Adelaide have pushed Port Adelaide all the way in the 50th Showdown but ultimately it was the Power that grabbed a four-point AFL victory on Saturday night.
The Power were expect to easily cruise past the besieged Crows, who had lost five of their past six games and were without former captain Taylor Walker who is serving a six-game suspension for making a racist comment at a SANFL game last month.
But in Showdown 50, ladder positions went out the window, as Adelaide led for most of the night before the Power kicked four straight goals across the third and fourth quarters to hit the front.
A Tom Lynch goal with three minutes on the clock gave the Crows late hope, but the Power hung on for a 7.13 (55) to 7.9 (51) victory in front of a reduced capacity crowd of 15,000 – in the first game in Adelaide since South Australia’s latest COVID-19 lockdown was lifted.
Fittingly, Power defender Aliir Aliir took a mark late in the game as the Crows made one final surge to cap off a sensational game, with his intercept marking a highlight.
The Power (15-5) have moved up to third place on the ladder, eight points clear of fifth-placed Sydney with two rounds remaining, while the Crows (6-14) are in 16th.
Despite going into the game as massive underdogs, the Crows were up for the fight early and led by a point at quarter-time.
It appeared only a matter of time before the Power would click into gear but Adelaide refused to wilt, gaining the upper hand in a scrappy contest on their way to a 30-11 advantage at the long break.
It was the Power’s sixth-lowest first half score since they entered the AFL in 1997.
Their intensity lifted in the third term, kicking three goals to two to narrow the deficit to 10 points at the final change.
A collision between Crows defenders Nick Murray and Will Hamill allowed Power forward Orazio Fantasia to kick the opening goal of the fourth quarter.
Hamill was taken off the ground on a stretcher with a suspected concussion.
Trailing since the 11-minute mark of the first quarter, the Power hit the lead when Sam Powell-Pepper snapped for goal midway through the last term.
Crows midfielder Brodie Smith was subbed out of the game at the end of the third quarter with a head knock sustained after crashing into the knee of Power ruckman Scott Lycett.
HR
Roar Rookie
The Crows played with heart and were looking like they might just hang on by their fingernails until they lost Smith, but from that point onward I was waiting for them to get overrun. Losing Hamill certainly didn't help in that regard either.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing:
Maxy
Roar Rookie
lol
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Lack of pace :laughing:
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Bloody reply turn to dust anyway we are replacing prison bars with GPS tracking devices my Metal Smith mate will melt you down & turn you into a storm water pit grate or a metal foot grate need one for the back entrance!
Chanon
Roar Rookie
I must read minds man because had a feeling you would come up with that scenario!
Maxy
Roar Rookie
no lightning strike mate, stray dogs belong in pounds locked behind prison bars,either that or a bullet.We prefer a swift death,no suffering ,we are ruthless but show compassion :boxing: :boxing:
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Problem is, Marshall just can't quite get it together, so we're stuck, totally agree that Ladhams is not the answer, but I'm not sure Marshall is either. Gunston to Port for Lienert and a second rounder would be nice
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Some wins are better than others
Ditto
Roar Rookie
On Adelaide: I think we've been pretty good since the debacle against Essendon. The main difference between the game against the Bulldogs and this week versus Port, was that we stack up ok in the mid field against Port, but are significantly off the Bulldogs in this area. The Bulldogs Achilles's is their lack of pace, which we weren't able to exploit, because of are own and forced errors in traffic, also the Bulldogs made us pay for those errors, Port not so much. On Port: I think they overrate Ladhams a bit, probably during the home and away he can protect Lycett from overload. Now that we're at the pointy end they can drop Ladhams and play Marshall with Dixon providing the chop out in ruck. Georgiadis is a star, but he needs to be fed and doesn't provide much in general play, I'd liken him to Matthew Lloyd as a forward prong. Marshall has his flaws, but there's a connectivity/chemistry between him and Dixon, not so much between George and Charlie, when George and Charlie play in same forward line I'd just instruct them to keep out of each others way, giving Marshall a bit of a license to roam and for Charlie to stop chasing stats up field.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
I didn’t see the game but a win is a win.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Haha great stuff Hub looking forward to the lightning bolt trying to strike the dogs we should be wearing rubber soles to avoid electrocution!
The Sports Lover
Roar Rookie
I bow to your superior knowledge of tactics than me (seriously). But does the Power lack creativity and speed in the mid field? Is that one other reason why well structured teams seem to have our measure e.g. Eagles, Cats, Lions and Dees.
Pelican
Roar Rookie
A red affro with Groucho Marx face
Pelican
Roar Rookie
Ken could just sit on the boundry and be more effective. Let someone else sit in the box who knows what they are looking at
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Donate him a wig Brendon so we can have a laugh!
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Yeah, it's concerning, he always says the same thing, contest, contest, contest. Sometimes you've actually gotta do something in the box Ken
Maxy
Roar Rookie
coffin lid wont be shut in round 23 if that is the case,stray dogs get put down come finals :boxing: :boxing:
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Our premiership window will stay open while Charlie's fit, please let the big man go for another couple of years. We have all the half backs we need, good ones as well, DBJ, Houston, Burton etc, that's why I think it's actually part of our game plan. We need a CHF
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Least you know the types you need in the off season running HB’s That should drive your team upwards from next year & the year after. Windows for premierships close fast as we all know Giddyup!