History shows defence wins Showdowns

POWER skipper Travis Boak is calling on his team's defensive mantra to win the last Showdown at AAMI Stadium.

Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak says defence will win the final Showdown at AAMI Stadium. Picture: Sarah Reed

DEFENCE wins Showdowns.

That is the opinion of Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak, who has called on the Power's all-team defensive mantra to win the last Showdown to be played at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

While Port is averaging a healthy 92 points a game, Boak said the side which performs better defensively will win Showdown XXXV.

"In the past two or three weeks the defensive side of our game has been super and that's why we've been in games and got over the line,'' Boak said after the Power restricted the Brisbane Lions to a modest 9.8 (62) in its nine-point win at home on Sunday.

"We reviewed the game and the reason we got over the line was our defensive acts, which was a real positive.

"There was a lot of team defence stuff and if we can continue to do that then I think we will be well on the way to getting the result we want.''

Defence is both clubs' strong point. The Power is conceding just 84.5 points a game - ranked sixth in the AFL.

Adelaide is in a similar boat.

While it has had trouble keeping its best forwards on the field and is scoring an average of 89.4 points, its defence has kept it in a lot of matches, conceding 88.6 points a game.

With Josh Jenkins (broken ankle) its latest key forward to be sidelined by injury, captain Nathan van Berlo says maintaining defensive pressure will be the key to the struggling Crows causing an upset.

"It will be along similar lines to what Boaky was talking about,'' van Berlo said of how his team could win.

"In the past month we've been priding ourselves on the defensive side of our game, This week will be no different.''

Showdowns have a history of being tight, low-scoring affairs. Only three times in 34 Showdowns has the winning team booted 20 goals or more.

Port kicked the highest score - 23.15 (153) in Showdown IX in 2001 - and booted 20.19 (139) in Showdown XIV the previous year.

Adelaide has only reached 20 goals once, kicking 22.12 (144) in Showdown IV in 1998.

Nineteen times a side has won a Showdown with 14 goals or less.

The Crows' 16.13 (109) in this year's Showdown XXXIV was easily the biggest losing score in an SA derby.

Van Berlo said the importance of defence was at an all-high time for Adelaide.

"We need to be up to the challenge to make sure we help out our forward line as well because they may well have a different look up there,'' he said.

"So it might mean that we have to push forward and kick some goals ourselves.''

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