Adelaide have ruined Port Adelaide’s occasion, breaking clear within the final time period to win an epic AFL Showdown by 31 factors.
Crows captain Jordan Dawson gained the Showdown medal as star recruit Izaak Rankine, younger key ahead Riley Thilthorpe and stalwarts Rory Sloane and Rory Laird shone within the 18.9 (117) to 13.8 (86) win on Saturday evening at Adelaide Oval.
It is Adelaide’s first win of the season and leaves the fierce native rivals with 1-2 information.
Rankine kicked a purpose after the ultimate siren to cap his star efficiency, with the previous Gold Coast ahead kicking 4 majors.
With Darcy Fogarty injured, Thilthorpe stood up and kicked a career-best 5 targets.
Port had gained 5 of the previous six Showdowns and likewise had a significant victory forward of this match, placing a cope with Collingwood that allowed them to put on their conventional black-and-white “prison bar” guernsey.
The Power began favourites of their residence recreation, however the Crows ran excessive of them after a pulsating duel, with seven targets to 2 within the final time period.
Adelaide sprung a tactical shock, taking part in Dawson within the midfield slightly than his common defensive position, and he was huge early.
Dawson was mighty with 12 contested possessions, however Rankine, Laird and Thilthorpe had even greater video games in a well-known Crows win.
Port kicked the primary two targets, however Adelaide hit again instantly in a frantic begin that set the stage for a titanic battle.
There was controversy when Adelaide defender Lachie Sholl took a mark, went barely off his line and was tackled by Sam Powell-Pepper, who kicked the purpose when it ought to have been a Crows clearance out of hazard.
After taking a one-goal lead into quarter time, Port broke out to a 17-point benefit within the second time period and regarded like they is perhaps about to take management.
But the Crows kicked the final three targets of the half and, fittingly, scores had been stage on the fundamental break.
The depth of the match was summed up firstly of the third time period when Crows teenager Max Michalanney was ironed out by Rowan Marshall.
Michalanney, Adelaide’s first father-son recruit, was charging at full tempo after the ball when Marshall got here from the opposite course and cleaned him up with a brutal front-on bump.
It was a good hit that despatched Michalanney to the bench with sore ribs, however the 19-year-old sucked it up and returned to the sector to be among the many Crows’ greatest.
With the stress monumental, the 2 groups went goal-for-goal earlier than Adelaide blew some probabilities late within the third time period and led by three factors on the final change.
Port kicked two of the primary three targets within the final quarter and led by 4 factors at 10 minutes.
Junior Rioli dropped a mark in assault and Rankine then gained a important ball on the wing, establishing Lachie Murphy for a purpose that gave Adelaide again the lead.
That opened the floodgates, with the Crows kicking the final six targets of the match.
Conor Rozee starred for the Power as Powell-Pepper and Charlie Dixon kicked three targets apiece.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
