AFL 2022 news: Who’s better placed for success? Adelaide or Port Adelaide and the reasons why

The emerging talent from both the Power and Crows will be on show on Saturday night – but which group of under-23s is primed for future success? Full list analysis, have your say.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 14: Aliir Aliir of the Power in action during the 2022 AFL Round 22 match between the Essendon Bombers and the Port Adelaide Power at Marvel Stadium on August 14, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Who at the start of the season would have predicted that one win would separate the South Australian clubs heading into the last minor round’s Showdown?

Port Adelaide was coming off two preliminary finals and making no secret it was trying to win the premiership.

The Crows were tipped by some footy observers to be in the wooden spoon mix after consecutive bottom-four finishes.

Yet by late on Saturday night, they could end the campaign with nine victories apiece if Adelaide was to upstage the Power for the second time in 2022.

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The Crows enter the game on a three-match winning run, while Port Adelaide has prevailed just once in its past five appearances — Sunday’s 84-point triumph over Essendon.

Even if Adelaide wins, the Power is set to finish ahead of its cross-town rival for the fifth year in a row — the longest streak in their 26 seasons together in the AFL.

Port Adelaide holds a 14-12 advantage overall.

But is that soon about to change?

Is the Power set to head further down next year as the Crows pass it on the ladder?

It begs the question: which club is better placed heading into the 2023 campaign?

Zak Butters is an absolute jet and just needs a decent run without injury to set the competition alight.

THE BREAKDOWN

We asked former Power assistant coach and Crows recruiting manager Matt Rendell for his thoughts:

■ WHO HAS THE BEST PLAYERS UNDER-23?

Crows: Sam Berry, James Borlase, Jordon Butts, Brayden Cook, Lachlan Gollant, Will Hamill, Jackson Hately, Chayce Jones, Fischer McAsey, Ned McHenry, Nick Murray, Luke Nankervis, Tariek Newchurch, Patrick Parnell, Luke Pedlar, Josh Rachele, Harry Schoenberg, Lachlan Sholl, Jake Soligo, Zac Taylor, Riley Thilthorpe, Josh Worrell.

Port Adelaide: Miles Bergman, Jase Burgoyne, Zak Butters, Xavier Duursma, Martin Frederick, Mitch Georgiades, Hugh Jackson, Lachie Jones, Ollie Lord, Jed McEntee, Jackson Mead, Jake Pasini, Connor Rozee, Taj Schofield, Josh Sinn, Dante Visentini, Dylan Williams.

Josh Rachele announced his arrival with five-goal haul, it’s no wonder the Crows put him away when injury struck late in the season.

Rendell said the Power had potential matchwinners, while Adelaide had deeper stocks of emerging talent.

“There’s Butters, Rozee, Duursma — he’ll be better next year — and Georgiades, I love Jones, I love Burgoyne,” he said.

“They’ve got blokes who could be real stars of the game.

“The Crows have got more numbers so while Port are in front, in a year and a half’s time, you might not be saying that.

“If the Crows can get (Izak) Rankine this year then (Jason) Horne-Francis next year then look out.

“They’ll be up there that quickly, it won’t be funny.”

COMPARE THE LINES

■ BEST DEFENCE

Crows: Butts, Tom Doedee, Jordan Dawson, Murray, Parnell, Brodie Smith, Worrell.

Port Adelaide: Tom Clurey, Trent McKenzie, Aliir Aliir, Riley Bonner, Tom Jonas, Ryan Burton, Darcy Byrne-Jones, Dan Houston.

Aliir Aliir brings some real grunt to the Port defence and it is still gives them the edge on their cross-town rivals.

Rendell said the Power’s experience gave it the edge.

“The Crows’ best defence still has Parnell, Butts and Murray, there’s not many games between them, in among some beauties in Dawson, Smith and Doedee,” he said.

“The Crows relied a lot on Butts and Murray this year and they did it with aplomb.

“Murray improved out of sight and I think he could get the best forward every week next year.

“But Port’s got the best defence at the moment.”

■ BEST FORWARDS

Crows: Taylor Walker, Riley Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty, Shane McAdam, Lachie Murphy, Ned McHenry, James Rowe, potentially Izak Rankine.

Port Adelaide: Charlie Dixon, Todd Marshall, Jeremy Finlayson, Orazio Fantasia, Mitch Georgiades, Sam Powell-Pepper.

Taylor Walker is still delivering the goods but needs his small forwards to step up.

Rendell said it was a lineball call.

“Port get better service from their midfield,” he said.

“Adelaide’s small forwards also don’t kick enough goals.

“But they’re on the up with McAdam getting better, Fogarty and Tex still going well.

“Where Port was really good last year was they got a lot of goals out of their small forwards … but they didn’t get them this year and didn’t have enough pressure coming out of defence.

“The bloke that did all the heavy lifting during the year was (Sam) Powell-Pepper.”

■ BEST MIDFIELDERS

Crows: Rory Laird, Sam Berry, Ben Keays, Harry Schoenberg, Jake Soligo, Mitch Hinge, Wayne Milera.

Port Adelaide: Rozee, Travis Boak, Ollie Wines, Butters, Willem Drew, Kane Farrell, Duursma, Karl Amon, potentially Josh Dunkley.

Connor Rozee adds to quite a deep midfield at Power.

Rendell said the Power had more midfield depth but the Crows were playing a better brand of football.

He said Adelaide’s midfield stocks were thin, hurt by the absence of captain Rory Sloane with a knee reconstruction and wingman Paul Seedsman due to concussion.

“They’ve been lucky that Laird, Berry, Keays have basically played every game because the replacements are mostly kids,” he said.

“Seedsman had a super year last year and they needed him badly because they kept butchering opportunities in the first half of the year.

“Milera didn’t hit his straps until late.

“Port have definitely got the depth in the midfield but the Crows have got a way better brand of footy.

“The Power don’t win contested ball enough, the Crows are winning it nearly every week.

“Port should be looking at them going ‘we need to do what they’re doing’.

Rendell said Adelaide needed to add a classy midfielder.

“Obviously there’s all the talk around (Jason) Horne-Francis,” he said.

■ BEST RUCKS

Crows: Reilly O’Brien, Thilthorpe.

Port Adelaide: Scott Lycett or Finlayson with Dixon.

Rendell said he liked O’Brien and Kieran Strachan was a great back-up.

“O’Brien doesn’t damage you around the ground but he sits in he hole, can take a mark, competes like a mad man,” he said.

“I really like what he’s done.

“He’s made himself a really good player and you can rely on him each week to compete.”

Rendell said Port Adelaide could get away with playing Finlayson in the ruck, as long as was not against star big men.

“The Crows you can play every week, Port’s horses for courses,” he said.

“Finlayson can give them a real advantage against certain players and clubs.

“It’ll be interesting to see what Port do next year with their rucks.

“Finlayson has been good except for a couple of games where he got monstered and Dixon filled the gap.

“And they’ve got Lycett to come back.”

■ WHO HAS THE BEST DEPTH?

Adelaide has shown how strong its next tier of players this year by being in contention for the SANFL flag.

The Crows sit second on the state-league ladder with a 12-5 record – eight wins clear of the second-bottom Magpies.

Rendell believed Adelaide’s depth was stronger.

“If Port gets injuries to key players, they’re in a bit of trouble,” he said.

“They’re a bit light on with key backs, they’ve got no depth in small forwards, then if they lost a Wines, that’d really hurt.”

Taylor Walker and his young teammates have made considerable progress this season.

■ WHICH CLUB IS CLOSER TO A FLAG?

Rendell was convinced the Power could bounce back and win a premiership next season.

“The Crows are on the way up but Port aren’t on the way down,” he said.

“They could win a flag next year, while Adelaide is three to five (seasons away).

“They’ve got to do a lot of things right but they’ve got a lot of right things in place at the moment.

“The Crows are playing finals footy right now with 13 players every week basically playing in their first, second or third years or under 50 games.

“They’re winning contested ball basically every week, play with high intensity and they play with great defence.

“That is finals footy and that’s a great starting point.”

Rendell said Port Adelaide’s 2-7 record in games decided by 12 points or fewer, compared to being 5-0 last year, had helped determine the success of its season.

“You only have to be off by 5 per cent — it doesn’t have to be much — but they could not finish off games or they were deplorable early in games,” he said.

“It’s hard to know but I’m wondering if they went hard enough pre-season.”

Rendell said it was a “blown season” but the club remained in the flag window.

“They need to get small forwards — I don’t know if you can rely on (Orazio) Fantasia — and fix that area,” he said.

“I also think they should go after a lockdown small back.

“The rest of the list is pretty damn good.”

Originally published as AFL 2022 news: Who’s better placed for success? Adelaide or Port Adelaide and the reasons why