ADELAIDE has fallen outside the top eight for the first time since round one after losing a superb Showdown XXV by 12 points to Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
The Crows led by two points at half time but Port came home hard with three stars up forward in Daniel Motlop, Brett Ebert and Danyle Pearce doing the damage on the scoreboard in their 13.14 (92) to 11.14 (80) victory.
Motlop and Ebert finished with four goals apiece while Pearce got three. Kane Cornes was another hero, keeping superstar Andrew McLeod quiet.
In a ferocious but fair contest, Adelaide captain Simon Goodwin slotted the first goal of the match within the opening minute only for Motlop to reply within 75 seconds after a typically spectacular high mark.
From there the game turned into more of a grind but it was never dour.
And it was the Power who settled better.
Their skills held up better under the pressure of the occasion and Port's 11-point quarter time lead flattered Adelaide. The Crows had just three shots at goal for a return of 3.0 while the Power kicked a wasteful 4.5.
Motlop's two opening quarter goals made him the most effective forward on the field but the highlight was Pearce's brilliant left-foot snap through traffic.
Crows' coach Neil Craig demanded a more intense effort in the second term and Goodwin again delivered the first goal of the quarter as they raised the stakes in close.
Pearce replied with another sublime snap for Port before Tyson Edwards earned a free kick and converted to keep the pressure on.
Ebert threaded the needle from deep in the left forward pocket with his left foot to get the Port lead out to 11 points again but the Crows weren't to be denied.
With the relentlessness of a bulldozer they ploughed forward time and again, adding six consecutive behinds before Bernie Vince finally got the goal which gave them back the lead three minutes before half time.
Amazingly the first goal of the third quarter was also kicked by the Adelaide captain, Goodwin. His third goal came from just his fifth kick of the match.
But Port's man soon rose to the challenge with Motlop adding his third to keep the match all square. What followed was a 20-minute patch of high-pressure football where Port just couldn't find a way home.
Nathan Lonie had one goal disallowed when Kris Massie marked agonisingly close to the goal line but finally broke the deadlock with another stylish shot from a similar position just a couple of minutes before three quarter time.
Ebert got his third goal after the siren to send Port running to their huddle with a 14-point break. But their return of 3.7 to 1.3 for the term left them vulnerable to a Crow comeback.
But the Power got the opening goal of the final term via a turnover.
Motlop marked a kick from deep in defence and converted the set shot to give him his fourth goal for the day and his side a 20-point break.
That was the margin with 13 minutes left on the clock when the Crows surged one last time.
Goals to Scott Stevens and Vince quickly got the Crows back in the hunt with plenty of time [11 minutes] on the clock.
But Port rallied again, making a lie of their fading out ways of 2008.
Motlop marked and dished off to Justin Westhoff for a goal, Pearce ran in for another and Ebert won a free kick and 50m penalty to seal a memorable win.
The Crows have now lost five games in a row, the first time since 2000 and face Sydney at the SCG next week.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
MATCH DETAILS
PORT ADELAIDE 4.5 6.6 9.13 13.14 (92)
ADELAIDE 3.0 6.8 7.11 11.14 (80)
GOALS:
Port Adelaide: D Motlop 4 B Ebert 4 D Pearce 3 N Lonie J Westhoff.
Adelaide: S Goodwin 3 S Stevens 2 B Vince 2 M Doughty 2 K Tippett T Edwards.
BEST:
Port Adelaide: S Salopek D Cassisi D Motlop S Burgoyne D Pearce B Ebert K Cornes.
Adelaide: M Doughty C Knights N Bassett B Symes.
Injuries:
Port Adelaide: Nil
Adelaide: N Bassett (wrist), C Knights (blurred vision).
Reports: Nil
Umpires: L Farmer S McLaren J Schmitt.
Official crowd: 31,662 at AAMI Stadium
