Adelaide’s only SANFL home game of the year was the most watched minor round match of 2014.

The inaugural SANFL Showdown, which was held in the Mid-North community of Clare in May, pulled an average television audience of 64,072 viewers on Channel 7.

The rating was a record for a minor round SANFL broadcast since the current television ratings system was introduced in 2001.

The match also attracted 5,312 spectators through the gates of Clare Oval in what was Taylor Walker’s second game back since a knee reconstruction.

Fans continued to tune in to watch the Crows throughout their maiden SANFL season following the Round Five spectacle. Stats revealed three of the top five most watched SANFL minor round matches involved Adelaide.

The Round 14 SANFL Showdown at Alberton exceeded 50,000 viewers, while a huge average audience of 40,251 saw the SANFL Crows notch a 48-point victory over eventual finalists Woodville-West Torrens.

Ratings improved across the board in 2014 in what was the start of a new era for the local competition. Channel 7’s SANFL broadcasts averaged a total of 31,364 viewers throughout the premiership season, which was nearly double the average audience recorded for 2013.

The network will continue to broadcast SANFL action until at least the end of the 2016 season.

SANFL minor round matches exceeding 30,000 viewers

Round 5 – Adelaide v Port Adelaide, 64,072 (Channel 7)
Round 1 – Norwood v Port Adelaide, 54,884 (Channel 7)
Round 14 – Port Adelaide v Adelaide, 53,245 (Channel 7)
Round 3 – South Adelaide v Glenelg, 53,003 (Channel 7)
Round 9 – Eagles v Adelaide, 40,251 (Channel 7)
Round 4 – Central District v South Adelaide, 35,265 (Channel 7)
Round 7 – Port Adelaide v South Adelaide, 34,167 (Channel 7)
Round 6 - Eagles v Glenelg, 34,066 (Channel 7)
Round 2 – Central v Norwood, 32,762 (Channel 7)
Round 15 – North Adelaide v Norwood, 32,511 (Channel 7)
Round 8 – West Adelaide v Glenelg, 32,081 (Channel 7)