SHOWDOWN 53 will go down in the history books as one to remember, with a late surge from the Crows seeing them overrun crosstown rival Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

The Power led 84-80 at the 11-minute mark of the last quarter before the Crows booted the last six goals to run away 31-point winners – 18.9 (117) to 13.8 (86) – in front of a 48,962-strong crowd.

Young guns Riley Thilthorpe (five goals), Izak Rankine (four) and Luke Pedlar (three) kicked 12 of the Crows' 18 goals, while Charlie Dixon was the Power's leading goalkicker with three.

Crows captain Jordan Dawson claimed the Showdown Medal, with ruckman Reilly O'Brien and veteran midfielders Rory Laird and Rory Sloane also influential.

It's the Crows' first win of the season after losses to Greater Western Sydney and Richmond to start the campaign, while the Power suffered a second straight defeat after the opening round win over Brisbane.

Connor Rozee, Sam Powell-Pepper and Dan Houston tried hard for the Power, but they were ultimately outlasted by a hungrier Crows side.

There was no feeling-out process among the arch-rivals. Instead, it was a free-flowing contest with 11 combined goals kicked in a high-octane opening quarter.

Both sides had their moments – Thilthorpe kicked an outrageous over the head goal, Mitchell Hinge made a sensational goal-saving tackle, Dixon was clunking contested marks and Junior Rioli kicked a brilliant major from beyond 50 - but couldn't assert their dominance with the scores tied 9.3 (57) to 9.3 (57) at half-time.

The intensity lifted after the break and the Crows had plenty of chances to extend their lead in the third quarter, but three straight behinds meant they only took a three-point advantage into the last term.

Thilthorpe's fourth goal gave the Crows the edge, but the Power responded through tactical sub Orazio Fantasia and Powell-Pepper to regain the lead.

However the Crows responded with six straight goals to run away with the game.

The Power still lead the overall Showdown ledger 27-26, but it will mean little in the aftermath of the result.

PORT ADELAIDE     6.1      9.3      11.5    13.8 (86)

ADELAIDE                 5.1      9.3      11.8    18.9 (117)

GOALS

Port Adelaide: Dixon 3, Powell-Pepper 2, Jones, Duursma, Butters, Rozee, Rioli, Marshall, Fantasia

Adelaide: Thilthorpe 5, Rankine 4, Pedlar 3, Dawson, Rachele, Soligo, Jones

BEST

Port Adelaide: Rozee, Dixon, Powell-Pepper, Drew, Horne-Francis, Houston

Adelaide: O'Brien, Dawson, Thilthorpe, Pedlar, Laird, Rankine

INJURIES

Port Adelaide: Nil

Adelaide: Butts (ankle)

SUBSTITUTES:

Port Adelaide: Orazio Fantasia (replaced Xavier Duursma in third quarter)

Adelaide: Chayce Jones (replaced Sam Berry in third quarter)

Crowd: 48,962 at Adelaide Oval