Crows key forward Josh Jenkins bags six goals, and puts in a strong case for an AFL re-call

Despite the Crows heart-breaking one-point loss against Brisbane, Don Pyke would be happy with the performance of Josh Jenkins as Crows beat Port in SANFL Showdown.

Adelaide senior coach Don Pyke will be licking his lips — or perhaps he’ll be dreading a selection headache — after a solid performance by Adelaide’s SANFL side, that included a standout one by key forward Josh Jenkins, as well as a successful return from injury for midfielder Richard Douglas and wingman Paul Seedsman.

After a tough week where Jenkins was forced to respond to speculation about his future at the club, he put on his best display yet in the reserves — kicking a bag of six including one after the siren — as a superior Adelaide outfit beat Port Adelaide by 16 points in the SANFL Showdown at Alberton Oval.

Port's Willem Drew tackles Crow's Lachlan Sholl. Picture: AAP Image/Russell Millard

The game was a high-scoring affair — 18.13 (121) to 16.9 (105) — kick-started by Crow Tyson Stengle who opened Adelaide’s account only two minutes into the game (his first of four for the day) and it started a flood of five first-term Adelaide goals.

By game’s end there were a remarkable 24 individual goal kickers shared between the sides, including five to an impressive Tobin Cox.

The first half was a Crows masterclass, made even more star-studded, thanks to the inclusion of Riley Knight, Douglas, Seedsman and Jenkins (who have a combined 515 AFL games between them) and Port seemed unable to keep up.

The Crows were six goals clear at half time and it seemed all over, until that Port fighting spirit kicked in and they got within 10 points in the dying minutes. But Jenkins’ after-the-siren goal was simply icing on the cake.

Adelaide coach Heath Younie wouldn’t have been thrilled with the midfield that was resoundingly beaten in clearances (48 to 28), but the Crows simply made better use of their 50 inside-50s.

Port’s hero was Jack Trengove — who must have sent a shock through coach Matthew Lokan’s heart in the first minute of the game when he struggled to get up after a contest and seemed unsteady on his legs. But he shook it off and by half-time was the game’s leading disposal-getter, which he continued and finished with 37 disposals; another performance that gets filed under the “Trengove portfolio” of reasons he deserves an AFL re-call.

Ken Hinkley was looking on from the balcony of the Allan Scott Headquarters and from there he would have seen Willen Drew collect his 32 touches as well.

SCOREBOARD

Adelaide: 5.3 11.5 14.8 18.13 121

Port Adelaide: 2.2 5.5 11.6 16.9 105

Best:

Adelaide: Jenkins, Seedsman, Stengle, Wright, Otten

Port Adelaide: Trengove, Drew, Cox, Woodcock, Sutcliffe

Goals:

Adelaide: Jenkins 6, Stengle 4, Fogarty 2, McAdam, Poholke, Douglas, Strachan, Wilson, Davis

Port Adelaide: Cox 5, Davidson 2, Trengove, Woodcock, Marshall, Ladhams, Appleton, Hill, Wong, Mead, Sutcliffe

Injuries:

Adelaide: Nil

Port Adelaide: Trent McKenzie (hamstring)

Umpires: Schramm, Bryce, Harris

Crowd: 1538