Showdown (AFL)

Background

The Showdown's intense rivalry can be traced back to 1982 when the SANFL, along with Port Adelaide, approached the VFL in regards to entering two sides, itself and longtime major rival Norwood, in the Victorian league. This action was also taken by WAFL club East Perth in 1980. All approaches were ignored by the VFL at the time with the reason given by Jack Hamilton being that the VFL clubs thought that one or two SANFL teams would end up being too strong later admitting that they also wanted to continue to poach the states best players, which would soon include Craig Bradley and Stephen Kernahan. The Port Adelaide Football Club's annual report from late 1982 showed that the failure of these attempts significantly impacted the club's understanding of its future. From this point Port Adelaide restructured the club in regards to economics, public relations and on-field performance for an attempt to enter the league in 1990. There was genuine feeling that failure to do this would result in the club ceasing to exist in the future. In 1985 Port Adelaide registered itself as a national football club. The following year the SANFL registered the name "Adelaide Football Club" in 1986 but ended up deciding against entering a team into the VFL. In 1986 Norwood Football Club made an independent approach to the VFL with entry into the league discussed in great detail but ultimately failed to materialise. By 1989 seven out of ten SANFL clubs were recording losses and the combined income of the SANFL and WAFL had dropped to 40% of that of the VFL.

During early 1990 the SANFL had decided to wait three years before making any further decision. Frustrated with lack of progress, Port Adelaide were having secret negotiations in the town of Quorn for entry in 1991. When the knowledge of Port Adelaide Football Club's negotiations to gain an AFL licence were made public, the other SANFL clubs saw it as an act of treachery. Subsequently, the SANFL clubs, led by Glenelg, urged Justice Olssen to make an injunction against the bid, which he agreed to. In total the SANFL spent $500,000 in legal fees to stop Port Adelaide's entry into the AFL, with the Magpies simply unable to compete in the court room. The SANFL promptly created a composite team to beat Port Adelaide's bid. The Adelaide Football Club gained what was very close to being Port Adelaide's licence to the AFL and began playing in 1991. The new Adelaide club would adopt the moniker of "Crows" after the states inhabitants oft used nickname "Crow-eaters". The front runners for the coaching job at the new club were 1990 SANFL Grand Final coaches John Cahill (Port Adelaide) and Graham Cornes (Glenelg) with the latter selected. The Adelaide Crows admission to the AFL had a devastating impact on the leagues attendances with the SANFL recording a 14% drop between 1990 and 1993.

Port Adelaide defied this trend of falling SANFL attendances recorded an increase of 13% from 1990 to 1993. After winning the 1994 SANFL Grand Final, its fifth in seven years, Port Adelaide finally gained its AFL licence beating rival bids from other SANFL clubs and another from the Southport Sharks. Despite having received its licence the club had to wait for a vacancy in the league, which occurs when the Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy Lions merge. Finally, in 1997, the club started playing in the AFL with John Cahill its inaugural national coach. During Port Adelaide's first year in the national competition it missed finals by percentage while the Adelaide Crows won the first of their consecutive premierships.

The rivalry extends into the administration of both clubs as they vie for sponsorship from what is the smallest state economy hosting AFL teams. It also extends into the recruiting of both clubs who often find themselves competing for the same players when they declare homesickness or a desire to play for a South Australian club. The clubs have also had the longest trade freeze in the AFL since Brad Symes was traded from Port Adelaide to Adelaide in 2007.

1997 Inaugural Showdown

Port beat the Crows in the inaugural Showdown in 1997. Having won their first match in the AFL against Geelong the week before, a pumped up Port jumped the Crows in the first half and managed to hold on in the final quarter as the Crows mounted a comeback. The game also featured a fight between Port's Scott Cummings and Adelaide's Rod Jameson.

2002 Ramsgate Showdown

The Round 5 Showdown in 2002 was the second time in a row Port Adelaide had won by 8 points. After the game players from both sides coincidentally came across each other at the Ramsgate Hotel in Henley Beach. During the match Josh Carr had been tagging Mark Ricciuto holding him to only 6 kicks (for comparison Ricciuto averaged 13 over his career). After the game when the groups of players met at the Ramsgate Hotel the two started an argument, and with the assistance of alcohol, a brawl between the two groups broke out. No one was badly injured. The publicity of this incident resulted in the only consecutive Showdown crowds of 50,000 at Football Park.

2004 Round 7

Showdown XV is memorable for the magnitude of the upset that the Adelaide Crows pulled off and the fact that it ended Port Adelaide's 7 game winning streak in Showdowns. At the start of the game Port Adelaide had won 5 of its first 6 games whilst Adelaide had only managed one. Port Adelaide entered the first break with a 6-point lead but the Adelaide Crows coach of the time Gary Ayres gave his side a spray and subsequently ran away with the game to cause arguably the biggest upset in Showdown history.

2005 First Semi Final

In the 2005 AFL Finals Series, Adelaide and Port Adelaide met in a semi-final, the first time, and thus far only time in their history they had played against each other in a finals game. The stakes of a showdown had never been higher and South Australia experienced an unprecedented high anticipation to the game in the week leading up to the match. The match was known in the buildup as "The Ultimate Showdown". The first half of the game was an intense, defensive contest with the Crows leading 4.7 (31) to 3.6 (24) at the main break. Tempers almost boiled over in the second quarter after Adelaide ruckman Rhett Biglands was stretchered from the ground after a Byron Pickett shirtfront. However Biglands would return in the second half. After half time, Adelaide thrashed Port Adelaide outscoring them by 76 points cruising home for an 83-point win as Port Adelaide's season was ended in a thrashing. This remains as the only final played between the two sides and the only final the two would ever play at Football Park. 2005 was also the only time one of the clubs had defeated the other side in 3 showdowns in the same AFL season.

2013 Football Park Farewell Showdown

In 2013 Port Adelaide Power beat the Adelaide Crows in the final Showdown to be played at Footy Park. The game was also memorable for Port Adelaide's late final quarter charge, coming back from 20 points in the last 6 minutes of the game. This included a goal by Angus Monfries from outside 50 that landed just in front of the Power's point line, bounced at right angles and went through for a goal. Chad Wingard kicked his fifth goal in the last 28 seconds to hand Port Adelaide the lead and win. Port Adelaide winning this match meant the club had won the first, last and most Showdowns played at Football Park.

2014 Adelaide Oval Debut

The Round 2, 2014 showdown on Saturday, 29 March saw the first showdown played at Adelaide Oval. Port Adelaide led from the start but Adelaide mounted a comeback and claimed the lead briefly in the third. After the half way mark of the third quarter Port Adelaide ran away with the game winning by 55 points.

Phil Walsh Memorial Match

The Round 16, 2015 Showdown on 19 July 2015 had added significance due to the recent death of Crows senior coach Phil Walsh, who spent ten years as an assistant in two stints with Port Adelaide, including their 2004 premiership. The game lived up to expectation, with the Crows holding on desperately in the last quarter to win by three points, the closest margin in a Showdown. The game was played in front of 53,518, the largest attendance at the venue since the 1973 SANFL Grand Final. Scott Thompson was awarded the one off Phillip Walsh Medal, presented by Walsh's daughter Quinn.

Results

The two clubs often meet in preseason fixtures, however these are not official showdowns and do not contribute to the official statistics of the fixture. While the AFL draw is not a complete double round robin it is designed each year to include two Showdowns in recognition of its significance and gate drawing power.

The Showdown Medal

The Showdown Medal is awarded to the player adjudged best on ground in the Showdown match.

The Showdown Medal was first presented in Showdown VII, Round 7, 2000.

For Showdown 39 only, The Phil Walsh Medal was presented in place of the Showdown Medal. Phil Walsh was a Port Adelaide assistant coach from 1999 to 2008 and 2014 and was Adelaide's head coach in 2015 before he died on 3 July the same year.

Shared players

Below is a list of players who have played a senior game of football representing both the Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club.

AFL trades

Below is a list of AFL sanctioned trades between the two clubs. Only three trades have ever been orchestrated between the two clubs.

Attendances

The Showdown has the highest average attendances of all intrastate derby matches.

In the 40 Showdowns to 2016, a total of 1,770,002 people have attended the matches: an average attendance per match of 44,250.

The record attendance in a Showdown was 53,518 in Showdown XXXIX (Round 16, 2015, a Port Adelaide home match). The lowest attendance was 31,662 in Showdown XXV (Round 16, 2008, a Port Adelaide home match).

A total of 958,942 people have attended Adelaide's 21 home Showdowns (including the 2005 Semi Final), an average of 45,664. Their attendances have ranged from 40,296 (Showdown IX) to 51,585 (Showdown XL).

A total of 811,060 people have attended Port Adelaide's 19 home Showdowns, an average of 42,687. Their attendances range from 31,662 (Showdown XXV) to 53,518 (Showdown XXXIX).

Club Records

Highest Score

Highest score in a Showdown.

Lowest Score

Lowest score for each club in all Showdowns.

Greatest Winning Margins

Greatest winning margin for each club in the Showdown.

Smallest Winning Margins

Smallest winning margin for each club in the Showdown.

Clean sweeps

Years where one club has won all Showdown fixtures.