The atmosphere of a Showdown is unparalleled when it comes to the home and away season.
A rivalry steeped with history, the state grinds to a halt as 50,000 fans pile into Adelaide Oval to create an atmosphere, unmatched by any other the AFL.
That was the environment Kuwarna's first selection at the 2023 National Draft, Dan Curtin, was faced with as he made his AFL debut in Round Eight.
The Showdown had added emotion, with Club legend Rory Sloane’s retirement announcement earlier that week and an acknowledgement of stalwart Matt Crouch’s 150th game.
Speaking to AFC Media as part of its My Debut series, Curtin said the gravity of the occasion helped ease the nerves.
“It was such an awesome occasion to be a part of, having everything else going on with Sloaney’s retirement and Crouchy’s milestone certainly made things easier for me,” Curtin said.
“Having the opportunity to make my debut in a Showdown, it was such a privilege to be a small part of the massive rivalry and something special to me, let alone having everything else happening around the night.
“Then how it all played out, getting the win and being able to share it with Sloaney and Crouchy, two legends of the Club, it was an incredible night to debut.”
The Thursday night fixture meant the 18-year-old had little more than 24 hours from finding out the news to the first bounce.
Curtin’s friends and family were quickly thrust into action, with a large contingent dropping everything and crossing the Nullabor to witness the West Australian’s childhood dream become a reality.
“Having the short turnaround (from finding out to playing) definitely helped me, because it left less time for me to overthink it and I got to debut quicker, which was great,” Curtin said.
“I hadn’t seen my mates for a few months, so getting them over and seeing them was incredibly special.
“The Club was great in helping organise all of that for me, and helping get as many of loved ones there as possible, it was so great to be able to share the night with them.
“They (my family and friends) have been such a big part of my journey, so it meant the world that they dropped everything and came over to support me on that night.”
When it came to the match, Curtin was quick to get into the thick of it and recalled the relief of getting his first few touches.
There was one contest early in the game that stood-out to the 19-year-old, in what he dubbed as his “welcome to the AFL moment.”
“I think I had one or two touches in the first quarter, so once I got those under the belt I settled in, and getting a couple of bumps made it all feel real,” Curtin said.
“From there you just get amongst it and are underway, it just feels like any other game of footy I’ve played over the journey.
“I did have a bit of a welcome to the AFL moment early in the first term when I went to pick up the ball and I had Travis Boak hit me from the side and I went to ground, from that moment I was a bit like ‘I’m actually here on the biggest stage now.’ ”
Curtin settled into the contest and played his role down back, as the Kuwarna produced one of its best performances of the season to defeat the Power by 30 points.
The following hour after the siren was one of pure bliss for the debutant, as he celebrated the victory in front of more than 50,000 Crows fans, embraced his family and got to take part in one of football’s great traditions - the Gatorade shower.
“It (the Gatorade shower) is something you always dream of, I remember copping some Gatorade to the eye so for most of the song I was looking out of one eye,” Curtin said.
“I did have to throw out the shorts and socks after, that’s how much Gatorade I copped.
“But I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world, having all the boys get around me and singing the song, it is the best part of footy, celebrating a win.”
