and it was Adelaide by nine at half time.

The Crows set up the match in the early stages of the third quarter, majors to Riley Knight and Walker extended their lead to 20 points after seven minutes. The Power quelled Adelaide after that, but couldn't score themselves and after another 12 minutes of arm-wrestling, Rory Sloane goaled to extend the Crows' lead to 27 points. Travis Boak kicked Port's first of the quarter just before time on but another one to Walker had Adelaide ahead by 26. Port came again, though, and late majors to Brett Eddy and Chad Wingard had them back within 14 at the last end-change.

Port kept coming when the final quarter began, and had several chances to narrow the gap further. The Power and three shots at goal in the first seven minutes to the Crows' none, but managed just the one goal - to Wingard - and two behinds, one each to Wines and Sam Gray, to cut the margin to six points. But Adelaide turned the tide in the seven minutes after that, and goals to Walker and Lynch saw the Crows back out to a three-goal lead. Sam Powell-Pepper marked and goaled to bring the difference back to 12 but a beautiful, long goal from well outside the 50-metre arc virtually ended Port's chances. Another goal to Knight extended the lead to 24 points, before a late goal to Robbie Gray cut the final difference to 17 points, the Crows the victors and on top of the ladder.

Rory Sloane was magnificent for the Crows, with 31 possessions and nine tackles, while Wines was a standout for Port, with 30 touches and seven tackles.

Adelaide will look to maintain its unbeaten run when it hosts Essendon on Saturday night, while the Power, beaten but by no means disgraced in the match against the Crows, will take on GWS in Canberra earlier that day.

GOALS
Port Adelaide: Wines, Wingard, R.Gray 2; Westhoff, Impey, Dixon, Boak, Eddy, Powell-Pepper
Adelaide: Walker 4; Betts 3; Otten, Knight, Lynch 2; Mackay, Sloane,

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Port Adelaide: Wines, Ryder, Ebert, Byrne-Jones, Hartlett, Boak
Adelaide: Sloane, Douglas, Walker, Otten, Laird, Lynch , Knight

BEST - THE AGE
Port Adelaide: Ryder, Wines, Ebert, Byren-Jones, Boak
Adelaide: Sloane, Crouch, Smith, Jacobs, Hampton, Douglas, Walker

INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Adelaide: McGovern (hamstring)

UMPIRES: Dagleigh, Meredith, Williamson

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Mark Ricciuto, Matthew Pavlich, Cameron Mooney