PORT ADELAIDE will look to bank back-to-back Showdown wins when they come up against Adelaide on Saturday afternoon. 

Port’s win in Showdown XLIV ended Adelaide’s most dominant streak in the long-standing rivalry of five games in a row. 

Both sides go into the clash with 22 wins each but Adelaide has won six of the nine games at the Adelaide Oval. 

The Power has won seven of nine games at the venue this season with their only defeats against Geelong and GWS Giants. 

Adelaide has lost three of their nine home matches in 2018. 

Saturday’s game stands to break the 2,000,000 attendance mark during the history of the 21-year rivalry. Currently, 1,968,571 supporters have been to a Showdown. 

Robbie Gray of the Power and Sam Jacobs of the Crows have each won three Showdown medals (along with former Port midfielder Josh Francou and former Adelaide captain Mark Ricciuto) and another best on ground performance would give either of them the outright leadership. 

The teams

Port Adelaide will reward the team which beat the Western Bulldogs and go into the game against Adelaide unchanged. 

Young forward Kane Farrell has kept his spot and gets a chance to make his home debut in his second game, while Billy Frampton, Sam Gray, Lindsay Thomas, and Jack Trengove are the emergencies. 

Injury has forced the Crows into two changes and suspension has forced another. 

Paul Seedsman (hamstring) and Mitch McGovern (shoulder) will miss while defender Kyle Cheney has been suspended and Jake Kelly has been omitted. 

Defender Brodie Smith will play his first AFL game in nearly eleven months after having a knee reconstruction while Tom Doedee, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, and David Mackay also return to the Crows’ side. 

The last word

Ken Hinkley

"For us, we need to win. It's a massive game, let's not make any bones.

"We could be fourth, or we could be ninth or 10th. It could all turn on its head in one game."

“Showdowns, more often than not, are tight and tough and they're a toss of the coin regardless of ladder position.

"We don't expect it to be any different, whether we won the last Showdown or lost the previous five."

Don Pyke 

"Where we’re sitting on the ladder, the reality is, we need to keep winning and that starts (Saturday) night. 

“The importance of the game can’t be underestimated. 

"When we announced it (Brodie Smith’s comeback) the other day, you could feel the group was really happy for Brodie, and he's a well-liked player in the group.

"They'll probably feel better about themselves maybe tomorrow, but I don't know if it will be the difference.

"It'll be good to have Brodie back out, he's a good player."

More on portadelaidefc.com.au...