Adelaide’s Showdown win on Saturday night was the Club’s fourth straight against Port Adelaide.
The victory squared the Showdown ledger at 21 wins apiece. It’s the first time the ledger has been even since Round Three, 2008, when it was 12 – 12.
The Crows, who are top of the AFL ladder on percentage, are one of three undefeated teams after Round Three. Richmond and Geelong also have perfect records so far this season.
The 17-point Showdown win was underpinned by Adelaide’s ability to win the contested ball. The Crows finished with 31 more contested possessions than the Power, who led the AFL for contested possessions prior to Round Three.
Showdown Medallist Rory Sloane won a personal best and Round Three-high 24 contested possessions on Saturday night. Only former Crow Patrick Dangerfield (29 and 27) has won more contested possessions in a game for the Club.
Richard Douglas also posted a career-high 19 contested possessions.
Sloane recorded equal-game high tackles (nine) and clearances (eight). Douglas won five centre clearances – the equal-second most of any player for the round.
For the second straight week, Sloane was the highest-ranked midfielder according to Champion Data (167.6 points), and the highest-ranked player overall for the round.
Another Showdown Medallist, Matt Crouch, was the leading possession-getter with 32. Crouch also won eight clearances and applied five tackles.
Exciting Crow Curtly Hampton, who matched Sloane’s effort of nine tackles, was the leading pressure act player on the ground with 29.
Captain Taylor Walker led the goalkicking with four – all in the second half. In contrast, Eddie Betts kicked each of his goals (three) before half time.
Walker, who has kicked 33 goals in 12 games against Port Adelaide, is now the leading goalkicker in Showdowns. It surpasses Warren Tredrea’s record of 30 goals in 23 clashes with Adelaide.
Betts sits equal-third overall with 27 from just seven games as a Crow against the Power.
Walker also took more marks (10) than any other player on the ground on Saturday night.
Walker (four) and Betts (four) combined to take eight of Adelaide’s 17 marks inside 50m. Port Adelaide took nine forward 50m marks for the game.
Walker, Hampton and half-back Brodie Smith each generated six forward 50m entries.
Smith gained more metres (574) than any other Crow in Showdown XLII.
Forward Tom Lynch had four score assists – the second most of any player in Round Three.
The crowd of 53, 968 was the biggest for an AFL game at Adelaide Oval. It’s the second largest home and away crowd the Crows have played in front of. The biggest was at the MCG against Collingwood when 54,790 fans turned up to watch the two teams play in Round 16, 2013.
Livewire Charlie Cameron took four running bounces on the weekend – all in the same passage of play.
Ruckman Sam Jacobs won 15 hit-outs to advantage on Saturday night – only Jarrod Witts (21) and Shane Mumford (16) won more for the round.
Defender Kyle Hartigan, who had the job on dangerous Power forward Robbie Gray, had nine intercept possessions – ranked top five for the round.
Match statistics
Disposals
Adelaide – 387
Port Adelaide – 336
Disposal efficiency
Adelaide – 71%
Port Adelaide – 66%
Kicks
Adelaide – 223
Port Adelaide – 202
Handballs
Adelaide – 164
Port Adelaide – 134
Clearances
Adelaide – 44
Port Adelaide – 43
Inside 50ms
Adelaide – 53
Port Adelaide – 58
Contested possessions
Adelaide – 176
Port Adelaide – 145
Uncontested possessions
Adelaide – 216
Port Adelaide – 185
Tackles
Adelaide – 79
Port Adelaide – 80
Hit-outs
Adelaide – 46
Port Adelaide – 52
