Fremantle are raring themselves for a tough clash against Port Adelaide, with Saturday's AFL match to determine which side makes the AFL top four.
BRAGGING rights between SA's bitter football rivals, the Power and Crows, have never been contained to what happens on the field in Showdowns.
There was the players' brawl at the Ramsgate Hotel the day after a Showdown in 2002. There always is a battle on social media between the AFL clubs' passionate fans.
And now the rivalry is based on which club can claim to have drawn the one millionth AFL fan to Adelaide Oval where 971,545 have watched 21 games this season.
The Adelaide Football Club will make a special presentation to the 28,455th fan to pass through the Oval's turnstile for Sunday's Crows-St Kilda clash that may be a playoff for eighth spot to next month's AFL finals.
Never before has AFL football attracted one million fans in a season in Adelaide.
Port captain Travis Boak with Port fan Matthew Purcell, named by the club as the one millionth fan to visit Adelaide Oval. Picture: Matt Turner
But the Port Adelaide Football Club — to score another marketing coup on the Crows — made its presentation to the one millionth fan to attend all AFL football at the Oval.
The Power is claiming bragging rights to the Oval's millionth fan based on the club's 2011 clash with Melbourne that drew 29,340 to the "old Adelaide Oval" before the $535 million redevelopment. This takes the Oval's total AFL crowd count to 1,000,885.
Power captain Travis Boak presented 20-year-old apprentice mechanic Matthew Purcell with a guernsey signed by the Port players, a special print of the Oval from its Showdown opener on March 29 and a "Never Tear Us Apart" scarf.
Purcell is a Power club member with seats at the Oval's southern end. He has attended all of Port's 11 home games this season that have drawn 488,006, including the Oval's best two crowds (52,505 on Friday night against Carlton and 52,233 against Hawthorn on May 24).
Adelaide co-captain Rory Sloane has revealed how the Crows are frustrated with their up-and-down season, with the Crows wasting three chances to consolidate their AFL finals berth.
"It is brilliant — it just feels like home," Purcell said of the Oval.
Purcell was part of the 29,340 who watch the Power take AFL games to Adelaide Oval in 2011 for the season-closer against Melbourne.
"I'll always remember 'Boaky' kicking that goal from the boundary from 50 at the end of the first quarter," Purcell said. "To now have him come to my workshop to congratulate me on being the millionth fan to the Oval is another great experience."
The Crows have drawn 483,539 fans to 10 home games at the Oval this season.
Club chairman Rob Chapman says Adelaide not only will acknowledge the millionth fan for this season, but also maintain its Football Park tradition of having the players pass on their club jumpers to the Crows' most-devoted members after Sunday's match with the Saints.
"We have the highest average home attendance in the AFL this season; that is an outstanding effort," Chapman said. "To achieve one million fans in a season is another example of how the South Australian public has embraced the Adelaide Oval.
"It is a significant milestone and credit must go to our '19th Man' supporters, and Port Adelaide fans as well, for their support."
Originally published as Port, Crows in battle for the one millionth fan
