BELLIGERENTS
PORT ADELAIDEYear to date: WWLWWWWWWWLW
Last five at ground: WWWWW
Currently ranked: 1st
ADELAIDE CROWS
Year to date: LLLWWWLWLWLWL
Last five at ground: WLWWW
Currently ranked: 11th
HEAD TO HEAD
Power 20 v 16 Crows
LAST FIVE
Power 3 v 2 Crows
PLAYBILL
2014 AFL Premiership Season – Round 15, Balfours Showdown XXXVIIAdelaide Crows v Port Adelaide
Sunday 29 June
First bounce 3:40pm (ACST)
Hashtags: #AFLCrowsPower
BROADCAST GUIDE
WHERE TO WATCH THE SHOWDOWN
YOU’RE INVITED
Showdown 37 at the Port ClubQueen Steet, Alberton
Bistro open, burger specials upstairs
Commences from 3:00pm
Selected club personalities in attendance after game
All welcome
TIME MACHINE
Round 2, 2014. Port Adelaide battles with the Crows early, but withstands a late Adelaide comeback to storm out winners in the historic first Showdown at the Adelaide Oval. Chad Wingard booted four goals while Hamish Hartlett was best afield.PORT ADELAIDE 5.4 7.8 12.11 19.13 (127)
ADELAIDE CROWS 1.1 5.2 8.5 11.7 (73)
Best: Hartlett, Ebert, Polec, Cornes, Broadbent, Hombsch, Wingard, R. Gray, Monfries
Goals: Wingard 4, Schulz 3, R. Gray, Wines, White 2, Boak, Ebert, Lobbe, Westhoff, Butcher, Hartlett
at the Adelaide Oval
NUMBER CRUNCH
Points For: Power 1445 v 1169 CrowsPoints Against: Power 973 v 1132 Crows
Kicks: Power 2811 v 2720 Crows
Handballs: Power 2221 v 2092 Crows
Disposals: Power 5032 v 4812 Crows
Contested percentage: Power 37.00% v 37.74% Crows
Marks: Power 1250 v 1183 Crows
Clearances: Power 521 v 495 Crows
Frees: Power 208 v 203 Crows
Tackles: Power 915 v 811 Crows
Inside-50s: Power 752 v 708 Crows
Rebound 50s: Power 422 v 486 Crows
FOUR POINTS
Level playing fieldAny game of football – even some of those old rivalries between Victorian powerhouses like Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond – has a favourite, and it’s fair to say Port Adelaide, sitting first on the table, will go in at shorter odds with the bookies. But Showdowns are odd beasts, and both the Power and Crows will come out blazing at 3:40pm on Sunday afternoon. Minor round Showdowns are about as close as either side can get to replicating a brutal, frenzied, finals-like atmosphere and this will be the first AFL game where Port Adelaide doesn’t have the crowd advantage at the Adelaide Oval. Coupled with the likely return of a raft of Adelaide’s first-choice players from injury, this will be a Showdown like most others – close, contested, and with just a hint of that old Showdown fire.
The trends game
Delve into the numbers and both sides could find plenty of trends to back their case for a win on Sunday. There are two notable ones both sides' supporters will bank on. Port Adelaide, for instance, is undefeated at the Adelaide Oval – that’s an eight-game winning streak dating back to that first encounter with Melbourne in 2011. The Crows have alternated wins and losses for the past eight games and, with last week’s loss to Essendon away, that form trend would suggest they're in line for a follow-up win this weekend. Of course, all footy fans know these sorts of trends count for little on the day, but supporters of both clubs will be hoping their respective form records continue on Sunday arvo.
Dynamic attack
There are plenty of similarities between the Power and Crows, and none more than their respective attacks. Jay Schulz suffered from a goal overdose last week against the Bulldogs after matching Warren Tredrea’s in-game goalkicking record from 1998. Combined with the likes of regular Showdown performer Justin Westhoff, and dynamic smaller mid-forwards like Chad Wingard, Angus Monfries, Robbie Gray and Matt White, the Power will give the Crows’ defence plenty to worry about on Sunday. Adelaide can do the same though, particularly with tall timber like Taylor Walker and Josh Jenkins hitting their strides inside 50, and their own livewires like the creative Eddie Betts requiring plenty of attention. Showdowns often go down as classic games and the form of these two attacks is certainly shaping another one up.
Beware a Crow surge
Adelaide has surged into the lead despite good starts to the Power in the last two Showdowns. In Showdown 35, they kicked away to claim the lead in the third quarter and hold it mid-way through the fourth until Port Adelaide clawed its way back in that famous finish. In Round 2 this year, the Power led by 27 points at quarter time before the Crows reeled the score in and hit the front during the second quarter. This simply shows that no derby can be taken for granted by either side, and momentum is very important in claiming the lead. Holding it is another matter and that’s where Port Adelaide will need to be very good if it finds itself in that position on Sunday. The Crows are a good football side, and their hunger and determination in front of their supporters on Sunday will be an important tool in their quest to claim back a Showdown scalp.
