DESPITE a spirited last quarter rally, Port Adelaide has fallen three points short in Showdown XXXIX having played an unpolished, uninspiring game for three quarters. 

Robbie Gray kicked the Power within three points with 66 seconds remaining in the game in a remarkable repositioning of a match that looked like being a runaway Crows win just 30 minutes earlier. 

But the Power's inaccuracy before that - having kicked 1.5 for the term before Wingard, Boak and Gray swung the direction back in their favour - chewed up time, and Port's chances.

Arguably, Adelaide earned the win, having controlled the game for three quarters to hold a five-goal advantage at the final break.

Before that, the Crows had led by a game-high 36 points, and won all statistics until the early stages of the final term.

Goal leaks cost the Power

Port Adelaide's defensive work was poor all night, having conceded strings of goals throughout the game.

Limited by unhelpful decision-making and ball use, Port was punished for its turnovers and the Crows ran forward freely too often to pass off the Power's efforts as mere blips.

And with the Crows rarely looking like missing in front of goals, Port Adelaide could ill-afford to give its opponent latitude.

Adelaide's early advantage was constructed on the back of six straight first term goals (it's first behind coming after ill-disciplined Power defence allowed a behind after the quarter time siren), and a four-goal demolition job early in the third. 

Crowded house

One small positive for Port Adelaide came from around the field. 

Largely thanks to the huge turnout of Power supporters, Port Adelaide's home crowd figure of 54,468 was another AFL record at the Oval, and the largest to see any sporting fixture since the stadium's redevelopment.

The previous high mark was held by the Adelaide Strikers, which posted just shy of 53,000 in last summer's knockout Big Bash League cricket final at the ground.

As part of its community engagement program, the RAA will donate $10,000 to the Childhood Cancer Association for the crowd exceeding 50,000.

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE        3.4       8.4       13.6      17.11   (113)
ADELAIDE                    6.1       11.3     18.6      18.8  (116)

GOALS 
Ryder 3, Wingard 3, Gray 3, Schulz 3, Lobbe 2, Boak 2, Monfries

PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU'S BEST 
Boak, Ryder, Wingard, R. Gray, Hartlett

INJURIES 
Nil

SUBSTITUTE 
Aaron Young replaced Brendon Ah Chee in the third quarter

CROWD
54,468 at the Adelaide Oval