The Adelaide Crows defeated the Port Adelaide Power by three points at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon.
Although the Crows had the majority of the scoring shots and more inside 50s, it felt like the Power controlled the game for almost the full length of the match.
The Crows got off to an incredible start, kicking the first three goals of the game and dominating the ball out of the middle.
However, the Power quickly hit back at their cross-town rivals, levelling the scores at quarter time.
Port Adelaide began to take control of the game in the second quarter, running out to a game-high 15-point lead halfway through the quarter.
The Power was able to quickly transition the ball out of defence and off turnovers, which resulted in deep penetrating entries that the Crows were helpless to stop.
Jared Polec and Dan Houston began to dominate on the outside, consistently linking up to surge the Power forward.
The second-half was heavily impacted by the smattering of rain that covered the Adelaide Oval. The ball became incredibly slippery, and ball-skills quickly deteriorated.
An arm-wrestle emerged, and Ollie Wines, Tom Rockliff, Matt Crouch, and Rory Sloane fought out an incredible battle for midfield supremacy.
The final quarter was poised to produce another classic Showdown contest. Port Adelaide quickly added to their one-point lead, kicking the first two goals and building what appeared to be an insurmountable lead.
The Crows fought back admirably, and when Brad Crouch kicked a long-range goal at the 14-minute mark, Adelaide had hit the front.
Port expectedly responded quickly as Robbie Gray kicked and then set up two goals in the space of two minutes.
Port appeared to have set up an impenetrable wall before Eddie Betts put together a nostalgic piece of skill and guile to put the Crows back in the contest.
Following a throw-in on the wing, the Crows launched forward, and Josh Jenkins found himself out the back, where he snapped through the winning goal.
A score review was taken and inconclusive, and will no doubt be a controversial talking point for the week – but it returned to the umpire’s decision and gave Adelaide the win.
The Showdown rarely disappoints, and this edition was no exception.
Adelaide Crows 13.18.96
Port Adelaide Power 14.9.93
dan ced
Guest
If I were a Port Fan I'd be angrier at the inside 50 differential than the goal at the end. Keep in mind Adelaide also had a shot after the siren that, if the game was on the line, would've been done with more poise and most likely gone through. Being at the game, and a Crows fan, I was pretty disgusted with Wingard diving, and Polec ducking for frees. They are good enough players not to need to restort to such filth. Speaking of filth, booing Robbie Gray was unneccessary, I didn't think he shoud've won the medal but there was no need to boo. I did not boo, I simply left the ground immediately once it was announced.
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
Should have been a free kick to Eddie anyway. Umpires make mistakes but Karma will come back to haunt whingeing sore losers like Port and Kenny Hinkley!
Pedro The Fisherman
Roar Rookie
So you saw evidence to overturn the umpires decision? PS: the issue is the number of angles available at AO (just 2) compared to elsewhere. There was, and is, no evidence to overturn the goal umpire's decision. Nothing to see here!
Fairsuckofthesav
Guest
Fair enough Bob.
Bob
Guest
You're right, Ollie Wines should have kicked the goal, but that doesn't change the fact the ball hit the post and cost Port the match. No sour grapes about facts.
Fairsuckofthesav
Guest
No the fact that JJ had the chance to kick a goal cost Port. And what about Wines fluffed shot from 5 metres out,?Talk about sour grapes.
anon
Roar Pro
There's nothing to discuss. It hit the post. The video ref rushed to a decision. Watching at home there was enough doubt to warrant much more time spent on the decision -- especially given the context of the match. Makes me wonder if they use a SA video ref, and whether that SA video ref is a latent Crows fan. It's like the video ref had his mind made up before he saw the vision. Amateur hour stuff again from the AFL. Got to be better than that. Train your video umpires better.
Crowbot
Guest
Did the umpire get it wrong ? Josh Jenkins thinks he did. The video was inconclusive, so who's judgement should we back, Josh Jenkins or the umpire who thought it was a goal, but sort clarification, but received none. What system do you want ? Perhaps the whole video review system could be scratched, in which case it's a goal. Oh for the good old days.
Bob
Guest
When you're that close to the goals, you always know when you hit the post. I'd back his instinct.
AD
Guest
But the man who kicked it was in a worse position to judge it than the umpire who called it a goal.
Bob
Guest
No, where did I say that? What I am saying is the umpires got it wrong, and even the man who kicked the ball admitted it. Doesn't mean he's going to admit, or should even be able to change the decision if he did, but they still got it wrong.
Crowbot
Guest
So Bob, you're suggestion is that Josh Jenkins should be given the power to over rule the umpire. Hmm, interesting.
Bob
Guest
The man himself admitted it hit the post, so I'm not sure there's much conjecture. The video review got it wrong, and it cost the Power any shot at the top four.
Crowbot
Guest
Steve, the ball clearly goes goal side of the post, the point of conjecture is whether it nicked the post on the way through.
Kangas
Roar Rookie
It looked like a behind and the crows player body language said it , but you have to live with the decision. Enjoyable game , and finally a round of open scoring and not clog footy .
Steve
Guest
The Jenkins goal was a behind. The score review pictures clearly show the ball passing across the goal post and into the behind area. The afl needs to have greater Constance in the score review.
dave
Guest
1st 4 games of the round have had an impact on the final 8. Average winning margin less than a goal. Average score 97 points. Don't think the game is in such a bad shape that we have to bring in radical rule changes.