Round 16
Port Adelaide v Adelaide
7:35pm, Saturday 27th June 2026
Adelaide Oval
By Dan Lonergan
Walking through the streets of Richmond on Saturday night on my way to a birthday party, there were Collingwood and Richmond fans everywhere having left watching their teams play each other.
When I was growing up in the 1970s and early 1980s, the Pies and the Tigers were two of the biggest rivals in the VFL being neighbouring working class suburbs of Melbourne. They had some famous battles like a record crowd for a home and away match at the MCG at the time in 1977 when Tom Hafey had controversially left his beloved Tigers at the end of the previous season after four flags in 11 years was coaching Collingwood against Richmond for the first time.
There was the 1980 Grand Final although one sided and many years later, the rivarly lifted when Mason Cox played arguably his best game of footy as the Pies upset the Red hot favourites, Richmond in the 2018 Preliminary Final after the Tigers coming off a flag had dominated the season.
They also had the player wars in the 1980s when the two teams poached players from each other almost in farcical fashion with the pies probably getting the better of that exchange securing star Richmond premiership players such as David Cloke and Geoff Raines, while the Tigers picked up useful performers in Phil Walsh, Craig Stewart and Jon Annear.
At the birthday party, there were a few Collingwood and Richmond fans proudly adorned in their scarves despite the theme being sparkles, but these young men, like guys of my vintage in attendance, had missed the brief. I was wearing a gangster style warm long jacket as pointed out to me by some Red Hill footballers earlier in the day when I was broadcasting my weekly Red Hill Mornington Peninsula Football
Netball League game for their stream. So being at a party in Richmond, I could say I was wearing my inner John Wren or ‘’squizzy’’’ Taylor, who it would be fair to say had claims of owning the suburb of
Collingwood in the 1920s with some alleged nefarious activities.
It was an intense rivalry between these clubs, but in my childhood was exceeded by Essendon and Carlton and especially Carlton and Collingwood. Essendon and Carlton was especially massive in the 1980s when the two powerhouse 20th century teams were constantly near the top of the ladder and had some massive battles.
Nowadays, those sides still obviously want to beat each other and if they are having poor seasons which most of them are this season a victory over the other can be bragging rights for the successful team’s
followers.
The AFL has expanded so much that I think the interstate rivalries involving teams from the same states outside Victoria are fast becoming more meaningful, especially the Showdown in South Australia. There is constantly a debate in scheduling and fixturing each year about when the Showdowns should be played. The push is on for a stand alone clash on Thursday or Friday nights to maximize free to air television exposure not only in South Australia but around Australia. However, the free to air rights holders, Channel Seven, demand at least one Victorian based team in these time slots.
I believe this is a narrow minded view as the Showdowns never fail to deliver or disappoint and footy fans I am convinced, no matter who they follow, would be more than happy to watch Port and the Crows
do battle on Thursday or Friday nights.
It was stand alone on Saturday night but except for South Australia, no free to air access. Many footy fans have Fox Footy or Kayo but not everyone, so those that don’t would have missed out on in my opinion what is fast becoming the best rivalry in the AFL. These games are always belters no matter where the two teams are based on the ladder and the matches never go to script probably more than any other match-up each season.
On the weekend, Adelaide, who had won three in a row and were starting to find their best form were expected to win easily over an injury-ravaged and depth-deprived Port Adelaide, who were in the
bottom four with just four victories, although several by margins of less than six points. Earlier in the season, they played one of their best for mine, which is a big call as there have been so many classics over the years.
In that first encounter in 2026, Port kicked a goal with less than a minute to go to hit the front and it looked like they had pinched an unlikely win as they had been behind for most of the night. However, with less than 30 seconds to go, the Crows had one last crack. If everything went right, and it did with the ball ending up with one of their rapidly improving youngsters Brayden Cook, who kicked an
incredible last gasp goal on the run to reclaim the lead and win the game.
This time around on Saturday night, which I was endeavouring to keep an eye on, while at this party, I was pretty bullish on Port getting the required result despite this team being described as one of if not
the weakest Showdown team, the Power had ever selected.
Adelaide had their three key forwards in Walker, Thilthorpe and Fogarty all in and with Ratugolea out with a season-ending knee injury, Brandon Zerk- Thatcher was recalled, eventhough his record at both
Essendon and Port as a one-on-one key defender playing on tall forwards has left a lot to be desired. Allir Allir was there for Josh Carr’s team, but playing directly on an opponent is not his strength. He likes to back his judgement, play off his man and intercept.
The Crows, considering their recent form and the fact that they were close to having their best on the field, had the incentive of striving for the top four. At the same time last year they started on a withering undefeated run in the last third of the season to claim the minor premiership. Their previous three victories leading into this Showdown, the Crows had defeated fellow top and top six aspirants in Geelong by one point, thrashed the Bulldogs and outlasted a plucky Melbourne, with Jordan Dawson the Crows skipper lauded for taking his game to the next level with some breathtaking displays.
There were even predictions that Adelaide would win this by a record margin considering the dearth in top end quality talent at Port compared to Adelaide. However, as has already been outlined in this piece and waxed lyrically by the AFL Media throng, always expect the unexpected with a Showdown.
This one was no exception as early scores indicated, while all the party guests tucked into cocktails, pasta and pizza, that Port was more than competitive but were inaccurate, while Adelaide were nailing their opportunities.
However, another glance around half time just before the speeches and the cutting of the macaroon cake, of which the flavors were chocolate, caramel, strawberry or pistachio, showed Port had certainly come to play with a five goal to two second term. Zak Butters, in what is likely to be his last Showdown, starring as usual for Port. He was well supported by Allir and Horne Francis, with Georgiades again a great target up forward, although his inaccuracy was still frustrating at times.
While the footy was going on and Port continued to put themselves in a strong position to upset the Crows, I was engaged at the party in deep conversations on believe it or not, politics. Don’t worry, there were no arguments, just fascinating debate among friends who all have a strong interest in politics including me. Behind sport and my soft rock music, politics sits third.
The question came up about Donald Trump and a friend of ours we have not seen for ages, who has a background in politics and political policy especially trade and international relations, was asked about her opinion of the American President. She described him as necessary chaos in trying to resolve the dominance of China in particular. I would describe him as unnecessary chaos, but we ensured there were no arguments as that is the best way to empty a party.
Controversial Victorian state Liberal MP Moira Deeming also came up after she pushed for police involvement claiming former Victorian Liberal leader, Matthew Guy had put her in a headlock. Sanity prevailed as the grainy footage showed nothing of the sort and the Police rightly so have dropped the matter.
As Port kept pulling away, while Adelaide was blowing a golden opportunity to move to 4th and continue their upward trajectory with their seventh win in 8 matches, the final political matter spoken at the
party (in a sensible fashion) was whether Deeming’s antics would cost the coalition this year’s state election in Victoria, considering the long serving state Government is on the nose.
After those engaging chats my son and his girlfriend were keen to go and as I am a moderate drinker at best, I was more than happy to drop them home. It also gave me a chance after a lovely evening to find out if this Showdown was going to see yet another comeback from a team way off the pace for most of the evening, in the Crows.
We walked outside into a very foggy and cold Melbourne night and my son Alex told me early in the last Port were well up by 35 points. I said to him, I told you the Power would win despite the Crows having much more to play for regarding ladder and finals-wise. Remember! As I keep saying this is a Showdown and they are always different.
While driving, we listened to the closing stages on SEN Radio with Kym Dillon and David Wildy, former North Adelaide SANFL players and experienced commentators, calling the action and the Crows only premiership captain, Mark Bickley and another premiership player in ex Port Adelaide star, Chad Cornes providing special comments.
Cornes is new to the role and like his high profile brother, Kane has taken to the media like a duck to water. They are great working together as well, although the caveat is they sound very similar, but they are excellent media performers, with Chad not making the big statements or putting forward, at times, polarizing opinions like his brother. Chad described the action as he saw it, but I believe Bickley eventhough the Crows were not going to win, was pushing for his beloved Adelaide to make a late run.
They did kick 2 in a row to close to four goals with about 4 minutes left, and Wildy, Bickley and Dillon took us back to that frantic Showdown finish earlier in the season, when both teams as outlined earlier
kicked goals inside the last minute in that thrilling finale. However, Port in their best performance of the season, stood firm to win comfortably and register their fifth win of the season. Bickley you could tell was very frustrated by Adelaide’s poor effort.
There are 8 games left and 12 victories should get you a wildcard spot, but because the Power have a solid percentage hovering around 100, 11 may be enough to get them in even if it’s more losses than wins. I think that promotes mediocrity, but we have had it a few times in the early years of the top 8.
For the Crows, they remain on nine wins with four other teams and would be really disappointed with that result. Port’s best two midfielders in Zak Butters, whose playing future has gone past the Young and the Restless as the most popular soap opera, was magnificent with 37 touches including 23 contested and Horne-Francis amassed 29.
What a player Butters is! Everyone is talking about where he will play next year being out of contract, with the favoured outcome being returning home to Victoria, but he is still so invested in playing well and winning for Port Adelaide. He won the Showdown medal, but his partner in crime Horne-Francis had a blinder as well, and the question must be asked: Why did Matthew Nicks and the rest of the Crows coaching group not consider putting a hard tag of either player or even both?
Outside Darcy Fogarty, that potent forward line was ineffective, and yes they have been up for a long time, but the Crows stuffed it up and still have plenty of work to do to secure a decent spot in the finals.
Like all rivalries in this great game, the teams hate each other and as well as blowing a chance to cement their place in the top six and move closer to double chance territory, it will stick in Adelaide’s craw that their cross-town rival, Port, has bragging rights until next season.
PORT ADELAIDE 3.4 8,6 12.13 13.19 (97)
ADELAIDE 4.2 6.2 8.4 11.5 (71)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Durdin 3, Georgiades 3, Burgoyne 2, Berry 2, Zadow, Horne-Francis, Bamert
Adelaide: Fogarty 5, Taylor 2, Thilthorpe, Rachele, Neal-Bullen, Keays
BEST (Dan’s best)
Port Adelaide: Butters, Horne-Francis, Allir Allir, Georgiades, Lai, Sweet
Adelaide: Fogarty, Worrell, Borlase, Dawson
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: Nil
Adelaide: Nil
Crowd: 50,087
Malarkey Votes
3 – Butters (Port)
2 – Horne-Francis (Port)
1 – Sweet (Port)
Read more round 16 match reports HERE
Read more from Dan Lonergan HERE
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