AFL Round 23 Port Adelaide v Adelaide: All the latest news ahead of the Showdown
They’ve gone many rounds together, but this time fierce rivals Power and the Crows didn’t even wait until they stepped into the ring. Standby for some serious Showdown fireworks.
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In the teal corner is Port Adelaide, dissing its rival by calling it “entitled and arrogant”.
The Crows are in the red corner bemused, wondering why the Power is running its mouth and taking away from the main event — club great Robbie Gray’s farewell game.
All that has been missing is the two opponents squaring up in front of the cameras.
The gloves came off on Thursday when Port Adelaide leaders Tom Jonas and Ollie Wines took aim at the Crows’ “DNA”.
Adelaide jabbed back on Friday via coach Matthew Nicks.
First, the former Power assistant said it was unbelievable and disappointing “that we’re talking about arrogant and entitled when we’ve got a superstar … about to retire”.
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WATCH THE SHOWDOWN PRESS CONFERENCE BELOW
“We played West Coast two weeks ago, Josh Kennedy’s final game, superstar of the club and they couldn’t have done it better in the lead-in,” Nicks said.
“We’re not doing that here, are we?
“I’ve been lucky enough to work on both sides of the fence and I can tell you that this club prioritises others.”
When reminded of his own right hook before a Showdown by saying something like “Magpies always swoop you from behind”, Nicks smiled: “That was a good one too”.
Then he trolled the cross-town rival by calling it “Port Power” — a name the club once used but now despised being known as — and “the mob from across the road”.
The Crows’ official Twitter account also referred to the club as that on Thursday night when it revealed its team.
“I think the rivalry’s fantastic (but) I think there’s a line you draw,” Nicks said.
“Port Power this time may have overstepped it.”
So how did his sparring partner, Ken Hinkley, respond?
He didn’t.
Port Adelaide asked to have separate press conferences so Hinkley had already spoken and left.
The coaches talking one at a time before the Showdown is unusual — though not the first time this year.
Adelaide expected a joint presser.
Earlier this week, it agreed to one and the Power’s media alert on Thursday night mentioned it would feature Hinkley alongside Nicks.
But on Friday, in front of journalists in Adelaide Oval, the Power told the Crows it planned to go it alone.
“I thought we were sitting together but that’s OK, it builds the tension a bit,” Nicks said.
Roles were reversed ahead of the round 3 Showdown when Adelaide pushed ahead to have a solo press conference and kept the Power waiting, much to its chagrin.
“I sat and waited for 15 minutes,” Hinkley said on Friday.
“I thought that’s what we were doing (a joint press conference) but we went separate.”
Cynics will suggest Jonas and Wines’ comments are merely a marketing ploy to boost the crowd, acting as promoters for the upcoming bout.
Their digs followed Crows antagonist-in-chief Chad Cornes swinging the first punch on Sunday night, talking about how he and the Power hated their rivals.
But Port Adelaide insists its two leaders have gone off script for reasons they are best to answer.
“It’s how they must feel,” Hinkley said.
“There’s certainly no was this manufactured by me or by anything to do with the game.”
Hinkley would not say whether he shared his Jonas and Wines’ views.
“We enjoy the dislike of the Crows,” he said.
“It’s made an interesting dead rubber interesting, hasn’t it?”
While Nicks could not believe the Power would take the focus from its retiring champion, Hinkley did not think the comments took away from Gray’s swan song.
Will Nicks have the words on the change room walls pre-game and use them to motivate his players?
He was yet to do so on Friday morning.
“We discuss the reality of what it is, the stage it’s going to be — packed house, passion — we don’t want to come in and be blindsided,” he said.
On Saturday night, the clubs will finally go toe-to-toe.
Underdog Adelaide is looking to send its rival to the canvas for a second time this season, while the Power is determined to land a knockout blow and chair Gray off in victory.
“Rivalries are meant to be intimidating, they’re meant to be a moment you look forward to and meant to be a moment you also wonder what’s going to happen,” Hinkley said.
If the main bout is as great as the undercard, we are in for another classic Showdown.
Nicks fires back at ‘unbelievable Port Power’ sledge
Matthew Nicks has returned serve to Port Adelaide calling the Crows arrogant and entitled, saying it is unbelievable this has been raised in the week of Power champion Robbie Gray’s farewell.
Port Adelaide skipper Tom Jonas and vice-captain Ollie Wines took aim at their arch-rival on Thursday night ahead of Saturday night’s Showdown 52.
The tension between the clubs was palpable on Friday, as the home team, Port Adelaide, opted to have separate press conferences rather than the usual joint one.
While Power coach Ken Hinkley would not say whether he shared his two leaders’ view, ex-Port Adelaide assistant turned Crows mentor Nicks fired back.
“It’s disappointing isn’t it – we’re talking about arrogant and entitled when we’ve got a superstar of the game about to retire,” Nicks said.
“Unbelievable. I’ve been lucky enough to work on both sides of the fence and I can tell you that this club prioritises others.
“We’re talking about something right now that I’m amazed (at). We played West Coast two weeks ago, Josh Kennedy’s final game, superstar of the club and they couldn’t have done it better in the lead-in as a football club.
“We’re not doing that here, are we?”
Nicks said he had not yet spoken to the players about the comments.
The Crows coach also referred to the opposition as “Port Power” – a description used upon its AFL entry but that the club now asks people not to use – as well as “that mob across the road”.
Power slams ‘arrogant, ‘entitled’ Crows in Showdown slap
– Matt Turner
Port Adelaide’s leaders have lit the fuse for an explosive Showdown on Saturday night, calling the Crows entitled and arrogant.
In a week that started with Power assistant Chad Cornes saying he hated the club’s cross-town rival, Port Adelaide vice-captain Ollie Wines and skipper Tom Jonas also took aim.
“There’s certain things about that football club that I don’t like and I’m sure there’s certain things about our football club they don’t like,” Wines told Channel 7.
“It’s just the DNA of the club and what they’re about, and the sense of entitlement they have.
“I’m proud of my football club and we’re going to be doing everything we can to knock them off.”
Jonas told Channel 9: “There’s some good people within the club but as an organisation they’re entitled and arrogant”.
Even with both SA sides set to miss the major round, Saturday night’s match already had a little extra riding on it because of Power great Robbie Gray’s swan song.
Wines described the Port Adelaide home game as a mini-final.
This is the second successive season pre-match comments have added spice to the Showdown.
In May last year, Power football manager Chris Davies said part of the Crows’ dislike of his team came from “a whole heap of professional jealousy around what our club has been able to achieve over time”.
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks responded by saying “we don’t like them much” and Power counterpart Ken Hinkley called the Crows “the enemy”.
Cornes stoked the fire again earlier this week, telling his brother, Kane, on SEN: “You know more than anyone how much I hate them and we hate them as a footy club”.
“I just couldn’t think of anything worse than not putting in a Port Adelaide performance in that game and taking the victory,” Cornes said.
A Crows win would not only spoil Gray’s farewell but ensure the clubs both finished the season with 9-13 records.
In their previous meeting, in May, Adelaide prevailed by four points thanks to Jordan Dawson’s goal after the final siren.
The Power leads the Showdown ledger 26-25.
General admission tickets to Saturday night’s match sold out on Wednesday, boosting Port Adelaide hopes it could draw more than 40,000 fans.
Teams: The ‘in’ everyone wants to see at Power
Port Adelaide and the Crows have made one change each for Saturday night’s Showdown, both adding class to their line-ups.
Retiring Power champion Robbie Gray is back for his farewell game after being managed last week, while wingman Wayne Milera returns for Adelaide from back soreness.
Gray, the all-time leader in Showdown Medal wins with five, replaces halfback Riley Bonner (omitted).
Milera had been a late withdrawal before Saturday’s home victory over North Melbourne.
He comes in for forward Shane McAdam, who is sidelined with a hamstring strain.
McAdam was injured during the fourth quarter against the Kangaroos.
“Unfortunately Shane has a hamstring strain so will miss the Showdown this week,” Crows high-performance manager Darren Burgess said.
“Shane has been playing really well and … he’s never played in a Showdown and was really looking forward to it, so it’s a big loss for us.”
Gray, a four-time All-Australian and triple best-and-fairest winner, announced his retirement on Tuesday ahead of his 271st and final match.
The 34-year-old has battled a nagging knee injury since round 1 and is hoping to bow out with a victory.
Eleventh-placed Port Adelaide is coming off an 84-point thumping of Essendon at Marvel Stadium last Sunday.
The Crows, who are on a three-match winning streak, enter the Showdown in 14th spot on the ladder, one victory behind their cross-town rival.
After featuring just twice in the past two seasons due to injury, Milera has been named to play his 11th game of 2022.
One of the Power’s four emergencies — Bonner, key defender Trent McKenzie, midfielder Trent Dumont and on-baller Jackson Mead — will be the medical substitute.
Adelaide’s medi sub will come from newly re-signed Elliott Himmelberg, forward Lachlan Gollant, wingman Lachie Sholl or halfback Ben Davis.
Port Adelaide and the Crows’ SANFL sides will face off in a curtain-raiser on Saturday night.
SHOWDOWN SET FOR MASSIVE CROWD TO FAREWELL GRAY
Port Adelaide hopes to draw the largest AFL crowd in South Australia since before the pandemic for superstar Robbie Gray’s farewell game, Showdown 52.
General admission tickets for Saturday night’s Power home match at Adelaide Oval sold out on Wednesday, boosting club optimism that more than 40,000 people could attend.
Although both SA teams will miss the finals, the chance to watch Gray play one last time is understood to have helped sales.
Thousands of fans bought tickets on Friday – a day after the four-time All-Australian was managed for the clash with Essendon last round – as speculation swirled that he might have a Showdown swan song.
Only one Adelaide Oval attendance figure has topped 40,000 during the three past three seasons since Covid struck – 43,069 at the Power-Crows clash in round 8 last year.
Bowing out against the Crows is fitting for Gray, who is the all-time leader in Showdown Medal wins with five.
Port Adelaide’s general manager of consumer business, Stephen Shirley, said it would be a special night.
“We’re expecting a big crowd, perhaps the biggest crowd at Adelaide Oval since pre-Covid,” Shirley said.
“We encourage all Port Adelaide members to get along and farewell one of the all-time greats of our football club in Robbie Gray.”
Shirley said fans without a ticket could still attend by signing on as a Power member.
Gray is one of Port Adelaide’s all-time greats, having won three best-and-fairests during his 270-game career.
At his retirement press conference on Tuesday, the 34-year-old said he could not wait to play in front of the Power faithful one more time.
“They have given me and my family so much and been such great supporters of me,” Gray said.
“For what they give to the club and all of us in this room, they’re amazing.
“I’m definitely thankful for the support from them over the journey.”
A Stadium Management Authority spokesman said the sellout was a sign that people were confident about returning to major events.
Covid restrictions had meant a capping on attendances in both 2020 and 2021.
“It’s also fitting that Adelaide Oval is the stage for Robbie Gray’s last game and we hope there’s a massive crowd to give him the send-off he deserves,” the spokesman said.
Contract latest: Crows lock in tall on new deal
—Matt Turner
Adelaide has re-signed key forward Elliott Himmelberg on a two-year deal.
Himmelberg, 24, had been out of contract at season’s end.
He has played 38 career games, including 11 this season, and booted 40 goals.
Himmelberg kicked 10 majors in three weeks from rounds 3 to 5, headlined by a decisive four-goal haul in Adelaide’s thrilling Showdown win.
He was then dropped after round 9 before returning to face Carlton and West Coast in the past few weeks.
Crows list manager Justin Reid described Himmelberg, who entered this season coming off a shoulder reconstruction, as an important part of the club’s future.
“Elliott has made great progress this season and we’ve seen the type of player he can become,” Reid said.
“His size and versatility make him a difficult match-up both inside 50m and in the ruck.
“His four goals in the Showdown win in Round 3 was a standout and he’s been a consistent performer at SANFL level as well which gives us great confidence for what he’s capable of in the future.”
Adelaide drafted Himmelberg from Queensland club Redland with pick 51in 2016.
He said he was looking forward to having a full pre-season after a couple of challenging campaigns on his body.
“I’m excited to be here for the next few years and hopefully we keep improving together,” Himmelberg said.
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