The expansion of the AFL with second sides from South Australia, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia, meant that intrastate games could be played. These have tendered to be fiercely contested with bragging rights to the next game being uppermost in the fan’s minds. They have also been often won by the team in a poorer position on the ladder. One of the most successful derbies has been the “Showdown” between Adelaide and Port Adelaide.
Port Adelaide entered the AFL in 1997 after a position became available with the merger of Fitzroy and Brisbane. The first game between the Crows and Port Power was always destined to be a battle as Adelaide had trumped Port in 1991 for the first SA licence to the AFL.
In the inaugural Showdown, Port Adelaide beat the Adelaide Crows by 11 points. Having won their first match in the AFL against Geelong the week before, a pumped up Port jumped the Crows in the first half and managed to hold on in the final quarter as the Crows mounted a comeback.
The results are shown in the table below. To the end of 2019 the record stands at 24 wins to the Adelaide Crows and 23 wins to Port Adelaide over 47 games. Until 29 March 2014 the Games were played at AAMI Stadium (Football Park). Since the games have all been played at the upgraded Adelaide Oval.
| No | Year | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997 | Adelaide | 11.6 (72) | Port Adelaide | 11.17 (83) | Port Adelaide |
| 2 | 1997 | Port Adelaide | 9.4 (58) | Adelaide | 9.11 (65) | Adelaide |
| 3 | 1998 | Port Adelaide | 11.7 (73) | Adelaide | 8.16 (64) | Port Adelaide |
| 4 | 1998 | Adelaide | 22.12 (144) | Port Adelaide | 10.10 (70) | Adelaide |
| 5 | 1999 | Adelaide | 18.7 (115) | Port Adelaide | 12.15 (87) | Adelaide |
| 6 | 1999 | Port Adelaide | 13.14 (92) | Adelaide | 9.14 (68) | Port Adelaide |
| 7 | 2000 | Port Adelaide | 13.13 (91) | Adelaide | 14.14 (98) | Adelaide |
| 8 | 2000 | Adelaide | 14.8 (92) | Port Adelaide | 20.19 (139) | Port Adelaide |
| 9 | 2001 | Adelaide | 13.10 (88) | Port Adelaide | 23.15 (153) | Port Adelaide |
| 10 | 2001 | Port Adelaide | 16.11 (107) | Adelaide | 15.9 (99) | Port Adelaide |
| 11 | 2002 | Adelaide | 12.10 (82) | Port Adelaide | 14.6 (90) | Port Adelaide |
| 12 | 2002 | Port Adelaide | 12.12 (84) | Adelaide | 11.10 (76) | Port Adelaide |
| 13 | 2003 | Adelaide | 9.12 (66) | Port Adelaide | 12.6 (78) | Port Adelaide |
| 14 | 2003 | Port Adelaide | 14.10 (94) | Adelaide | 12.6 (78) | Port Adelaide |
| 15 | 2004 | Port Adelaide | 13.9 (87) | Adelaide | 17.17 (119) | Adelaide |
| 16 | 2004 | Adelaide | 9.6 (60) | Port Adelaide | 12.13 (85) | Port Adelaide |
| 17 | 2005 | Adelaide | 18.16 (124) | Port Adelaide | 8.8 (56) | Adelaide |
| 18 | 2005 | Port Adelaide | 12.9 (81) | Adelaide | 13.10 (88) | Adelaide |
| 19 | 2005 | Adelaide | 18.15 (123) | Port Adelaide | 5.10 (40) | Adelaide |
| 20 | 2006 | Adelaide | 15.13 (103) | Port Adelaide | 8.5 (53) | Adelaide |
| 21 | 2006 | Port Adelaide | 14.11 (95) | Adelaide | 11.15 (81) | Port Adelaide |
| 22 | 2007 | Port Adelaide | 8.15 (63) | Adelaide | 13.9 (87) | Adelaide |
| 23 | 2007 | Adelaide | 9.19 (73) | Port Adelaide | 10.5 (65) | Adelaide |
| 24 | 2008 | Adelaide | 12.13 (85) | Port Adelaide | 11.13 (79) | Adelaide |
| 25 | 2008 | Port Adelaide | 13.14 (92) | Adelaide | 11.14 (80) | Port Adelaide |
| 26 | 2009 | Port Adelaide | 15.15 (105) | Adelaide | 12.7 (79) | Port Adelaide |
| 27 | 2009 | Adelaide | 19.18 (132) | Port Adelaide | 9.8 (62) | Adelaide |
| 28 | 2010 | Adelaide | 10.14 (74) | Port Adelaide | 14.13 (97) | Port Adelaide |
| 29 | 2010 | Port Adelaide | 13.10 (88) | Adelaide | 9.15 (69) | Port Adelaide |
| 30 | 2011 | Port Adelaide | 14.14 (98) | Adelaide | 9.12 (66) | Port Adelaide |
| 31 | 2011 | Adelaide | 16.15 (111) | Port Adelaide | 11.13 (79) | Adelaide |
| 32 | 2012 | Adelaide | 16.14 (110) | Port Adelaide | 14.7 (91) | Adelaide |
| 33 | 2012 | Port Adelaide | 8.10 (58) | Adelaide | 17.14 (116) | Adelaide |
| 34 | 2013 | Port Adelaide | 17.16 (118) | Adelaide | 16.13 (109) | Port Adelaide |
| 35 | 2013 | Adelaide | 15.13 (103) | Port Adelaide | 17.5 (107) | Port Adelaide |
| 36 | 2014 | Port Adelaide | 19.14 (128) | Adelaide | 11.7 (73) | Port Adelaide |
| 37 | 2014 | Adelaide | 14.15 (99) | Port Adelaide | 10.16 (76) | Adelaide |
| 38 | 2015 | Adelaide | 13.13 (91) | Port Adelaide | 18.7 (115) | Port Adelaide |
| 39 | 2015 | Port Adelaide | 17.11 (113) | Adelaide | 18.8 (116) | Adelaide |
| 40 | 2016 | Adelaide | 22.12 (144) | Port Adelaide | 11.20 (86) | Adelaide |
| 41 | 2016 | Port Adelaide | 14.10 (94) | Adelaide | 15.19 (109) | Adelaide |
| 42 | 2017 | Port Adelaide | 12.11 (83) | Adelaide | 15.10 (100) | Adelaide |
| 43 | 2017 | Adelaide | 18.22 (130) | Port Adelaide | 7.4 (46) | Adelaide |
| 44 | 2018 | Port Adelaide | 14.11 (95) | Adelaide | 14.6 (90) | Port Adelaide |
| 45 | 2018 | Adelaide | 13.18 (96) | Port Adelaide | 14.9 (93) | Adelaide |
| 46 | 2019 | Port Adelaide | 9.14 (68) | Adelaide | 13.10 (88) | Adelaide |
| 47 | 2019 | Adelaide | 5.14 (44) | Port Adelaide | 15.11 (101) | Port Adelaide |
| 48 | 2020 | Port Adelaide | 17.8.(110) | Adelaide | 5.5.(35) | Port Adelaide |
First Class Collectables produced covers for Showdowns 1 to 12 using C6 Envelopes.
First Class Collectables produced covers for Showdowns 13 to 18 using 190 x 110 Sized Envelopes. This is the size of most Australia Post First Day Covers.
First Class Collectables produced covers for Showdown 20 and 21 using a C6 Envelope. (The Local Post Stamp and Postmark do not make Showdown 20 a genuine Commemorative Cover.)
StampsOz, another South Australian Cover Producer, produced a cover for Showdown 14 using a DL envelope.
