AFLW Round 1 Adelaide v Port Adelaide: All the news, action and fallout from the Showdown

A rampant Crows side went on a blitz in the second half of the Showdown, highlighting the clear divide that still exists. But, as Matt Turner writes, it might not for long.

Matt Turner and Jason Phelan

5 min read

September 2, 2023 - 10:58PM

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Early signs suggest Matthew Clarke is right.

The totally one-sided scoreline of the inaugural women’s Showdown looks unlikely to be repeated anytime soon – Port Adelaide is coming as a quality AFLW outfit.

No doubt the gap between the two teams is closing, but, unsurprisingly, it is still noticeable.

In their consistency across four quarters, running power, composure and experience.

The Power’s improvement from its debut season, when it finished with a 1-8-1 record, was obvious at Norwood Oval on Saturday, particularly during the second term.

Immense pressure caused uncustomary Adelaide fumbles.

Territory dominance – a trademark of Port’s men’s side in recent years – had the Power leading the inside-50 count 27-13 at the main break.

Spearheads Gemma Houghton (one goal) and ex-Crow Ash Saint (two) combined well in attack – and should give defences a headache this season.

Gemma Houghton was impressive in attack for the Power. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

Tough midfielder Abbey Dowrick, last year’s Rising Star runner-up, looks to have taken another big step in her development with strong two-way workrate.

First-year ruck Matilda Scholz – the daughter of former Australian netballer Peta Scholz – showed her massive potential, plucking some imposing marks and covering the ground well on debut.

Captain Erin Phillips’s midfield move provides the Power with more craftiness and experience around the ball.

All those factors were instrumental in propelling Lauren Arnell’s side to a surprise three-point lead at the main break.

The two key questions then were – would Port sustain that level?

And how would the Crows respond?

It took only two minutes of the third term to have the second question answered.

Adelaide’s intensity lifted and a Caitlin Gould goal put the hosts back in front.

Six minutes later, a Teah Charlton major pushed the lead out to nine points, then Irishwoman Yvonne Bonner made it 15 when she kicked her second.

This was when that aforementioned gap between the two teams showed most.

Adelaide had an average of 10 AFLW games more experience per player on the field on Saturday.

Essentially a full season across the board.

The Crows also had 11 premiership players in their line-up to Port’s four.

The Crows celebrate their Showdown win. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

That extra experience and cohesion of a side that had played a lot of footy together showed in the second half.

Adelaide rose to the Power’s early challenge and ran out the game better.

After the main break, the Crows booted six goals to one and had 24 inside 50s to 11.

Port had few answers.

During the last two terms, Adelaide, a three-time flag winner, looked every bit the perennial premiership contender, while the Power had stretches where it looked every bit a team 11 games into its existence.

Arnell was understandably optimistic post-game, saying her side’s growth was clear and that she believed it could beat any team.

Clarke said the match unfolded like he thought when he called last year’s 60-point thumping an aberration on Friday.

“The margin was reasonably comfortable in the end, but it didn’t feel like a comfortable win,” Clarke said.

“It felt more like what I think we’ll see from here on.”

Match Report: Rampant Crows claim Showdown bragging rights – again

- Jason Phelan

Showdown bragging rights belong to Adelaide once again after star trio Niamh Kelly, Anne Hatchard and Ebony Marinoff fired the Crows to a hard-fought 30-point win against Port Adelaide in Saturday’s season opener at Norwood Oval.

With Erin Phillips starting the season in fine form, the plucky Power held a surprise three-point lead at half-time, but wilted in the warm conditions in the face of Adelaide’s second-half onslaught.

Kelly’s starring role saw her awarded the Showdown Medal as best player afield.

The Crows piled on six unanswered goals after the restart to seal the win before Hannah Ewings broke that run with a superb goal from long range late in the last quarter.

Showdown medal winner Niamh Kelly celebrates after the win over Port. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

Irish in action

With hard-tackling skipper Chelsea Randall setting a physical tone early, Adelaide’s Irish connection did the damage on the scoreboard.

The wayward Crows registered the first three points of the game before former Eagle Kelly guided through a set shot from 30m out.

Randall marked strongly and set up Adelaide’s other Irishwoman, Yvonne Bonner, who finished with two majors, to run into an open goal and put her side up by 15 points at the first break.

Port had four more inside 50s in the first quarter, but didn’t manage a score with last season’s Rising Star winner Ewings and high-profile recruit Janelle Cuthbertson part of a group of nine Power players to register one possession or less in the opening term.

Despite the early score line, Power coach Lauren Arnell would have been pleased with the pressure her charges were able to apply on the Crows, who committed too many uncharacteristic handling errors in the first half.

Power star Erin Phillips finished with a team-high 22 disposals. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Ebony Marinoff had the most on the ground with 31. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

Saint Powers up

Port managed just three behinds in a 60-point drubbing by Adelaide in last season’s inaugural Showdown, but the visitors exploded into action with three goals in the second quarter.

Two-time Crows leading goalkicker Ash Saint (nee Woodland) kicked one goal against the Power in that first crosstown clash at Adelaide Oval and she was the catalyst for Port’s second-quarter revival in her first game for her new club following her off-season switch.

Adelaide fans let Saint know all about it when she missed everything from a close-range set shot in the first quarter and she returned the favour when she slotted her first goal for Port, proudly grabbing her jumper and gesturing to the crowd.

She repeated the dose soon after when she booted a superb goal from a tight angle to give her side a three-point lead at halftime.

Gemma Houghton gets her first goal this season ðŸŽ¯

ðŸ“º Watch #AFLWCrowsPower LIVE on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/xE5lJmFRZi
ðŸ”¢ MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/A7pY0m4CQ0 pic.twitter.com/ewtJIjgEHo
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) September 2, 2023

Former Crow Ashleigh Saint booted two goals in her first appearance for Port Adelaide. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

Ebony O'Dea breaks away at Norwood Oval. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos

Sun sets on Port

The Power led the inside 50 count 27-13 at half-time, but in the club’s second season its inexperienced players couldn’t go with their more-seasoned Adelaide opponents who unleashed a withering burst after the break.

The rampant Crows went inside their attacking 50 14 times to the Power’s four in the pivotal term where they kicked 3.3 to one behind.

The Power finished marginally in front for inside 50s for the match (38-37), but the Crows celebrated a second Showdown win in as many attempts with a rare goal from Marinoff celebrated wildly by the crowd of 8,720 fans at the Adelaide home game.