Adelaide captain Rory Sloane uges his team to find its best for Showdown 50 against Port Adelaide

For the 50th time Adelaide will take on Port Adelaide in a cross-town showdown, and there’s lots at stake for both sides.

Crows captain Rory Sloane says not performing in big games ‘absolutely stings’. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

Adelaide will attack the blockbuster showdown clash against Port Adelaide like it‘s the start of a three-game finals series in an attempt to finish a disappointing season on a positive note.

The arch rivals head into Saturday night’s clash at Adelaide Oval at opposite ends of the footy spectrum after 20 rounds.

The Crows are languishing in 16th spot on the ladder following a 49-point thumping by the Western Bulldogs, while the Power is gearing up for a premiership tilt, in fourth spot after a 27-point win over Greater Western Sydney.

But Adelaide skipper Rory Sloane is adamant the Crows have plenty to play for, with clashes against Port, Melbourne and North Melbourne to round out their season.

“This is a perfect lead-in for us,” Sloane said.

“These next few weeks that‘s the type of (finals-like) footy we really want to see.

“That‘s how we started the season.

“We were proud of the type of footy we played at the start of the season and to recapture that … maybe it‘s the Showdown that gets us kick-started again.

“To bring that (intensity) is something we aspire to.”

It’s Shodown 50 between Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows this week. Picture Mark Brake

Sloane admitted Crows fans would derive a degree of satisfaction if their team was able to put a dent in Port‘s top-four tilt with an upset win, but he said that wasn’t a motivating factor for his side.

The Power hold a 25-24 lead over their cross-town rivals heading into Showdown 50, with Ken Hinkley‘s men winning their past three encounters by an average of 10 goals.

“We know they‘re big games, they’re finals-like games, so not performing in them absolutely stings,” Sloane said.

“We know where we stand at the moment, but for us it‘s just focusing on the lessons.

“We thought we were pretty primed for the Doggies and we didn‘t quite perform to the level that we wanted.

“There are areas to improve in our tackling and our shape around the contest … it will be a good lesson from the weekend for when we take on Port.

“It‘s a big opportunity for us, that’s how we see it, to take on one of the best sides in the comp and hopefully in front of a few home fans would be delightful.”

With Port‘s successful experiment with two ruckmen and three tall forwards set to continue, Billy Frampton looms as an option to help bolster Adelaide’s key defensive stocks, with refreshed youngster Riley Thilthorpe a chance to add some height in attack.

Chayce Jones (quad) and Elliott Himmelberg (knee) finished the clash against the Bulldogs on the bench, but Sloane is confident both will be fit to take on the Power.

Adelaide was soundly beaten in most areas of the ground by the top-of-the-table Dogs, with stoppages a particular concern for Matthew Nicks.

Port Adelaide‘s midfield looms as an equally formidable unit, with Karl Amon, Ollie Wines and Travis Boak helping generate a whopping 65 inside 50s in their win against GWS.

“Our pressure has got to be on and sticking a few more tackles,” Sloane said.

“It starts with stoppages and it starts with the midfield.

“If we can win our fair share and lock it in our forward half then that might stop those sorts of (inside 50) numbers.

“But they‘re a very good football side, so we know we’re going to have to be on with finals-like pressure and that same intensity.”