Port Adelaide Stuns Adelaide in 26-Point Showdown Upset

Port Adelaide duo Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis have sparked a 26-point trouncing of Adelaide in one of the great Showdown upsets. Butters (37 disposals), who was awarded the Showdown Medal, and Horne-Francis (29 disposals, one goal) teamed up to dominate the Crows in the Power's 13.19 (97) to 11.5 (71) triumph at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

REPORT: Carlton 17.15 (117) defeated West Coast 9.10 (64) REPORT: Collingwood 15.16 (106) defeated Richmond 11.6 (72)

Speculation is mounting Butters will head home to Victoria at the end of the season. Butters admitted the thought that the match could be his final Showdown appearance had crossed his mind. "It definitely did," Butters told Fox Footy. "Whatever happens, happens at the end of the year … it's so special to play in these games. I love the footy club and I love my teammates and that win makes it extra special."

Forwards Corey Durdin and Mitch Georgiades kicked three goals each and Joe Berry and Jase Burgoyne managed two apiece as 15th-placed Power stunned the Crows. Butters and Horne-Francis were superb as the Power controlled the clearances 42-22. The pair recorded 13 and 10 clearances respectively, more than the entire Crows line-up.

The Power seized command with a stretch of six consecutive majors from midway through the second term, turning a three-point deficit into a commanding 35-point lead early in the third quarter. Adelaide, now with nine wins and six losses, blew a chance to rise to fourth on the ladder. Darcy Fogarty booted five goals in a lone attacking hand. Crows captain Jordan Dawson was subdued despite collecting 25 disposals, and key teammates Izak Rankine (12 disposals) and Josh Rachele (nine disposals, one goal) failed to fire. Rankine limped off late in the first quarter after his right leg was trapped in a Butters tackle. Rankine's absence came as the Power's won the clearances 16-4 in the opening term but failed to cash in on the scoreboard.

The Power sprayed three set shots at goal and the Crows — with Rachele bouncing through a 40-metre stunner from near a boundary line in a rare Adelaide highlight — led by four points at quarter-time, 4.2 to 3.4. Rankine returned to action with his right knee strapped in the second term as the Power seized momentum with five goals to two for the quarter.

The Power's small forwards Berry and Durdin slotted two goals each in the quarter as their side skipped 16 points clear at half-time. They streeted 36 points clear with the initial three goals of the third term in front of a raucous crowd of 50,087 spectators.

The Power held a decisive 33-point advantage at three-quarter time, before closing out victory to narrow their overall Showdown win-loss ledger to 29-31. Earlier, Carlton notched a sixth straight win under interim coach Josh Fraser with a 53-point triumph over West Coast at Docklands. Collingwood posted a second consecutive victory with a 34-point defeat of Richmond at the MCG. AAP