A rampant Adelaide have charged to the top of the AFLW ladder and claimed hometown bragging rights after trouncing Port Adelaide by 60 points in the inaugural AFLW Showdown.
Captain Chelsea Randall nailed a career-best three goals to claim the Showdown Medal, leading from the front in the Crows’ emphatic 8.15 (63) to 0.3 (3) victory at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
A suspected serious knee injury to forward McKenzie Dowrick in the third term was the only sour note on an otherwise flawless evening for the Crows, who moved first on the table ahead of Sunday’s Brisbane-Essendon clash.
On the back of last week’s 96-point demolition of GWS, Adelaide have now outscored their opponents 23.22 to 0.4 across their last eight quarters.
Randall (27 disposals), Ebony Marinoff (24, one goal) and Anne Hatchard (23, one goal) were far too strong for their less experienced Power opponents.
Port teenager Alex Ballard again defended grandly on the last line, while captain Erin Phillips battled valiantly but forlornly against her former side.
Virtually from the word go, Adelaide dominated, showing far more slickness and firepower in attack.
Randall scored the first-ever AFLW goal between the two teams, finishing neatly after expertly sharking Caitlin Gould’s forward stoppage tap inside the first three minutes.
Moments later, the Crows skipper nailed her second and celebrated by raising both arms aloft and grabbing her jumper in jubilation, as she steered Adelaide to a 14-point quarter-time lead.
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In the second period, Hatchard marked strongly and score a goal, and Randall did likewise to nail her third before Ash Woodward slotted a six-pointer after the halftime siren to push the Crows clear by 35 points.
There was more of the same after the main break.
Marinoff secured the first centre clearance of the third period and finished off her good work by snapping a major inside the opening 40 seconds, Adelaide going from strength to strength.
Ex-Crow Ange Foley missed a chance to slot Port’s sole goal after the three-quarter-time bell.
© AAP
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