Thursday Night Lights: Showdown 55
Tonight, all eyes in the city of churches turn toward Adelaide Oval, as the Adelaide Crows host the Port Adelaide Power in Showdown 55, the first ever on a Thursday night. Hear from both captains, Connor Rozee and Jordan Dawson, ahead of the massive clash.
“It’s a big game for both," Dawson began.
"It's always a tight, contestant game, both teams expect that.
"The ledgers at 27 a-piece, these games are always close."
Connor Rozee offered similar views;
"These are games you look forward to at the start of the year.
"I'll make sure the boys are up and about this week."
On the injury front, Rozee opened up on the hamstring injury he sustained against the Saints;
“I did some testing today [Tuesday] and got through everything.
“The scan showed a little niggle, but that wasn’t part of my main muscle. I don’t know the science, but apparently that’s good.”
Crows captain Jordan Dawson offered his opinion;
“I’ve been pretty lucky with hamstrings.
“I sure if he [Rozee] is feeling up to playing then he’ll play. If there’s any danger, you probably wouldn’t risk it. I’m sure he’ll make the right call."
Two players that Port will be without are Allir Allir and Sam Powell-Pepper.
"Its disappointing that we've got Pep [Sam Powell-Pepper] and Allir [Allir] that have gone down," Rozee said.
On the spirited win against the Saints on Friday Night, Rozee had this to say;
"It’s a weird one, you're obviously proud of the boys for how they finished the game with one on the bench.
"However, you're disappointed with the long term injuries, especially Pep."
The Crows themselves will be missing Luke Pedlar, who injured his shoulder.
"He's a bit of a bull up forward for us," Dawson said.
"It'll be disappointing for him, but I'm sure he'll be able to recover and get the best out of himself for [the rest] of the year."
The Crows, meanwhile, had a win over North Melbourne;
"It was important for us to get back to playing the way we want to play," Dawson said.
"We got back to playing our brand of footy, front half footy.
"I think that's all we could ask for last week.
"We're looking to back that up this week. I think it’s a game that can kickstart our season."
The Crows have got a debutant on Thursday with Western Australia's Daniel Curtin to don the Crows colours for the first time. Dawson had this to say on last year's pick eight;
"He's been a massive worker since he got to the club.
"He's got plenty of tricks, he's a talented and hardworking guy.
"His ball use, his ability to play on talls and smalls. His skillset as a whole is pretty impressive.
"To see him execute his roles at SANFL level really well, that's just gonna complement our backline and our group.
"He's a very mature guy for an 18 year old.
"We're really excited to see what he can bring."
On the extra pressure of debuting in the Showdown, Dawson doesn't envision this as a problem for Curtin;
"He's been in the limelight for the last few years about potentially being a top pick.
"He's had that extra pressure even before he's played his first game.
"He's built for these types of games."
Showdown 55 begins at 7pm local time and is live on Channel 7 across the country. The Crows sit 2-5, while the Power are 5-2. It’s an enormous game for both clubs, as the ladder begins to take shape after just seven rounds of the AFL season.