The Crows and Power are set to play mini-Showdowns as they aim to fill the void left by the lack of SANFL action
Both the Crows and Power are preparing to play ‘mini-Showdowns’ against each other as they aim to fill the void left by their absence in the SANFL.
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Port Adelaide and Adelaide are preparing to go head to head in a series of mini-Showdowns to keep their players primed for AFL action this season.
With both clubs leaving South Australia next week to spend two months on the Gold Coast in an AFL quarantine hub to enable a season restart, the bitter rivals are working together to try to keep their entire playing lists match hardened after they were forced to withdraw from the SANFL in 2020.
Power chief executive Keith Thomas revealed talks between the Showdown combatants had already taken place and that the clubs were looking at ways to keep those players who aren’t required for AFL action when the season resumes on June 11 in tip-top condition.
Thomas said this initially involved playing scratch matches against “reserves’’ teams from Queensland Hub partners Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, West Coast and Fremantle.
He said when Port and the Crows are allowed to return home they could play regular “mini-Showdowns’’ to keep their players up to speed in an unprecedented AFL season which has been turned on its head by the COVID-19 crisis.
“I’m almost certain that will occur,’’ Thomas said of the reserves trials.
“Whether it’s required in this first four weeks, I’m not sure (because the squad will be training and having match simulation together), but we will need to find a way to play against some competition in some form.
“That’s still to be worked out but it’s an issue for us given we are without access to a second tier competition for the whole season.
“No doubt a solution needs to be found there. In Melbourne it seems like it’s a little easier, there’s clearly more clubs over there (to play against).
“As the season pans out recovery will be a really important factor and I think we’re going to be leaning on the depth of our lists a fair bit, particularly if it (the fixture) compresses during the year.
“We’ll be very conscious of that but finding ways to play, in whatever form that is, is something we need to think about and get done.’’
Thomas said general manager of football Chris Davies had already been in contact with Adelaide to have the two clubs play regular scratch matches.
“There is a real chance of that,’’ he said.
“They (the Crows) would have exactly the same problem and I know that Chris is already in those sort of conversations, so I suspect something like that will happen.’’
Thomas, meanwhile, confirmed he could stay at Port beyond his planned exit this year as the club deals with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
The popular administrator said he had spoken to chairman David Koch about helping the club through the crisis by working into next year, rather than leave it searching for a replacement in such a difficult and uncertain time.
“I had a conversation with David to reassure him, the conversation I had was, ‘look, the last thing the club or board needs to be thinking about is a CEO transition at this moment’,’’ Thomas said.
“Have no concerns about the management team or my commitment, we are 100 per cent invested in this.
“He was grateful for that, so we’ve just put in on the backburner for now, let’s work through the next three or four months and see how we are at that time and if I need to go longer, I’ll go longer.’’
Could we have AFL games at Adelaide Oval later in the year?
Both South Australian AFL clubs are hoping they could have a glut of games at Adelaide Oval later in the year as a trade off for having to restart the 2020 season in an interstate hub.
The Crows and Port are two of four clubs that will be in a hub on the Gold Coast when the season resumes on June 11.
While the AFL is still working out a new fixture model, and will only go in four to six week blocks, it is expected the two SA and WA teams will play each other and Brisbane and Gold Coast to get away some of the 144 games this season.
Because of this the two clubs are hoping if SA opens its borders at some point during the season, then they could possibly get an extended run home games towards the tail end of the season.
Crows chief Andrew Fagan said it would be on the table with the AFL.
“It is difficult enough getting a fixture away in the first place and under normal set of conditions and obviously this is even more challenging,” he said.
“The environment is guaranteed to change during the course of the season, we hold out hope we can get games back at Adelaide Oval but the fixture needs to plan for the possibility that won’t occur as well so we need to be agile.”
Port chief executive Keith Thomas said he suspected there would be “home game status” allocated to games even though the Power would be playing them interstate.
“That’s for commercial reasons, the signing requirements at grounds and the need to service partner needs at different levels,” he said
“But I think due consideration needs to be given to playing at your home ground at the end of the season. I think those conversations will be had.”
West Coast are also pushing for an extended run of home games come later in the year as compensation for having to be based on the Gold Coast for the resumption of the season.
It is unclear if Fremantle will also make the request.
Showdown in the Sunshine State
This year’s Showdown is all but certain to be played on interstate soil, as the Crows and Power prepare for hub life on the Gold Coast.
After the AFL announced the 2020 season would resume on June 11, Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan and Port boss Keith Thomas were quickly asking what was the status of this year’s Showdown – which was set to be held in Round 2 and would have been the Power’s ‘prison bars’ game.
But as the AFL works out the first four to six week block of the resumed season, expected to be finalised within 10 days, both CEO’s were predicting the two SA clubs to play the other sides that will be based in Queensland for the competition’s resumption.
As well as the Crows and Power, West Coast and Fremantle will also be based in the Gold Coast and those four sides are set to get away their matches against each other and the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns.
Fagan said he had asked the AFL about whether the Showdown could be played in Adelaide later this year, should quarantine requirements on those coming to SA from interstate ease, but was expecting it to be played in the Sunshine State.
“I think that’s a chance that will occur. As an industry we are trying to get away 144 games and we are doing that with a lack of certainty of what the future looks like,” he said.
“So I think that takes away some of that flexibility to schedule those games where you might like them, I think they will look to have those teams based in Queensland play each other over four to five weeks but I’d love to think we could get that game back here.”
Thomas said the Power just had to accept the likelihood of that happening.
“Logic suggests that. The fixture hasn’t been released yet and won’t be for another week,” he said.
“I think given we are all there I suspect that’s how it will play out and until we know better we’ll plan for that.
“I reckon they will be looking for ways to make the fixture work in the most efficient way. “Given that we have all travelled up there and there are grounds available, it makes sense that those early games will involve those teams.”
Port have already played the Suns this season.
Both clubs are planning on taking their entire lists to the Gold Coast, with a fly out date for Port May 24.
Thomas said the Power were closing in on a training base.
“We’re preparing to play so we’ll be requiring elite standard facilities, whether they be the gym or the grounds,” he said.
“We are aiming for Southport but that still has to be locked in.”
The Crows could leave Adelaide on that day or on May 25 so they can get the required contact training period in.
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Fagan said the plan was for the players and the 25 staff members allowed to go to the hub to fly to the Gold Coast – paid for by the AFL – for the training period and then potentially allow families.
“I think they are intending at the moment to just travel as a playing group and get used to the environment up there, we know that families can come there as well so that will probably be considered once they have time to settle in,” he said.
The two fierce rivals will also be staying in the same hotel on the Gold Coast, the Mercure Resort, for at least six weeks – most likely for two months.
It is still being worked out whether the players will be able to use the golf course, with the AFL’s protocols set to be released over the weekend.
As part of the season relaunch every AFL player will be tested twice for COVID-19 a week, while the finals series will be a “normal” one of four weeks.