Crows Top to Spoil Hinkley’s Final Grudge Match
It was Ken Hinkley’s final Showdown in charge of the Power. For the previous 34 Showdowns’ it has been Ken’s men from Alberton. There’s been some miracles and some heartbreak, but overall there will be some fond memories from his time in charge.
However tonight will not be one of those memories, as the Power were kept to their lowest ever Showdown score and were beaten by 98 points against their bitter rivals, and suffered their biggest ever loss to the Crows.
In Matthew Nicks’ 300 game as a player/coach, it was his team from the West that had the final laugh. Led by Jordan Dawson, Jake Soligo and Riley Thilthorpe, the Crows spent the night priming themselves for finals.
The Power had some contributors, Zak Butters was the shining light. However, Jed McEntee and Jordan Sweet helped at times.
It was a comical start to proceedings at the Adelaide Oval. A clearance that went the way of the Crows was an interesting start, considering Miles Bergman was the player who got the ball out of the middle.
Darcy Fogarty then missed from 30 metres out on the slightest of angles, as the downpour in Adelaide left spectators in a baffled state.
Forgarty wasn’t the only one guilty of missing gettable chances. Alex Neal-Bullen finally got a skidding ball to go through the big sticks. Ben Keays joined soon after, as the Adelaide Football Club looked to steam to the top of the AFL ladder on Saturday Night.
The first quarter scoreboard didn’t reflect what was happening in the game. The Crows were strangling Port Adelaide, but they just refused to make the most of their opportunities.
The Crows were missing golden opportunities, Taylor Walker made up for his missed kick when he tapped the footy to the running Sam Berry. Berry made sweet connection with the ball to send it sailing over the head of the goal umpire.
Port, on the other hand struggled. They couldn’t cope with the Crows. However, they came back as the quarter drew to a close. Zak Butters started to come to life. Jackson Mead found a goal, as did Jordon Sweet. Suddenly, a 23-point margin was back at 11.
On the quarter time siren. Jed McEntee lend back on the ball and got it through the middle of the big sticks, finally both teams had arrived.
From there, the Crows kicked seven goals between the second and the third to kill Port Adelaide. Ferocious pressure forced intercept after intercept, as the Crows won the ball and did as they liked.
Port looked like a shell of themselves, in a showing that has become all so familiar in season 2025.
Goals to James Peatling and Riley Thilthorpe got the Crows started. Before Mitch Georgiades nearly got a goal back, only for Nick Murray to be deemed to have touched it twice after the ball rebounded back onto Georgiades’ foot, and back into his arm.
From the kickout, the Crows went from one end to the other, and Taylor Walker finished off a great team goal.
As the second quarter continued on, the Crows started to flex their muscles. The wetter the oval got, the better the Crows played.
Despite playing in a rain soaked Launceston just seven days ago. The Power weren’t able to be clean in the conditions, as the Crows were better and worked harder as they ran over the top.
Missed opportunities was the Crows’ Achilles’ heel. Izak Rankine ended the second quarter on the scoresheet, while the unbelievable Thilthorpe started the scoring in the third.
Riley Thilthorpe was incredible for the Crows. In a night that didn’t suit the big men, The Crows number seven was able to win the ball at the deck and get it forward. He won the most clearances for the Crows and added two goals to his tally for the season. It placed him with 43 for the season.
Unfortunately for Thilthorpe, Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron kicked 11 against the Roos earlier in the night, all but ending the Coleman Medal race. Geelong’s number five has 69 goals in season 2025.
A goal to Jed McEntee finally snapped the string of Adelaide goals. Mitch Georgiades’ best season to date saw him slip through goal 48 for the season, and the first for the night as Port came back to life.
However, in all the chaos, a ruckman’s checkside saw the sealing goal. With minutes left before the last term, Reilly O’Brien’s skills came to the surface, and it was brilliant.
The Crows finished off the game with a eight goal to none final quarter, as the Hawks awaited in next on Friday Night back at the Adelaide Oval. Riley Thilthorpe was awarded the Showdown Medal after a great night.
For Port, Geelong in Geelong seemed another tough challenge in Ken’s farewell tour.
Adelaide Crows: 3.6 7.8 12.11 20.13.133
Port Adelaide: 3.1 3.3 5.3 5.5.35
Goalkickers:
Adelaide Crows:
Walker 3, Thilthorpe 3, Keays 3, Soligo 2, Berry 2, Rankine, Pedlar, Peatling, O’Brien, Neal-Bullen, Fogarty, Dawson
Port Adelaide:
McEntee 2, Sweet, Mead, Georgiades,
Best, (alphabetical order):
Adelaide Crows:
Dawson, Keays, Peatling, Soligo, Thilthorpe
Port Adelaide:
Butters, Farrell, McEntee, Sweet, Wines
Hub Adelaide’s Showdown Medal Votes, (not part of the official count):
3 Riley Thilthorpe, (Crows)
2 Jake Soligo, (Crows)
1 Jordan Dawson, (Crows)