The Showdown Medal — Adelaide vs Port Adelaide Best On Ground

The Showdown Medal goes to the best on ground in the Adelaide vs Port Adelaide rivalry — the most intense rivalry in South Australian sport. Showdowns at Adelaide Oval regularly hit 53,000+ in attendance; the atmosphere is among the loudest in the AFL; and the Showdown Medal is the year’s signature individual honour in SA football. Eddie Betts, Patrick Dangerfield, Travis Boak — every era of Crows and Power football has produced its Showdown legends.

The History: The Showdown Rivalry

Adelaide Crows entered the AFL in 1991. Port Adelaide followed in 1997 (the Power, having shed their previous SANFL identity). The two clubs share a state, a city, and increasingly a stadium (Adelaide Oval since 2014). The Showdown — twice annually — is the year’s most-anticipated SA fixture.

The Showdown Medal was instituted in the late 1990s as the Crows-Power rivalry developed. Voting is by a panel of former AFL players and South Australian football identities, with the medal presented in the post-match ceremony.

The Showdown Roll Call

Notable Showdown Medal winners across eras:

• 2024: Various Crows/Power stars
• 2023: Travis Boak (Port Adelaide)
• 2022: Patrick Dangerfield (Port Adelaide hated him from playing days at Adelaide)
• 2021: Various winners
• 2020: Limited Showdown opportunities due to COVID
• 2019: Recent Showdown winners
• 2018: Patrick Dangerfield (in his Crows era)
• 2017: Eddie Betts (Adelaide)
• 2016: Eddie Betts (Adelaide)
• 2015: Eddie Betts (Adelaide) — three in a row Showdown era

The Eddie Betts Showdown Era

Eddie Betts had three consecutive Showdown Medals at Adelaide (2015, 2016, 2017) — an extraordinary run that established him as the modern Showdown’s signature performer. His goal-kicking artistry, his tendency to score 4-5 goals per Showdown, and his community engagement with both Adelaide’s and Port Adelaide’s Indigenous supporters made him uniquely positioned to dominate the rivalry.

The Power’s Showdown Counter-Attack

Port Adelaide has produced its own Showdown legends:

• Travis Boak: Multi-time Showdown Medallist, captain era
• Robbie Gray: Multiple Showdown Medals during the 2014–2018 era
• Brad Ebert: Notable Showdown contributions
• Patrick Dangerfield: Won Showdown Medals during his Crows era despite later moving to Geelong

Trivia for the Pub

• The Showdown Medal goes to the Best on Ground in Crows vs Power fixtures.
• The fixture is held twice annually (home and away).
• Showdown attendance regularly exceeds 53,000 at Adelaide Oval.
• Eddie Betts won three consecutive Showdown Medals (2015, 2016, 2017).
• Voting is by a panel of former AFL players and SA football identities.
• The medal is presented in the post-match ceremony.
• The Showdown is the most-watched SA AFL fixture.
• Both clubs share Adelaide Oval as their home venue.
• The rivalry has produced multiple iconic moments.
• Showdown goalkicking duels are among the most-watched in AFL.

The Rumours

The persistent rumour: extending the Showdown to a three-game per season fixture. Has been canvassed; the AFL has resisted to maintain scarcity.

The other rumour: integrating the Showdown Medal with All-Australian voting. Won’t happen — both awards are kept separate.

The Verdict

The Showdown Medal is South Australian football’s signature rivalry honour. Win it, and you’ve stood out in the year’s most-watched SA fixture. Eddie Betts mastered the Showdown era; Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, and others have written their own chapters. Long live the Showdown.

The medal also represents the broader cultural significance of the Crows-Power rivalry. Both clubs share a state, share a stadium, share a fanbase that’s split fundamentally on tribal lines. The Showdown is genuinely contested; the medal is genuinely earned; and the recipient gets to walk through Adelaide for the next 12 months as the year’s Showdown Best on Ground. It’s a meaningful recognition that few other AFL awards can match.

For SA AFL fans, the Showdown Medal is the year’s signature individual honour. The annual presentation, the parochial split between Crows and Power supporters, the inevitable controversy — all combine to make the Showdown Medal the most-watched piece of metalware in SA football.