Young midfielders Jackson Hately, Chayce Jones and Ronin O’Connor were key figures in Adelaide’s dominant third quarter at the Adelaide Oval, but in the end Port Adelaide claimed a 14-point win in the 14^th SANFL Showdown.

The Magpies enjoyed a 34-point lead at half time and SANFL Crows coach Michael Godden said he was proud of his players to not only remain in the match, but to create an opportunity to cause an upset win.  

The Crows trailed by just 10 points at three quarter time after a five-goal-to-one third term, before Port Adelaide steadied to win 13.9 (87) to 10.13 (73).

Hately had nine disposals and kicked a goal in the third quarter and finished the game with 26 disposals, 13 tackles and seven clearances.

Jones relished in a half back role with 27 touches, while Billy Frampton kicked four goals from eight marks and 16 disposals in slippery and cold conditions.

Coming off a 20-disposal, 10-tackle, eight-clearance game against Sturt, O’Connor had 23 disposals and seven clearances on Saturday afternoon.

“It was a great experience from our young players to play at the Adelaide Oval and to play front of a crowd which started to roll in during the second half for the AFL showdown,” Godden said.

“I thought Jones was good again off half back, Hately was really good inside, O’Connor was dominant again and our debutant Oliver Davis was good in his first game.

“We are performing at a reasonable level, but our challenge is to go from reasonable to great and if we can get those guys to go to the next level we will be a really strong team.

Godden said the Crows and Magpies rivalry was building.

“We never gave in, it could have got ugly at half time, but they dug in and I am proud of them for that,” he said.

“It doesn’t have the same history as it does at AFL level but it is growing with every contest and we can sense that – our guys were genuinely disappointing to lose that and you could see the emotion in the Port boys (when they won).”

The Magpies got off to a flying start, taking just 17 seconds to open their goal scoring account as Sam Hayes pounded Port Adelaide inside forward 50m from the first bounce, ending in a bouncing Ben Edwards goal.

The damage was done in the first term where the Magpies nailed six goals to one, despite the Crows stacking up well on the statistics sheet, winning the tackle and clearance count, while levelling the disposal and inside 50m tally.

Trailing by 27 points at quarter time Adelaide worked its way into the game.

Jones and Tariek Newchurch started the game brightly with three early disposals each but Port looked sharper moving the ball forward and had three goals on the board in the opening 10 minutes when Riley Bonner and Joel Garner kicked truly.

Against his former side, Frampton’s first two possessions were strong marks inside forward 50m in slippery conditions.

Port Adelaide kicked two late goals – including one on the quarter time siren and the Crows went into the break leading the tackle (20-14) and clearance (14-8) battles, while levelling the disposal (77 each) and inside 50m (12) entry count but trailed by four goals.  

Jones and O’Connor each had seven disposals in the first term.

Adelaide’s defenders Fischer McAsey, Josh Worrell and Jones stood up in the second term and restricted Port to just one behind in the opening eight minutes of the quarter, but Peter Ladhams broke the deadlock with a goal (his second) from a ruck contest.

The Crows scrapped it forward and were rewarded when Shane McAdam slid into a ground ball contest like a striker and soccered the ball over the goal line.

Adelaide managed to lock the ball in its forward half for the next five minutes, putting Magpies defenders under pressure, and found its second consecutive goal through James Borlase.

O’Connor and Jones continued to find the ball, while Hately lifted his output and went into half time 11 disposals, four clearances and nine tackles to half time.

Port started to dominate the play and on the half time siren Garner booted his second goal to give the Magpies a 34-point lead.

Adelaide continued to show its intent in the midfield and had 47 tackles to 37 at half time, led by Hately with nine and Hamish Latchford six.

Frampton found some space 25m out from goal and marked to kick the first goal of the second half, but Ladhams continued to loom large down the other end and responded with his third goal.

As the crowd started to filter in for the AFL Showdown it was rapid fire to start the third term as Newchurch kicked Adelaide’s fifth goal of the match from the goal line.

A dominating Hately continued to show his strength as an inside midfielder, surging the ball forward with five early touches after half time.

Port Adelaide threatened to kick the all-important first goal of the final quarter but sprayed two set shots, before eventually Jake Weidemann dribbled one home to make it a more comfortable 17-point margin for the Magpies.

Adelaide slowed down the play but couldn’t make the most of forward 50m entries.

Bonner’s second goal at the 16-minute mark extended the margin to 21 points which seemed a bridge too far for the young Crows.

However, they came again and goals to Frampton and Borlase with minutes to go made it interesting before Sutcliffe landed the knock out goal for Port Adelaide.

After recently moving to SA after playing with Clarence in the Tasmanian Football League, Davis made his SANFL Crows debut against the Magpies, finishing with 13 touches.

Adelaide 1.4, 3.6, 8.9, 10.13 (73)

Port Adelaide 6.1, 9.4, 10.7, 13.9 (87)  

Goals: Frampton 4, Borlase 2, Hately, McAdam, Merrett, Newchurch.