Showdown XLI

The second Showdown of the year is upon us and, well, I really is a tale of 2 seasons.

Can Port bring something to this game? Or will Adelaide dish out a touch up for a fourth week in a row?

Post away.

Not sure how this one will play out to be honest.

I think Adelaide will win, it's just a question of whether Port will come out and make a contest of it.

Would not be surprised if the crowd is nearly 50/50 as I've heard plenty of Port fans declaring they won't be attending.

I think Port have given up, and will try a few new players. Sure, Adelaide will pay for complacency, but class will tell........5 goals.

Port usually grow another leg for showdowns and these are also matches where history tells us ladder position can be irrelevant.
However I can see them getting a touchup this game. I think Adelaide want a top 2 spot and thrashing Port is part of the equation.

If Hawthorn happen to lose Friday night and a top 2 spot is up for grabs, then that will give Adelaide huge incentive to come out switched on Saturday night.

In past years I would've said Adelaide could drop this one - but they have probably been the team that has best dispatched the 'bottom 10' this year with minimal trouble.

They seem very focussed this season and look like they have total faith in their system, structures, and team mates.

I have not seen this type of hunger and desire for success in an Adelaide outfit in a long time.

Perhaps even ever.

If professional footballers can't come out prepared & focused to win every week regardless of the opposition, then they shouldn't be out there, Port will have a crack & Adelaide will absorb the challenge & run away after half time to win by over 8 goals

bayman wrote:If professional footballers can't come out prepared & focused to win every week regardless of the opposition, then they shouldn't be out there, Port will have a crack & Adelaide will absorb the challenge & run away after half time to win by over 8 goals

Sounds easy in theory, but history is littered with plenty of teams that haven't been able to do it! So much of any sport is played out in the mind as well as the body. The fortunes of the two teams playing off this Saturday night are case in point.

I agree with your prediction, close first half with Adelaide to pull away after half time.

Gingernuts wrote:

bayman wrote:If professional footballers can't come out prepared & focused to win every week regardless of the opposition, then they shouldn't be out there, Port will have a crack & Adelaide will absorb the challenge & run away after half time to win by over 8 goals

Sounds easy in theory, but history is littered with plenty of teams that haven't been able to do it! So much of any sport is played out in the mind as well as the body. The fortunes of the two teams playing off this Saturday night are case in point.

I agree with your prediction, close first half with Adelaide to pull away after half time.

players in both sides & in every match should be prepared & focused on winning every week, or as i said should not be out there earning a living, upsets occur but that doesn't (necessarily) mean that they haven't prepared in a thorough manner

Absolutely stunned a Port supporter threw a banana at Eddie Betts (though it was a good catch of the banana from Jenkins).

There's clear photos of this scumbag, so it should be easy for Port to tear up her membership and ban her for life.

Brucetiki wrote:Absolutely stunned a Port supporter threw a banana at Eddie Betts (though it was a good catch of the banana from Jenkins).

There's clear photos of this scumbag, so it should be easy for Port to tear up her membership and ban her for life.

Unfortunately, she couldn't bend it like Betts.

Gold Spelly!

Good to see both clubs condemn this vile woman's behaviour. Fagan had some very strong words about it on Twitter as well.

Life ban looming one would suspect.

was this the old girl late in the game when Betts kick that freak goal ?

bayman wrote:was this the old girl late in the game when Betts kick that freak goal ?

Yeah it was.

Kochie has said she'll be banned for 12 months for now, but will increase it to life if it's proven to be racially motivated.

Brucetiki wrote:

bayman wrote:was this the old girl late in the game when Betts kick that freak goal ?

Yeah it was.

Kochie has said she'll be banned for 12 months for now, but will increase it to life if it's proven to be racially motivated.

just got home from Woodville & they showed the footage from behind the crowd on fox footy, it was NOT the old girl at the front, it was a red haired female several rows back & Sarah Jones has stated it was racial, i can't work out from the footage how it can be determined racial, however it isn't on & no player deserves anything thrown at them bar for the odd mouthful of smart comments that we all say every now & then, she has been banned until 2018 at the earliest depending on further investigation

Now an 'indefinite' ban, after witness reports determined it was racially motivated (apparently she is a problem at Port games so those around her were more than willing to throw her under the bus, so to speak).

Not for me to make a judgment on this particular incident, but if you are going to do something silly at the Footy, (throwing anything at a player), you would think that, like, EVERYBODY has a camera, and the media are circling like sharks, I mean, thinkaboutit.........

Well done to power for the quick and professional manner that this was handled especialy the offer for counseling .

Easy to potshot but was also impressed with cothy contacting eddy and the way he and eddy discussed the situation from bigger picture community education outlook

Soketimes from the worst xituation good tings grow

Was out Sat night so missed the game but am disappointed to learn that Sloane will probably miss games from a bump. Any chance the club contesting or do we take the 1 and not risk the second?

IAmTheWarrior wrote:Was out Sat night so missed the game but am disappointed to learn that Sloane will probably miss games from a bump. Any chance the club contesting or do we take the 1 and not risk the second?

Bloody shocking decision by the match review panel and boy would I like to see the club contest it - but they just can't because:

a) We just can't risk having Sloane out for week one of the finals, and;

b) The whole appeal process would become an absolute circus (particularly if the appeal was lost), and in the end do more harm to the finals campaign than good.

In all honesty, if we can't beat West Coast on our home deck without Sloane, then we're probably not good enough to win the flag anyway.

A really good challenge this Friday night now. Looking forward to seeing how the team responds after an interesting week.

I watched some of Hawthorn v Melb a couple of weeks ago and thought the Hawks might lose a couple of players- when I compare those incidents to Rory's bump, which I've seen a couple of times now, it just makes me think there's a fair bit of inconsistency at the mrp. I can't help but think if he'd played for a team over here (well more specifically one of two teams over here) the outcome might have been different.

There is a ton of inconsistency with the MRP but if you hit someone high and it draws blood then you have to expect a holiday. I don't have a problem with Sloan's suspension, it is the way some Melbourne based players get off each week I have an issue with.

Brad Ebert has been off for the blood rule on a few occasions this season
Had Sloane made such contact with other Port Players of a different size or make up, perhaps no suspension ?

Perhaps the same penalty should apply, despite whatever injury or non injury is the outcome ?

The only criteria perhaps could be if it was considered pre-meditated or accidental ?

UncleHuey wrote:There is a ton of inconsistency with the MRP but if you hit someone high and it draws blood then you have to expect a holiday. I don't have a problem with Sloan's suspension, it is the way some Melbourne based players get off each week I have an issue with.

The penalty in itself isn't the issue (although I'd have thought 1 week downgraded to a fine would've sufficed), it's the inconsistency.

i'm no fan of Port or Adelaide for various reasons, however i saw the incident on tv as it happened (the darts had finish on another fox sports station) & i'm sorry but to me it was a contest with both players trying to get the ball, yes one by spoiling, but i'm sure your still allowed to spoil, aren't you ? so in my opinion there was no intent or malice to hurt Ebert & with that said all that should have happened was a free kick to Ebert......


the other point to make is i know i've been criticized for saying it but it is still the VFL & VFL clubs will get more leeway than any of the ''newcomers''