Ultimate Showdown Team: The best combined Adelaide and Port Adelaide side of all-time

Showdown 55 is almost here – but how many of the current Crows and Power players would make the all-time side? We’ve tallied your votes to pick the Ultimate Showdown team.

It reads like a who’s who of modern-day Crows and Port Adelaide stars.

There are 18 All-Australians, 12 premiership players, 11 best-and-fairest winners and three Brownlow Medallists.

It includes some of the most exciting forwards, game-breaking midfielders and dependable defenders to ever grace Adelaide Oval or Football Park at AFL level.

This is the Ultimate Showdown Team, as selected by Advertiser readers.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE FULL TEAM

Twenty-seven years on from the inaugural match between the Crows and Port, and with the teams locked on 27 wins apiece ahead of their first stand-alone prime time meeting on Thursday night, this masthead asked fans to choose their best combined side since 1997.

AFL writers Matt Turner and Simeon Thomas-Wilson selected a shortlist of players, then, over the past three days, readers voted for their favourite 22 based on their listed positions.

The final side had few surprises.

In attack, the Crows’ top three leading goalkickers of all-time (Taylor Walker, Eddie Betts and Tony Modra) line up alongside Adelaide grand final hero Darren Jarman, the Power’s most prolific sharpshooter Warren Tredrea and four-time Port All-Australian Robbie Gray.

Our Ultimate Showdown team — as voted by you.

The midfield features brilliant Crows ruckman Shaun Rehn, Brownlow Medal-winning teammate Mark Ricciuto and Adelaide on-ball dynamos Simon Goodwin and Scott Thompson, joining evergreen Port champion Travis Boak and 2004 Power Norm Smith Medallist Byron Pickett.

Adelaide’s back-to-back Norm Smith winner, Andrew McLeod, and inaugural Power skipper Gavin Wanganeen headline a defence that also includes Showdown showman Chad Cornes and ultra-reliable Crows trio Daniel Talia, Ben Rutten and Graham Johncock.

The four-strong bench comprises ex-Adelaide matchwinner Patrick Dangerfield, consistent Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs, Port tough nut Josh Carr and Power superboot Stuart Dew.

In all, the team has 14 Crows and eight Power representatives.

Walker and Boak are the only present-day players.

They will both feature in Thursday night’s first stand-alone prime time Showdown.

Voting was tight across several positions.

Originally published as Ultimate Showdown Team: The best combined Adelaide and Port Adelaide side of all-time