PATRICK Dangerfield's 39-disposal performance against Port Adelaide on Sunday has highlighted the importance of Adelaide re-signing the 22-year-old before his contract expires at season's end.
 
Geelong and Essendon are both understood to be chasing the tough midfielder, but Crows' coach Brenton Sanderson said it was "very important" to extend Dangerfield's contract with the club.

"I'd love for him to be at the club for his whole career," Sanderson said after the Crows' 19-point win.   

"Forget about his game tonight, he's just an exceptional person to have around the footy club.

"With our younger players, he spends time with the kids when the kids are at training, he's just a model player."

Dangerfield said he would see how the year unfolded before deciding whether to put pen to paper.

"That will work out throughout the year, I'm sure," Dangerfield said.

Dangerfield rated his Showdown Medal-winning effort as the best of his career, claiming it was the most consistent performance he's managed, but insisted he had to maintain that level of consistency for the remainder of the season.

"It was, I suppose, a more even contribution throughout the four quarters from myself," Dangerfield said.

"What the really good players do is they do that consistently throughout the season and play throughout the full four quarters and that's the challenge I've got."

Sanderson said the way in which his side responded after surrendering the momentum and the lead in the third quarter was the most pleasing thing to have come out of the game.

"Port Adelaide were tough tonight; they're certainly on the right path," Sanderson said.

"[It] was a great example of the spirit of the team at the moment to be down at three-quarter time and just have that will to win.

"Just their ability to think their way through situations, a bit of poise, a bit of composure when it was needed."

While heaping praise on Dangerfield, Sanderson said there were no passengers in Adelaide's second consecutive Showdown win.

"I know 'Danger' won the medal and he was superb, but we had a lot of contributors tonight," he said.

"In some games this year we've just probably felt we haven't had the even contribution that tonight we got from the whole squad."

Sanderson also pinpointed Matthew Wright as a player who influenced the result, after he shut down the Power's David Rodan in the second half.

When skipper Nathan van Berlo was subbed out with a corked hip, Wright was ordered to blanket Rodan and did so in impressive fashion, restricting him to just three touches after half-time.

Harry Thring covers Adelaide news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry