TipResumen

OVERVIEW

A fantastic game we have to kick start a Saturday afternoon with Adelaide Crows taking on Port Adelaide in showdown 45. Adelaide Crows hopes of playing final football is almost certain to be over after failing to win last weekend against Melbourne. Adelaide are 12th on the ladder 8 points outside the top 8 with a significantly poorly goal differential. After losing 4 games on the bounce before the BYE, Adelaide Crows have won 3 of their last 5 games. The Adelaide Crows form have improved since the BYE, winning against West Coast, Geelong and Brisbane while the losses came against Richmond and Melbourne. Port Adelaide on the other hand are currently 4th on the ladder, winning 3 of their last 5 games. The 3 wins came against teams in the bottom 5 in Carlton, St Kilda and Western Bulldogs while the 2 losses came at the hands of Fremantle and GWS. Don Pyke have had a terrible luck with injuries after injuries this season but this is the first time in months he could select as strong as a side he has selected this week. Rory Atkins, Ellis Yolmen and Gibbs forms a strong midfield accompanied with Jacobs, Crouch and Sloane is as good as it gets for Don Pyke. Adelaide Crows scoring may dried up this season but with Lynch, Jenkins, Betts, Walker and Greenwood all playing this weekend, I believe the Crows should have some fire power to cause some damage. Ken Hinkley is aware of the importance of this game and he can ill afford to lose this game and by a big margin. I believe Hinkley will not be brave enough to take on the Crows. Instead he use a safer approach, locking in all the balls to prevent a free-flowing game which in my view will benefit the Crows. Port are the best tackling side in the competition and I expect them to play to their strength in laying tackles one after another, but I believe this cautious approach may come back and haunt them as I expect the Crows to take their chances and play down the corridor in a freeflowing attacking game. Charlie Dixon had a big game last week and a decent few weeks, but time and time again big Charlie have let Port down when it matters most. I am not sure which Charlie will turn up, whether the Charlie that kicked 5 of Port 11 goals against Western Bulldogs or the Charlie that had ZERO goals against Fremantle. Port needs Charlie to kick goals regularly but unfortunately, I do not think he is consistent enough to get the goals Port requires on a weekly basis.



VERDICT

Mathematically, Adelaide Crows hopes of making finals are still alive if they can win all four of their remaining games but let’s be honest, that would mean that all the other teams above them would have to lose 3 to 4 of their remaining games. The lost to Melbourne at home was a massive blow but winning this Showdown could be as sweet as it gets. The Crows are now almost back to full strength, and the Crows form have improved in the past month. Port Adelaide’s form have been very average in recent weeks and if they put on a lackluster performance in Showdown 45 like they did in Perth against Fremantle, the Crows will win and possibly win big and pull Port’s goal differential down. Port Adelaide have a difficult schedule hosting Eagles and Essendon at home and traveling to the MCG to take on Collingwood in the remaining 3 games after this week. Port needs 2 wins in the remaining 4 with a good percentage or 3 wins to be absolutely certain of finals. In Showdown 44, I back Port winning it due to the injuries and poor form Adelaide were in. This time round, I’m going to back Adelaide Crows for the same reason – their form. The Crows have improved in the past month and they will want to close the season off by winning against Port and hope for Port not to make finals football as well. Port Adelaide dominated Adelaide Crows in almost every key statistic in the game earlier this season but only managed to win by a 5 point margin. Therefore, if the Crows can make life harder for Port, they should have what it takes to win here today.