Adelaide recorded a 15-point victory in the SANFL Showdown at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon.

In wet and windy conditions, the Crows overcame a fightback from Port Adelaide to secure a 12.22 (94) to 12.7 (79) victory.

The win was Adelaide’s 11th for the SANFL season and has kept them in third spot on the ladder.

SANFL Senior Coach Matthew Wright spoke to AFC Media post-game and delivered these five takeaways.

Crouch leads from the front

AFL-listed midfielder Matt Crouch was a class above in the SANFL Showdown.

The 30-year-old finished the match with a game-high 36 disposals, to go with five marks, five tackles and four clearances.

It was Crouch’s second game of competitive football after recovering from a hip injury, and  Wright lauded his performance, as well as his on-field leadership.

“His ability to win the ball around the contest is huge,” Wright said.

“He’s been doing that in his first year at the footy Club, and he’s doing it in his 12th.

“He’s a huge asset for us as a footy Club, his ability to win it and get it going our way was huge today.

“But also his leadership, the boys play taller around him and he leads the group really well.”

Crows’ contest kings

Adelaide’s win has helped it remain in third as the race to the finals heats up, but it was the Crows’ ability to win the contested footy that impressed Senior Coach Matt Wright the most.

The Crows finished the game with 10 contested marks, compared to Port Adelaide’s one and Wright said he was proud of his players’ willingness to continue competing.

“It was our appetite for the contest that pleased me the most,” Wright said.

“We didn’t get a few things right structurally, we had some moments where we probably didn’t adjust to the conditions, we tried to use the footy a bit too much as opposed to taking territory.

“But our contested numbers, I think it was +34 which is a huge differential against a contested team, and that was consistent over the four quarters.

“I was really proud of the boys for their appetite for the contest, I thought they were pretty hungry.”

Toby Murray’s return

Toby Murray returned to the line-up for the first time since fracturing his ankle in the Crows’ Round Two SANFL match against North Adelaide.

And the 21-year-old didn’t miss a beat in his first game back, providing a strong target up-forward.

Murray finished the game with 10 disposals and a goal – a performance which pleased Wright, considering the length of time he had spent on the sidelines.

“You saw the whole group get to him after he knocked his goal through and it was a pretty special moment,” Wright said.

“He missed a lot of footy, it was Round Two when he went down.

“His ability to go back, put in the work, and then not just come out and tick a box tonight to get a game under his belt, but his ability to perform well was really impressive.

“He’s one that we expect to continue to build and see what he can do come the back end of the season.”

Challenged, but never out

Adelaide was challenged by Port Adelaide, particularly in the first and final quarters, but was always able to swing the momentum back its way.

Port Adelaide led at the first change and then mounted a fightback in the last quarter, cutting the margin to eight points midway through.

But the Crows found another gear and hit right back, with late goals to Jay Boyle and Kieran Strachan putting the game beyond Port Adelaide’s reach.

“We were challenged probably four or five times over the course of the game,” Wright said.

“In the first quarter, they kicked five goals and jumped us at the start.

“But our ability to wrestle back momentum to go in pretty even at half-time, to then create a little bit of a buffer in the third quarter.

“They came out in the last quarter and threw some stuff at us, but our ability to respond multiple times was really pleasing.”

Crosstown rivalry roaring in SANFL

The rivalry between Adelaide and Port Adelaide in the State League competition began in 2014 when the Crows entered the SANFL, but the competition between the two Clubs stretches back further.

Although the State League rivalry only dates back 11 years, Wright said it was continuing to build and made for hotly contested games.

The SANFL Showdown was a curtain raiser to the clubs’ AFL Showdown, giving State League players and those not selected in the national league side a chance to line-up on Adelaide Oval.

“Showdowns whether it’s in the AFL, SANFL or SANFLW, it doesn’t really matter the level, they’re always going to be tightly contested games,” Wright said.

“The margin in the end was only just over two goals and we always knew it would be close.

“We are happy with the two points and it really sets up our season now.”

Adelaide will now turn its attention to a clash against Norwood at Norwood Oval on Saturday, August 2 at 1.10pm.

SCOREBOARD

Adelaide 3.7 7.10 9.19 12.22 (94)

Port Adelaide 5.2 7.4 8.5 12.7 (74)

BEST:

Schoenberg, Madgen, Edwards, Crouch and J Boyle.

GOALS:

Burgess 3, Strachan 2, Bond, Boyle, Gallagher, McAndrew, Murphy, T Murray, Nankervis.