ADELAIDE has kept its top-four hopes alive with a dominant 70-point win over Port Adelaide in Showdown XXVII at AAMI Stadium on Sunday evening.

While the Power kicked the first two goals of the game and led at quarter-time, the Crows set up victory with seven unanswered goals in the second term to eventually run out 19.18 (132) to 9.8 (62) winners.

Port Adelaide clawed back within 25 points late in the third quarter, but Adelaide kicked away again with seven goals to one in the last term to blow the game apart.

Adelaide's Nathan Bock, who collected 27 possessions, seven marks and a goal, was awarded the Showdown medal for best on ground.

Brett Burton signaled his return to form with four goals, Chris Knights finished with three, and Michael Doughty (27 disposals), Andrew McLeod (30 disposals), Simon Goodwin (26 disposals) and Kurt Tippett kicked two goals apiece.

Brent Reilly (32 possessions) played his best game for the season, while Bernie Vince was instrumental with 30 touches and a goal.

Livewire forward Robbie Gray (three goals) was the only multiple goalkicker for Port Adelaide, and Kane Cornes (28 possessions) and Dom Cassisi (25 disposals) also tried hard.

Port Adelaide was dealt a blow before the opening bounce when it lost reigning Showdown medalist Dean Brogan to a corked thigh, but the Power made an impressive start in his absence. Port Adelaide tried to replicate St Kilda’s pressure that proved the Crows’ undoing last week, and succeeded with the opening two goals of the game.

The Power, through Travis Boak, Danyle Pearce and David Rodan, got on top at the stoppages, and when Pearce booted a running goal from 50m, the early signs looked ominous for Adelaide.

The Crows steadied halfway through the term and started to arrest the lopsided contested possession and inside-50 count.

While Bock, Doughty and Graham Johncock settled the defence and ignited Adelaide’s devastating run-and-carry style, Burton kept the Crows in touch on the scoreboard with a nostalgic 10 minutes of play.

The enigmatic forward, who had an indifferent game last week against the Saints after his return from a knee reconstruction, booted two first-term goals, one coming after a trademark hanger over Port Adelaide defender Paul Stewart.

After the Power held a seven-point lead at the first change, Adelaide put the foot down in the second term.

Doughty kicked a classy running goal in the first two minutes, and his effort triggered an avalanche of Crows’ scores.

Neil Craig’s charges slammed on 7.2 to Port Adelaide’s 0.4 for the quarter, with Adelaide's defensive pressure strangling the Power. Two goals in a row from Simon Goodwin and a late goal from Patrick Dangerfield gave the Crows a comprehensive 33-point lead at the main change.

The Power stemmed the bleeding at the start of the third quarter, but despite their hard work, struggled to cut into Adelaide’s lead.

Kane Cornes, who did a miserly tagging job on Scott Thompson, broke a 10-minute deadlock to record the first goal of the term.

Adelaide found a way to respond with goals to Burton and Knights, but the Power came again late in the quarter. Jason Davenport continued on from his good form last week with another goal, and a quick follow-up from Justin Westhoff gave Port Adelaide a sniff.

Cassisi, who gathered seven possessions for the term, tried to lift his side with a clever boundary-line snap, but the Crows had the answers again.

McLeod pushed the margin back out to 34 points as the rain returned at the final change.

Looking for the knockout blow, the Crows peppered the goals early in the final term, and Vince's major at the seven-minute mark all but snuffed out Port Adelaide's hopes, extending Adelaide's lead to 43 points.

Travis Boak grabbed one back for the Power, but Adelaide put the foot down late in the game, goals to Burton, Bock and a right-foot snap by Knights finding the mark as the margin blew out to over eight goals. Further goals to McLeod, Kurt Tippett and Jason Porplyzia in the dying stages were the cream on the cake for the victors, who kicked seven goals to one in the final quarter.

The Crows, now in fifth spot on the ladder with an 11-6 record, take on Geelong at Skilled Stadium next Saturday.

Adelaide            2.5    9.7    12.15    19.18 (132)
Port Adelaide    4.0    4.4    8.5        9.8 (62)

GOALS
Adelaide: Burton 4, Knights 3, Goodwin, McLeod, Tippett, Doughty 2, Dangerfield, Vince, Bock, Porplyzia
Port Adelaide: Gray 3, Pearce, K Cornes, Westhoff, Cassisi, Davenport, Boak

BEST
Adelaide: Bock, Reilly, Doughty, Vince, Goodwin, Burton, Johncock, Knights, van Berlo, McLeod
Port Adelaide: Cassisi, K Cornes, Rodan, Surjan, Gray

INJURIES
Adelaide: Otten (corked thigh), Martin (knee)
Port Adelaide: C Cornes (knee), Surjan (calf), Chaplin (bruised shin), Boak (corked thigh), Brogan (corked thigh) replaced in side by Broadbent

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Vozzo, Ryan, Avon

Official crowd: 46,859 at AAMI Stadium

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.