Showdown 57: All the news ahead of Port Adelaide and Adelaide's Round 9 clash

Daily Telegraph

08-05-2025

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The question that has hung over the Showdown has finally been answered.
Twenty five years after Crows legend Mark Ricciuto won the first Showdown Medal in the seventh encounter between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, a panel chosen by the two clubs have formally recognised those players from the six clashes before then sponsor SA Brewing decided to present a trophy to the winning team - and a medal to the match's best player.
Featuring representatives who were involved in the media for the first six Showdowns in the late 1990s, the panel reviewed each of the games to decide who would be retrospectively awarded the medals.
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The question that has hung over the Showdown has finally been answered.
Twenty five years after Crows legend Mark Ricciuto won the first Showdown Medal in the seventh encounter between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, a panel chosen by the two clubs have formally recognised those players from the six clashes before then sponsor SA Brewing decided to present a trophy to the winning team - and a medal to the match's best player.
Featuring representatives who were involved in the media for the first six Showdowns in the late 1990s, the panel reviewed each of the games to decide who would be retrospectively awarded the medals.
'I suppose it just finalises all the medals now so you can go back in history and go from one to now,' he said.
'We don't have it hanging over it now... it is finalised and it is great to be a part of it.'
Ricciuto said it made sense to retrospectively award the six medals.
'They are all worthy winners and great blokes, I get on really well with all the old Port players,' he said.
'The hatred you had when you played, we certainly did in our day, you wouldn't dare talking to the opposition at any stage but after you finish up and retire you quickly realise that most people in footy are good people and you can have a laugh about what happened when you were a bit younger and sillier.'
The Crows great and member of the club's board has some of the most experience of them all when it comes to the Showdown, from his playing days and then his long-running stint in the media.
He will again be at Adelaide Oval in his role for Fox Footy, which will be showing the stand-alone game as part of its Super Saturday Live coverage on Kayo, and said nothing had changed for him when it came to the Showdown.
'It has never been any different for me, I don't know any different because I was straight out of footy into the commentary box so I have sort of had skin in the game,' he said.
'If social media is any gauge after a game I get abused by both sets of supporters for being biased so that probably means that I am doing a pretty good job of being neutral doesn't it?'
Bickley and Francou have also had plenty of experience of the Showdown from the other side of the fence in their respective media roles.
The dual-premiership winning captain for the Crows said it had become one of the best rivalries in the AFL.
'I think when the Crows first started it was more South Australia versus Victoria,' he said.
'So then when Port came into the competition the rivalry was real because it was like two local teams going against each other.
'It has turned into one of the best rivalries in the AFL, the games have been super close, they have lots of feeling.'
CROWS REJECT FAVOURITES TAG FOR SHOWDOWN
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says there is no more pressure on his side going into this Saturday's Showdown despite the Crows being favourites for the first time since 2019.
The Crows come into Showdown 57 above Port Adelaide on the ladder and favoured with bookmakers for the first time since Round 16 in 2019.
Last time out they put in one of their best performances if not their best performance of the season to thrash Carlton at Adelaide Oval, while the Power were savaged by the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat.
But despite the momentum and external favoritism, Nicks said the Crows wouldn't be changing their approach going into the clash against their fierce rivals.
'No… it is not something we look at,' Nicks said
'Something we have been able to do really well this year is being able to lock in on the process of what is needed for the week, for the moment and our guys are locked in on how to go about that.
'We know our opposition and what is coming up, we just had a meeting of regarding where they are at.
'And we all know the history of Showdowns and how tight they are.'
The Power usually respond following a heavy loss and Nicks was expecting that after Port went down to the Dogs by 90-points in its last game.
'That's Port Adelaide, that's what they do very well,' he said.
'They are a competitive team, and they love the battle.
'We are hoping we can bring that, and match that… we have no doubt that they are going to come out and breath fire into every Showdown and we hope they are thinking the same about that.'
Mitch Hinge is eligible to return. Picture: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images
The Crows have a big decision to make with Mitch Hinge available for selection after he missed the win over Carlton through suspension.
In his place veteran Brodie Smith returned to the side and played well.
At training on Wednesday Smith and Hinge were both with the A's side, and Nicks conceded the Crows had a tough call to make.
'It will be a difficult conversation of Hingey is ready to go, but it is a great position for us to be in,' he said.
'We made four changes last week, three of those forced so to perform the way we did sort of showed where our squad is at.'
The Crows have been quiet so far in the lead-up to Saturday's Showdown, after they instigated much of the theatre off the field before the last meeting between the teams.
Nicks said they had not addressed it with players and it showed that the group was maturing.
'We haven't spoken about it all,' he said.
'Maybe that is a sign of where our group is at.'
Josh Rachele could continue to have some stints in the midfield after he impressed in the role against the Blues, while Nicks said Luke Pedlar was pushing for a return to the side after an impressive performance in the SANFL.
Originally published as Showdown 57: All the news ahead of Port Adelaide and Adelaide's Round 9 clash