The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

Port Adelaide face psychological test
MFairPlay
Roar Guru
28th June, 2014
5
Join the conversation
Advertisement
Write for The Roar

Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia’s most prominent sports journalists.

MFairPlay
Roar Guru
28th June, 2014
5

For the first time in Adelaide Oval’s short AFL history, Port Adelaide will face a hostile ground.

Today’s Showdown is a Crows home game and it has been difficult for Port Adelaide fans to get their hands on tickets.

There is no doubt that the Power’s home crowds have made a difference this season for games, such as Geelong and Hawthorn.

The Power players will take to the field with a different atmosphere, jeers and boos aimed towards them.

However, the ground itself does not change; the dimensions of Adelaide Oval have clearly favoured Port Adelaide this season, making it hard for travelling opposition teams to counter their running game.

The best way for the Port Adelaide players to deal with the Crows fans will be to treat the game like any other and block out what will be a very large crowd, while ignoring the hype that surrounds the lead-up to a Showdown.

The game itself is set to be a cracker. Adelaide’s recent run of form suggests they are due a good performance. The Crows have also turned Adelaide Oval into a fearful place to travel to if you are facing either South Australian side.

The weather forecast suggests there will be a heavy ball in sloppy conditions. The wet weather means Jarman Impey will have to watch Eddie Betts carefully, while at the other end of the ground the Grays may cause havoc if they aren’t kept on a leash.

Advertisement

The big bodies of Patrick Dangerfield and Scott Thompson may give the Crows the upper edge in the midfield if showers do go over North Adelaide, but Ollie Wines might relish the conditions just as well as his cross-town counterparts.

It’ll be Taylor Walker’s first Showdown since Round 3, 2013. Walker kicked three goals and also had three goal assists in that game. He created many headaches in the Port Adelaide coaches’ box that day, with multiple defenders trying to quell his influence. Tom Jonas went to stop Walker during the second, which became a turning point in a comeback win for the Power.

Alipate Carlile has been in All Australian form, this season so it’ll be interesting to see who he will go to out of Adelaide’s big men.

Whoever is the most influential ruckman will be a key ingredient in cooking up a Showdown win. Sam Jacobs has returned to his 2012 form, while Matthew Lobbe is arguably Port Adelaide’s most valuable player. Both ruckmen won’t just have to win the hitouts but also try and make an impact on the scoreboard and take vital marks in their defensive halves if they want to help carry their team to four points.

Chad Wingard is the one to stop from an Adelaide perspective; he has kicked 12.2 and averaged 22 disposals in the past three showdowns. From a Port Adelaide perspective, Rory Sloane has always caused trouble. The number 9 has had one of his most consistent seasons to date, averaging 23 disposals and 7 tackles a game. He doesn’t consistently get high numbers against the Power but his influence on Showdowns has been crucial to get Crows a victory.

A win in Showdown 37 is a must if Port Adelaide want to keep a spot in the top two. For Brenton Sanderson’s men it’s about keeping in touch with the top eight.

5
Join the conversation

Who’s in your ultimate team?  Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars.  For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp.  Think. Is this a bet you really want to place?  Set a deposit limit.

Related Posts

close