Showdown 54 Adelaide v Port Adelaide: All the news, action and fallout as Taylor Walker guides Crows to big win
Adelaide veteran Taylor Walker insists team goals and not individual honours are motivation enough this season - but you try telling his mates that.
Adelaide talisman Taylor Walker says helping the Crows get to finals, not the Coleman Medal is his goal.
But the former Crows captain says “I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t be nice” of the prospect of claiming the Coleman as he roared back into the race.
At the age of 33, Walker won his first ever Showdown Medal on Saturday night as he booted 7.4 in the Crows big win over Port Adelaide that keeps their finals chances alive.
On top of the seven goals, an equal Showdown record, Walker also had 20 disposals, six marks, 15 score involvements and an assist.
But it was keeping the Crows’ finals chances alive that really pleased Walker.
“It is nice, a nice little feather in the cap but I think it could have gone to anyone,” he said.
“Reilly O’Brien was outstanding in the ruck, Brodie Smith on the wing was really good. Matt (Crouch) on the inside was outstanding.
“We probably had 23 that played their role, when you have 23 players doing that it is really satisfying.
“Individual awards don’t really bother me to be honest, I’m just happy that at the back-end of my career we have kept our finals hopes alive.
“We have made it a little bit harder than we would have liked for ourselves but there is still light at the end of the tunnel for us.
“We just have to try and win every game and play finals footy.”
His Showdown Medal winning effort now leaves the star Crow six goals off Carlton’s Charlie Curnow in the Coleman Medal race.
While individual awards might not bother Walker, he is finding it hard to ignore the storyline about his bid for the Coleman with his friends constantly reminding him.
“They are relentless my mates,” he said.
“Even if I don’t look at it they let me know about it.
“It would be nice, I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t be nice.
“But for me I just want to play finals again. It has been a long time since this footy club played finals and if we can do that I would be more content with that.”
The win over Port Adelaide leaves the Crows a win off the top eight but with a far superior percentage than some of their rivals.
Walker said the Crows just needed to focus on winning.
“We have to win pretty much every game to not have to worry about other teams doing this or do that,” he said.
“If we can do that I think we can put our names in finals.”
WALKER IN SEVENTH HEAVEN
Resurgent Adelaide is right back in the finals hunt after seven-goal hero Taylor Walker fired the Crows to a shock 47-point Showdown win against Port Adelaide on Saturday night.
Just days after Walker signed a one-year deal to play on in 2024, the 33-year-old put in one of the all-time great performances in the history of the heated rivalry to claim the Showdown Medal for the first time.
Walker kicked a goal in the first quarter, two in the second, three in the third and another in the last to propel his side to an upset 16.16 (112) to 9.11 (65) win in front of 50,023 fans at Adelaide Oval.
Tex’s magnificent seven could have been even greater, with the team-first veteran forgoing a set shot from close range to set up Ben Keays for his second major in a final term where he also hit the post.
The Crows prevailed in the 54th instalment of the storied rivalry to even the ledger at 27 wins apiece.
The old saying about ladder positions meaning nothing in Showdowns held true once again, with the 13th-placed Crows outpointing the second-placed Power in an out-of-sorts performance by Ken Hinkley’s men.
Adelaide restricted the Power to its lowest halftime score of the season to lead by 29 points at the main break, before weathering a Port revival in the third then powering away for a superb victory.
WHO STARRED, WHO FLOPPED: EVERY SHOWDOWN PLAYER RATED
TEX TRICKERY
Walker’s fourth goal was a sublime piece of trickery.
With a free kick just outside 50 in the third quarter, Walker shaped to kick a long bomb on his right boot, then baulked Aliir Aliir on the mark and split the middle on his non-preferred left.
The Power ramped up the pressure in the third quarter, leading the inside 50 count 21-8 for the term, but Walker equalled Port’s three goals for the term off his own boot.
His sixth goal, with just 12 seconds left before three-quarter time, was equally impressive, the switched-on big man appreciating the time of the quarter to slam the ball on his boot off one step to bounce it through.
Walker trailed Coleman Medal leader Charlie Curnow (67) by 13 goals going into the clash, but is right back in the hunt for the goalkicking award with that margin six goals after he took his tally to 61 with four rounds remaining.
'They can do no wrong!'
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 29, 2023
Tex gets his fourth!
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DEFENDERS DOWN
Port defenders Aliir and Lachie Jones clashed heads in a sickening collision early in the second quarter after Aliir showed great courage to go back with the flight.
Both players were laid flat by the knock that drew a collective “Oooohhh” from the crowd when the replay was shown on the scoreboards.
However, both were able to walk from the field, with Jones taken down the race for assessment.
Aliir returned to the field seven minutes later after recovering on the bench and played out the game, while Jones was subbed out of the game at halftime.
“It will be heavily scrutinised by the AFL,” former Crows star, and current Adelaide board member, Rod Jameson said of the incident on ABC Sport.
The Crows had defender troubles of their own in an eventful second term, with Jordon Butts hobbling from the field with a foot injury to be replaced by substitute Rory Sloane.
Butts joins looks set for an extended period on the sidelines alongside fellow defenders Nick Murray (knee) and Tom Doedee (knee).
“We suspect it’s probably a fractured foot … I don’t know what we’ve done with our backs but we’re having no luck, which is disappointing,” Matthew Nicks told Fox Footy.
FINALS FORMULA
The Crows were two wins outside the top eight in 13th spot heading into the clash, but the upset result has them right back in the finals fight with a 9-10 win-loss record with four rounds remaining.
The Crows can even that ledger next Saturday when they host Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval.
Port’s third loss in a row loosens its grip on second spot, although third-placed Brisbane’s shock defeat by Gold Coast left the 14-5 Power with a one-win buffer with a tough clash against the Cats in Geelong up next.
Scoreboard
CROWS 4.2 8.8 11.11 16.16 (112)
POWER 2.2 4.3 7.7 9.11 (65)
PHELAN’S BEST CROWS: Walker, Dawson, Laird, Crouch, Milera, Worrell, Hinge, O’Brien. POWER: Butters, Rozee, Evans, Houston, Wines, Drew, Dixon.
GOALS CROWS Walker 7, Fogarty 2, Keays 2, Pedlar 2, Sloane, Murphy, McAdam. POWER: Evans 4, Boak, Dixon, Duursma, Finlayson, Wines.
INJURIES CROWS: Butts (foot). POWER: Jones (head knock).
UMPIRES Rosebury, Power, Haussen, Wallace.
50,023 at ADELAIDE OVAL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
JASON PHELAN’S VOTES
3 Walker (Adel)
2 Dawson (Adel)
1 Butters (Port)
Huge collision between Power teammates Aliir and Jones.
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 29, 2023
Thoughts with both players ðŸ™
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RECAP ALL THE ACTION AS IT UNFOLDED
with Simeon Thomas Wilson and Jordan Pinto
Full time: Port has no answers to Tex, Crows
After a 13-game winning streak, Port Adelaide has now lost its past three matches after Adelaide claimed a stunning 47-point win that puts them back in finals calculations.
Three-qtr time: Tex kicking Crows back into finals race
Port Adelaide mounted a charge late in the third term through goals to Travis Boak and the clever Francis Evans, but it was Taylor Walker again who swung the momentum back in the Crows’ favour.
Walker, fresh off signing a new one-year deal, booted his third for the quarter – and sixth for the match – from outside-50 to give Adelaide 28-point lead at the final change.
Will a big week for the 33-year-old be capped off with a Showdown Medal?
8.50pm: Port explain surprise Aliir return
Port Adelaide says there was no need for Aliir Aliir to undergo a concussion test after his sickening head collision with teammate Lachie Jones.
Aliir and Jones clashed heads as they contested the ball in the second quarter.
Both Power defenders were left on the ground for seconds after the collision.
They eventually were able to get to their feet and walk off the field, receiving applause from the Adelaide crowd.
But while Jones went down into the rooms for a Head Impact Assessment test, which takes 15-20 minutes, Allir returned to the game within minutes.
The Power said that there was no need for Aliir to undergo a concussion test despite the heavy collision.
After he went down into the rooms, Jones was subbed out at halftime.
Scroll down to see the incident.
Halftime: Crows keep control – but lose another defender
Adelaide’s key defender stocks have taken yet another hit with Jordon Butts subbed out of the Showdown.
After Nick Murray’s season-ending ACL injury last week, the Crows went into the Showdown with Butts as their experienced key defender as they handed a debutant to Irishman Mark Keane.
But now Keane, who played five games for Collingwood, will be tasked with leading the Crows defence with Butts subbed out with a foot injury.
“We suspect that it is a fractured foot,” coach Matthew Nicks told Fox Footy at half time.
“We don’t know what we have done with our backs room or what is happening there but we are having no luck.”
Former captain Rory Sloane has been subbed in for the Crows.
After some nervy moments early on Keane showed some impressive moments in the second quarter, winning some duels with Power spearhead Charlie Dixon.
8pm: Port stars involved in sickening head clash
Port Adelaide are trailing in the Showdown and the Power’s woes have been further compounded with defenders Aliir Aliir and Lachie Jones involved in a sickening collision.
Aliir and Jones’ collided into each other when both went for a contest just over seven minutes into the second term at Adelaide Oval with the Power 20 points down.
Both were left stricken on the turf and play was stopped as trainers rushed to the Power defenders.
Qtr time: Key Crows cause early headaches
A goal after the siren to Shane McAdam has given Adelaide a two-goal lead after the first quarter of Showdown 54.
Underdogs coming in, the Crows had the better of most of the opening term at Adelaide Oval in a frenetic first quarter.
Both teams brought the pressure, and while the Crows had the better of the clearance battle the Power were able to fight back late on in the quarter.
Rory Laird set the tone for the Crows with six tackles to go with eight disposals.
Ben Keays kicked the game’s first goal, after an uncharacteristic mistake by Aliir Aliir five minutes in and Taylor Walker had his first of the game soon after.
Charlie Dixon kicked the Power’s first goal of the game, after he won a free kick, but minutes later the whistle went the Crows way and Lachie Murphy was able to register a major.
The Power lifted towards the end of the quarter, but McAdam’s goal after the siren had sounded gave the Crows a 12-point lead.
Showdown legal threat withdrawn
The Showdown trophy featuring the iconic image of the Bond brothers will be presented post-game tonight after they withdrew their threat of legal action against Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
Read the full story here.
Sloane relegated to sub in shock late teams call
Adelaide has made a big call an hour out from Showdown 54, with Rory Sloane to start as the sub after being replaced by Jake Soligo in the final 22.
The former captain was named on Thursday but he will join Port star Travis Boak on the bench for the do-or-die clash.
Port Adelaide will line up as named, with Boak the substitute in his 343rd game.
Second-year Crow Soligo hasn’t featured at AFL level since the Round 17 loss to the Bombers.
Crows draw first blood on Showdown Saturday
Adelaide has drawn first blood on Saturday, dominating Port Adelaide in the SANFL curtain raiser.
Forgotten midfielder Sam Berry (29 disposals and nine clearances) and Elliot Himmelberg (4.1) led the state-league Crows to a convincing 65-point victory at Adelaide Oval.
Read related topics:Adelaide
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