Adelaide SANFL Captain Matthew Wright says there is “nothing forced” about the state league rivalry between the Crows and Port Adelaide.
The Crows will be looking to make it a clean sweep of SANFL Showdowns in 2023 on Saturday afternoon, after defeating the Magpies by 78 points in Round One.
Speaking to AFC Media in the lead up to this weekend’s game, Wright said the match against Port meant that little bit more.
“There are two things that make this week’s game that little extra special,” Wright said.
“Firstly, to be back at Adelaide Oval, it’s awesome to play there and a real privilege for our group, especially with this being our only home game for the year.
“Then there is the fact we are playing against Port, these clashes against the Magpies are the next best thing to an AFL Showdown, nothing is forced in terms of the rivalry and both sides are always desperate to beat one another.
“This weekend is another great test for our group, and we can’t wait to get out there in front of our home fans.”
The Crows enter the clash in sparkling form, having reeled off a trio of convincing victories against Central District, Glenelg and Woodville-West Torrens.
Sitting comfortably in the top three as the finals race heats up, Wright said the squad was peaking at the right time.
“It feels like things are really starting to click for us at the moment,” Wright said.
“If you look across our team, there isn’t anybody out of form at the minute which is a credit to the program and how we’ve built into the season.
“There have been some standout individual performances, but collectively everyone is just playing their role for the team which has helped us get some crucial wins on the board.”
From a personal point of view, Wright has continued his dual-role in 2023, serving as a leader both on the field as Captain and off the field as a development coach.
He said he was in a fortunate position to be able to contribute to the program in a variety of ways.
“I love doing what I’m doing in terms of coaching and still being able to play,” Wright said.
“Being able to play with the guys I’m coaching, you see their growth close up which is very satisfying and motivates me to keep my playing career going.
“The Club is in a very exciting spot this year, and to be able to work with such a committed and talented group of young players, I feel very fortunate to be in the position I am in and hopefully I can be part of some finals success this year.”
Adelaide’s SANFL team takes on Port Adelaide this Saturday afternoon at Adelaide Oval, with the first bounce at 3.30pm.
The match is a curtain raiser to the AFL Showdown between the two clubs, kicking off at 7.10pm.
