Old Showdown foes reunite to help develop the next generation of Showdown stars
Richard Douglas and Paul Stewart are used to the pressure of Showdowns. And now they’re helping develop the next generation of Showdown stars.
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Foes in Showdowns of old, Crow Richard Douglas and former Power midfielder Paul Stewart, are now foes from the coaching box too.
The former Showdown opponents are helping develop the next generation of South Australian football stars by coaching and mentoring the Next Generation Academies of their respective clubs. And for the first time, the two teams will compete in a “junior under-15s Showdown” at Adelaide Oval as a curtain raiser to Saturday’s main event.
Stewart, who played 101 games for the Power before retiring in 2016, has been coaching the current Port Next Generation Academy squad for a couple of months and said he’d enjoyed working with the group of talented players, including Harper Montgomery, the son of 2004 premiership defender and current Power defensive coach, Brett.
“It’s pretty exciting for them to play on Adelaide Oval and because it’s a curtain-raiser there’ll be a few people in the crowd so it’s a good opportunity for them to showcase their skills,” Stewart said.
Douglas, a 241-game Crow who is playing in Showdown 47, is mentor to the Crows Next Generation Academy and said he was enjoying the role, watching the youngster develop their skills.
“Their attitude and willingness to learn was second-to-none and you could see them getting better and better as the weeks went on,” he said.
“It was great to be able to share with them some of the things I have learned over the years and hopefully it helps them along their football journey.”
The junior Showdown will kick off at 1.50pm, before Showdown 47’s first bounce at 4.05pm.