Robbie Gray etches his name in Showdown history but loss means there’s no celebrations
ROBBIE Gray etched his name in history as the first four-times Showdown Medallist but was in no mood to celebrate after Port Adelaide’s late collapse might have cost it a top four finals spot.
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ROBBIE Gray etched his name in history as the first four-times Showdown Medallist but was in no mood to celebrate after Port Adelaide’s late collapse might have cost it a crucial top four finals spot.
“I don’t want to talk about myself,’’ a shattered Gray said in the Power changerooms following his side’s controversial three-point loss.
“I am just really disappointed we didn’t get the result we wanted, that’s all I’m concerned with at the moment.
“For me it was all about winning this game because it was a very important game for our season, so it’s really disappointing.’’
Gray, 30, polled 10 votes to edge Adelaide’s star off-season recruit Bryce Gibbs by two.
Crows midfielder Matt Crouch was third with five votes.
Gray’s fourth medal after he kicked four goals and had 20 disposals and seven clearances saw him pass triple medallists, Port’s Josh Francou and Adelaide’s Mark Ricciuto and Sam Jacobs.
He became just the second player — after Francou in 2001 — to win the Showdown Medal twice in a season.
Gray won his third medal in round eight this year when he kicked six goals in the Power’s five-point triumph.
His fourth medal was only the third by a player in a losing Showdown team.
Crow Graham Johncock won in Port’s 12-point triumph in round five, 2003, while in round 20, 2005, there was a tie between Adelaide’s Simon Goodwin and the Power’s Shaun Burgoyne in the Crows’ seven-point win.
Gray did not take any offence at being jeered when he accepted his medal on the ground following the game, saying he understood that it was an Adelaide home match and that the medal usually goes to a player on the winning team.
“That’s just one of those things,’’ he said.
Power coach Ken Hinkley said Gray was a “worthy winner’’ but that “I have always been of the opinion that winning teams should get the medals’’.
Gray noted how Port, which was smashed in inside 50s 69-47 and contested possessions 166-149, had its chances to clinch Showdown 45 but could not shut the door on its fierce hometown rival.
The Power led by 10 points late in the game and had the chance to move 16 points clear when Ollie Wines marked 20m out but he tried to hook his shot and it went off the side of his boot and failed to score.
This paved the way for Eddie Betts and Josh Jenkins, whose final snap shot appeared to hit the goalpost, to goal at the other end to steal a famous — and season-saving — win for the Crows.
“We had our chances and it’s just disappointing we didn’t take them and hold on,’’ Gray said.
“We knew it was going to be a fierce contest and we were in it for a lot of the game and to lose by three points was shattering, especially considering what was on the end of it for us.
“But our season’s still in our hands. If we play our best footy in the last three (home-and-away) games we’ll be all right.’’
SHOWDOWN MEDAL VOTING
10 — Robbie Gray (Port)
8 — Bryce Gibbs (Adelaide)
5 — Matt Crouch (Adelaide)
3 — Josh Jenkins (Adelaide)
2 — Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
1 — Jared Polec (Port)
1 — Chad Wingard (Port)