10-05-2025
Unlikely hero Mark Keane produces ‘one of the great' marks to help Crows win epic Showdown
Unheralded Adelaide defender Mark Keane has produced 'one of the great' marks to help his side beat Port Adelaide by five points in an epic Showdown.
The Crows looked home when superstar Izak Rankine kicked two goals in a magical minute, but the Power set up a grandstand finish with a late goal to reduce the margin to less than a kick with just over a minute remaining.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Keane's match-saving mark.
They got the next centre clearance through Jason Horne-Francis, who kicked long to set up what looked like would be another scoring opportunity.
But Keane had other ideas.
He bravely ran back with the flight and clunked a match-saving mark.
'We've seen some great marks in our time and to the people who judge mark of the week and mark of the year, this has to be in the (mix). In the context of where they are, look what he does, back into traffic, not knowing what's coming the other way at a critical time. He's just a hero,' Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy.
Reilly O'Brien pulled down another big mark moments later as the Crows held on for a 13.11 (89) to 12.12 (84) victory.
The Crows held a slender two-point advantage at the final change before Darcy Fogarty kicked the all-important first foal of the last quarter.
Then it turned into the Rankine show.
First he received a handball from Reilly O'Brien before brilliantly finishing on the run to put the Crows up by 15 points.
Then from the next centre bounce, captain Jordan Dawson kicked forward and Fogarty spilled an easy mark only to watch as Rankine came flying in and soccered the loose ball out of mid-air for an incredible goal.
'I just threw my boot at it and it went through, it was nice,' Rankine told Fox Footy after the match.
Izak Rankine kicks a cracking soccer goal in the Showdown
It put the Crows up by 21 points, the biggest lead of the match.
The Power reduced the margin to four points in the closing stages, but Keane stood tool to ice the game.
'It'll be hard to beat (for Mark of the Year),' David King added.
