Being a Showdown game tonight, I thought it’d be interesting to reflect back on the rivalry since our official/non-official rebuilding from 2020.
Here are the overall summaries taken from https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/showdown-history-afl
Round 2, 13/7/20
Port 17.8 (110) def Adelaide 5.5 (35) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: S. Motlop (P), 2: Boak (P), 1: Rockliff (P)
Showdown Medal: Boak (P)
In a sentence: After a three-month break to the season due to COVID restrictions, 2240 football fans returned to the Adelaide Oval to watch Port thrash the Crows in the only Showdown of 2020.
Round 8, 8/5/21
Port 12.15 (87) def Adelaide 5.8 (38) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Boak (P), 2: Amon (P), 1: Rozee (P)
Showdown Medal: Boak (P)
In a sentence: Port won Showdown 49 by 49 points, restricting the Crows to their second-lowest Showdown score.
Round 21, 7/8/21
Port 7.13 (55) def Adelaide 7.9 (51) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Allir (P), 2: Laird (A), 1: Wines (P)
Showdown Medal: Allir (P)
In a sentence: Port trailed for most of the game until it added the last two goals to win by four points.
Round 3, 1/4/22
Adelaide 15.6 (96) def Port 13.14 (92) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Dawson (A), 2: Boak (P), 1: Marshall (P)
Showdown Medal: Dawson (A)
In a sentence: Recruit Jordan Dawson booted a goal after the final siren to lift the Crows to a remarkable four-point Showdown victory.
Round 23, 20/8/22
Port 16.15 (111) def Adelaide 7.13 (55) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Rozee (P), 2: Amon (P), 1: Marshall (P)
Showdown Medal: Rozee (P)
In a sentence: Port farewelled five-time Showdown medallist Robbie Gray and kicked clear in the second half.
Round 3, 1/4/23
Adelaide 18.9 (117) def Port 13.8 (86) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Dawson (A), 2: Thilthorpe (A), 1: Laird (A)
Showdown Medal: Dawson (A)
In a sentence: A year to the day after Jordan Dawson was the hero in Showdown 51, the new Crows captain and Riley Thilthorpe (five goals) led Adelaide to the 31-point win.
Round 20, 30/7/23
Adelaide 16.16 (112) def Port 9.11 (65) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Walker (A), 2: Dawson (A), 1: Laird (A)
Showdown Medal: Walker (A)
In a sentence: Adelaide broke a run of three consecutive losses after Taylor Walker booted a Showdown-equalling record of seven goals to upset second-placed Port Adelaide by 47 points.
Round 8, 2/5/24
Adelaide 12. 6 (78) def Port 5.18 (48) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: TBC
Showdown Medal: Soligo (A)
In a sentence: Adelaide took a 28-27 lead in all-time Showdown wins, celebrating the career of retired champion Rory Sloane with a 30-point win built on the back of an efficient first half and players including best-on-ground Jake Soligo and Izak Rankine (three goals).
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Some general observations:
1. First couple of years between 2020-2021, we were abysmal.
Averaged 41 points a game, with poor goal kicking efficiency and only averaged 13 scoring shots.
2. 2022 was the first sign we were on the improve with the Showdown levelled at 1 all during that season.
3. 2023-2024 are a stark difference to the initial rebuilding years. We’ve won 3 out of 3 against Port during this period, and averaged 102 points per game with an average of 26 scoring shots.
4. There almost seems to be a linear trajectory of our improvement when looking at purely the scores against Port these last few years. A genuine progressive improvement? Or just riding a wave of luck in Showdowns where things are probably likely “50/50”?
As a side point, what do we make of Nicks’ record against Ken in the recent years?
Here are the overall summaries taken from https://crowshistory.afc.com.au/showdown-history-afl
Round 2, 13/7/20
Port 17.8 (110) def Adelaide 5.5 (35) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: S. Motlop (P), 2: Boak (P), 1: Rockliff (P)
Showdown Medal: Boak (P)
In a sentence: After a three-month break to the season due to COVID restrictions, 2240 football fans returned to the Adelaide Oval to watch Port thrash the Crows in the only Showdown of 2020.
Round 8, 8/5/21
Port 12.15 (87) def Adelaide 5.8 (38) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Boak (P), 2: Amon (P), 1: Rozee (P)
Showdown Medal: Boak (P)
In a sentence: Port won Showdown 49 by 49 points, restricting the Crows to their second-lowest Showdown score.
Round 21, 7/8/21
Port 7.13 (55) def Adelaide 7.9 (51) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Allir (P), 2: Laird (A), 1: Wines (P)
Showdown Medal: Allir (P)
In a sentence: Port trailed for most of the game until it added the last two goals to win by four points.
Round 3, 1/4/22
Adelaide 15.6 (96) def Port 13.14 (92) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Dawson (A), 2: Boak (P), 1: Marshall (P)
Showdown Medal: Dawson (A)
In a sentence: Recruit Jordan Dawson booted a goal after the final siren to lift the Crows to a remarkable four-point Showdown victory.
Round 23, 20/8/22
Port 16.15 (111) def Adelaide 7.13 (55) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Rozee (P), 2: Amon (P), 1: Marshall (P)
Showdown Medal: Rozee (P)
In a sentence: Port farewelled five-time Showdown medallist Robbie Gray and kicked clear in the second half.
Round 3, 1/4/23
Adelaide 18.9 (117) def Port 13.8 (86) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Dawson (A), 2: Thilthorpe (A), 1: Laird (A)
Showdown Medal: Dawson (A)
In a sentence: A year to the day after Jordan Dawson was the hero in Showdown 51, the new Crows captain and Riley Thilthorpe (five goals) led Adelaide to the 31-point win.
Round 20, 30/7/23
Adelaide 16.16 (112) def Port 9.11 (65) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: 3: Walker (A), 2: Dawson (A), 1: Laird (A)
Showdown Medal: Walker (A)
In a sentence: Adelaide broke a run of three consecutive losses after Taylor Walker booted a Showdown-equalling record of seven goals to upset second-placed Port Adelaide by 47 points.
Round 8, 2/5/24
Adelaide 12. 6 (78) def Port 5.18 (48) at Adelaide Oval
Brownlow Medal votes: TBC
Showdown Medal: Soligo (A)
In a sentence: Adelaide took a 28-27 lead in all-time Showdown wins, celebrating the career of retired champion Rory Sloane with a 30-point win built on the back of an efficient first half and players including best-on-ground Jake Soligo and Izak Rankine (three goals).
——————————————————
Some general observations:
1. First couple of years between 2020-2021, we were abysmal.
Averaged 41 points a game, with poor goal kicking efficiency and only averaged 13 scoring shots.
2. 2022 was the first sign we were on the improve with the Showdown levelled at 1 all during that season.
3. 2023-2024 are a stark difference to the initial rebuilding years. We’ve won 3 out of 3 against Port during this period, and averaged 102 points per game with an average of 26 scoring shots.
4. There almost seems to be a linear trajectory of our improvement when looking at purely the scores against Port these last few years. A genuine progressive improvement? Or just riding a wave of luck in Showdowns where things are probably likely “50/50”?
As a side point, what do we make of Nicks’ record against Ken in the recent years?
