Showdown Footy Forecast: Your weekly AFL preview from SA’s most diehard fans
Ahead of tonight’s blockbuster Showdown 59, a tough critic of Port fans and a former Crows supporter that jumped ship to support the Power over “the fruit tingles” go head to head. “You either love them or you hate fruit tingles and if you have too much of them, they make you sick.”
Port supporters “throw you off”: Adelaide Crows’ Vel Satalic
Port Lincoln local and Eyre Peninsula Supporters Group member Vel Satalic has been a Crows fan “pretty much since they started” after school friend Simon Tregenza made the inaugural Adelaide squad in 1991.
He admits to having an affection for Port Adelaide in the SANFL days before Adelaide joined the national league.
“I used to go for them a little bit in the earlier days, and I did watch a couple of their premierships in the day with my next-door neighbour,” Satalic said.
“But the supporters just now really throw you off which doesn’t make you hate them, but maybe dislike is a better word.”
Adelaide was handed a 52-point loss last Sunday against Brisbane at the Gabba, but Satalic is willing to write the game off.
“Once again, the team’s been rocked by a sudden passing of Jordan Dawson’s brother, and it sort of knocks the team a little bit and they didn’t play their best footy,” he says.
Dawson was still among the team’s best players, finishing the match with 28 touches and two goals. He will miss the Showdown tonight after attending his brother Jaryd’s funeral on Wednesday.
Satalic has travelled from Port Lincoln to watch the Showdown at Adelaide Oval tonight, where he will be sitting right behind the goalposts on the southern end.
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Adelaide will welcome back Dan Curtin for his first game of the season after dislocating his kneecap in a pre-season wrestling drill.
Vice-captain Alex Neal-Bullen will also return from a minor knee injury, while midfielder Jake Soligo will join the team after a 40 disposal and two goal game in the SANFL last week.
Satalic has predicted his team will come home with a five-goal win if the Crows can quell the influence of a few star players.
“Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis, you just can’t let them be playing their game otherwise those players will do a bit of damage,” Satalic said.
“One team’s coming off a big win, one’s coming off a big loss. So, it should make things pretty interesting.
“The Crows can’t just be reliant on the one person. A couple of the forwards need to shine, and Josh Rachele needs to have a good game.”
The superfan has fond memories watching his favourite players Andrew McLeod and Mark Ricciuto leading the team to back-to-back premierships in the 1990s.
“I’ve got a place here in Adelaide, so we watched the 1997 AFL Grand Final in the backyard on a little TV on a chair and cheering with the neighbours,” he said.
“We pulled a sheet of iron off the fence, so we could all get together and watch it.”
No love for the “fruit tingles”: Port Adelaide’s Celine ‘Sao’ Parker
Cheer Squad member Celine ‘Sao’ Parker’s Port Adelaide fandom began about 26 years ago when her partner Chrissy bought her a team membership — despite already being a Crows supporter.
“Shout out to my partner Chrissy, she’s a kiwi that got me into Port Adelaide, and she dumped the All Blacks for Port Adelaide,” Parker said
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“I went back to the Port club after a game, and I was quite shocked at how friendly the players were.”
Since then, Parker hasn’t looked back and has no great love for the Adelaide Crows, nicknaming them the “fruit tingles”.
“You either love them or you hate fruit tingles and if you have too much of them, they make you sick.”
Port Adelaide are fresh off a shock 30-point ANZAC Day victory against Geelong in front of a home crowd last Saturday night.
Star midfielder Jason Horne-Francis was awarded the Peter Badcoe Medal for his best on ground performance where he finished with 34 disposals, 12 clearances and one goal.
Parker said Horne-Francis could be poised for back-to-back honours and win the Showdown medal.
“JHF was just absolutely incredible. The young ones also stood up, Ewan McKinley, Jack Watkins, and Christian Moraes were great — the team’s starting to click with the new game plan.
Defender Todd Marshall will return to the side after injuring his ankle in the Round One clash against North Melbourne, while forward Mitch Georgiades will play his 100th career game.
Parker was confident Port could get the Showdown win tonight and was hoping to forget last year’s 98-point loss in Showdown 58.
“In the Showdown it doesn’t matter where the teams are on the ladder. There’s just that deep-seated rivalry that’s huge,” Parker said.
“It’s just one of those games that everyone really picks up for and the crowd get heavily involved in.”
She will make sure she has her trusted camera packed the night before, otherwise it could prove a bad omen for Port Adelaide.
“I will go through everything and make sure that I’ve packed it all in my backpack, because if I don’t, we’re going to lose. It’s really weird.”
Parker told InDaily she has the nickname ‘Sao’ after refusing to share Sao crackers in her school days; however, she would be happy to share the glory of her favourite snacks with fellow cheer squad supporters if Port Adelaide secure the win.
“I’m actually thinking that if we can start putting on the performances that we have in the last two weeks, especially last week, we could even make the top six,” she said.
“It’s still early in the season so fingers crossed. But I’d rather stay positive than think nah, we’re not going to do it.”
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