No raining on the parade
Clearly, the weather gods have no sense of occasion. The forecast for Adelaide Oval on Sunday evening is hardly fitting of a sold-out clash between the first and fifth-placed teams on the AFL ladder. Fans heading along to Showdown 43 can expect rain, 30 km/h winds and a top temperature of 11 degrees.
The Crows are no stranger to wet-weather footy. Two of Adelaide’s strongest performances this season have been in rain-affected games against Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs.
Committed Crows fans have continued to turn up despite the trying conditions, with crowds in excess of 40,000 for both of those night fixtures. The Club has the third-highest average home attendance this season (46,295) behind big Victorian teams Richmond (54,233) and Essendon (52,403).
Wet and wild
While the forecast conditions are far from ideal for supporters in the stands, they are a throwback to junior football days for Upwey product Rory Sloane and the Crouch brothers from Beaufort. The trio topped the coaches’ votes in Adelaide’s Round 10 win over the Dockers in the soaking wet, each amassing 30 or more possessions. Helmet or no helmet, Brad Crouch is a valuable addition to the Crows team this week after missing the draw with Collingwood because of a fractured cheekbone, while Sloane and Matt Crouch are former Showdown Medallists.
Winning the hard ball is a non-negotiable every match, but especially in wet weather. The Crows (first) and the Power (third) are among the best contested ball teams in the competition and the battle between the likes of Sloane, the Crouch boys, Richard Douglas and Hugh Greenwood and Port Adelaide onballers Robbie Gray, Sam Gray, Brad Ebert, Ollie Wines and Sam Powell-Pepper will go a long way towards deciding the potentially season-defining match.
Being green
Greenwood and fellow promoted rookie Alex Keath will make their Showdown debuts. Both players, who represented Australia in their former sports, have experienced the big stage before and are excited to be part of the cauldron that is Adelaide Oval on Showdown day/night.
Greenwood is drawing upon his US College basketball experience ahead of Sunday’s game.
“I was fortunate enough to be part of some rivalries back in the States. We had New Mexico versus New Mexico State – we were the only two teams in town and it was massive.
“It’s going to be similar on Sunday. I’ve heard the crowd is going to be crazy.
“Thankfully, the fans will be on our side this time.”
Role call?
A ‘villain’ of the past, Port Adelaide forward Angus Monfries isn’t a Showdown newcomer, but Sunday’s game will be his first at AFL level in nearly two years. Monfries and Power ruckman Paddy Ryder were suspended last season as a result of the 2012 Essendon supplements saga.
The 201-gamer is part of Showdown folklore for his ‘off-break’ goal to help break Adelaide hearts in the last game between the cross-town rivals at Football Park in 2013. Monfries has spent time on the wing at SANFL level this year, but has played as a defensive forward previously and could get the job on one of Adelaide’s dangerous half-backs, Brodie Smith or Rory Laird, in Showdown 43. In the midfield, Brad Ebert and Travis Boak loom as the most likely match-ups for Sloane.
On the opposing whiteboard, Robbie Gray’s name will be circled. Gray was the match winner in Port Adelaide’s last-gasp victory over St Kilda last weekend. Young Crow Riley Knight has enjoyed success in tagging roles this season and it will be interesting to see how Don Pyke and his coaching staff approach the dangerous and versatile Gray.
