Australian Football

Match Report

Showdown 43, the last match of round 20, promised to be one of the matches of the weekend, pitting together first on the ladder against fifth, the teams with the two highest percentages of the season so far. Sadly, it failed dismally to deliver on that promise, although it did deliver unequivocal premiership favouritism to the victors, Adelaide. The Crows dominated from go to whoa, making Port look like a second-rate, if not third-rate, side.

The final margin was 84 points and it could have been far greater. Adelaide led by only eight points at quarter time, but that was not a sign of any narrow gap between the sides, merely the result of the Crows poor kicking early. They led 1.9 to 1.1 at the first break, but found their kicking boots after that, the final margin more reflective of the gulf between the two on the night.

Adelaide dominated the early minutes but could not translate the onfield superiority into goals, the first five minutes yielding only three behinds for the Crows. When Port's first scoring chance came, it was maximised by Justin Westhoff, who ran on to a loose ball to kick the game's first goal. It proved to be a false dawn for the Power, and Adelaide resumed its dominance soon after. Sam Jacobs kicked the Crows' first goal at the 15-minute mark, putting them back in front. From there Adelaide peppered the goals, but could not find the big sticks, and the quarter-time break saw the Crows' eight extra scoring shots producing a lead of only eight points.

Eddie Betts was on target for the Crows early in the second quarter, his goal ironically kicked from a near impossible angle on the boundary line. The Crows inaccuracy then returned, with Mitch McGovern missing twice before two goals in a row from captain Taylor Walker saw the Crows out to a 27-point lead as their control in general play started to translate into a scoreboard gap between the sides. Hugh Greenwood added another one for the nominal home side before hand time, while the Power went goalless for the quarter, and the half-time margin was 36 points, Adelaide leading 5.15 to 1.3.

As the Crows straightened up in front of goal after half time, they threatened to produce an avalanche of goals with Betts and Jacobs each scoring a major in the first five minutes of the third term. Robbie Gray finally scored Port's second goal at the eight-minute mark, but Brad Crouch and Betts put paid to any thoughts of a Power comeback with further goals, the second of those an Eddie Betts 'special' from an 'impossible' angle in the pocket. The Betts goal put Adelaide 55 points ahead, and the Crows added another three goals to two to go into the last break with a commanding 62-point lead.

The only real question to be answered in the final quarter was whether Port Adelaide would produce some fight, after it gad shown little in the first three. The early stages of the term suggested it would not, with goals to Tom Lynch and Josh Jenkins seeing the Crows' lead stretch to 74 points. The Power did finally show something with Brad Ebert and Jack Hombsch kicking a major each, but the Crows were still kicking behinds during this period, and when they got back on target in time on, they kicked four goals in a row to extend the margin to 90 points, before a last-minute consolation goal saw the final margin at 84 points, a thrashing in anyone's language.

Adelaide had many good players but the standouts were Sam Jacobs (whose 42 hitouts and six tackles earned him the Showdown Medal), Rory Sloane (30 touches, seven tackles) and Brad Crouch (29 possessions eight tackles). For Port, Robbie Gray (33 disposals, five tackles) was one of the few who could hold their heads high.

Having almost sewn up top place, the Crows last three home and away games will take in Essendon (away), Sydney (home) and West Coast (away). Port is still a top four chance, but it could yet miss out on the top eight. The Power's last three matches - against Collingwood and Gold Coast at home with the Western Bulldogs at Ballarat sandwiched in between - will be crucial.

GOALS
Adelaide: Jenkins, Betts 4; Walker 3; Jacobs 2; Laird, Greenwood, B.Crouch, Lynch, Sloane
Port Adelaide: Dixon 2; Westhoff, Polec, R.Gray, Ebert, Hombsch

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Adelaide: Jacobs, Walker, Sloane, B .Crouch, Lynch, Laird, Betts, M. Crouch
Port Adelaide: R Gray, Boak, Dixon

BEST - THE AGE
Adelaide: Sloane, Jacobs, Walker, M. Crouch, Smith, Betts Laird, Jenkins
Port Adelaide: R Gray, Ryder, Ebert, Boak, Wines, Pittard

INJURIES
Adelaide: Mackay (corked thigh), Talia (groin)
Port Adelaide: Nil

UMPIRES: Stevic, Stevens, Dalgleish

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Gerard Healy, Mark Ricciuto, David King