Brendan Lines.   June 9th, 2020

The showdown that has defied a pandemic, as the only AFL game to be played within South Australian borders in the foreseeable future, has seen a build up of anticipation like no other, but Port Adelaide Captain Tom Jonas expects it will be a hard ‘reset’ for the club despite holding down top spot for the AFL’s 2020 season re-start. 

 Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas – Image: PAFC

“To be honest it doesn’t really stand for much now, it’s basically a reset on the season, besides having little head start on the premiership table that’s as good as round one, going into showdown traditionally form means nothing, and we expect it to be a good showdown,” he said.

As easing of social distancing restrictions still loom potentially allowing fans to attend the Adelaide Oval showdown, the Port captain said it is one of the ‘strangest showdowns.’

“It’ll be up there with the first one at Adelaide Oval with a lot of unknowns surrounding it, but at the end of the day there’s going to be eighteen blokes on the field and there’s going to be a footy to be won,” Jonas said.

Yet Port Adelaide are taking every opportunity of their home ground advantage amid the anticipation.

If fans are allowed to attend this week’s showdown, Port Adelaide would welcome its fans out-number Adelaide fans ‘ten to one.’

But fans or no fans, Port Adelaide will proceed with it’s highly ritualised ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ war-cry as the team dons its Prison Bar guernseys for the occasion Jonas says.

“I think that’s part of the fabric of our home games now and I’d be disappointed if I didn’t hear that before the game it always sends a shiver down the spine,

“It’s part of our ritual and it means a lot to both players an supporters.”

As footage of a heated exchange involving former Port Adelaide tall-man Billy Frampton and his new Adelaide Crows team-mates surfaced over the weekend, Jonas says ‘it’s not unusual.’

“It’s not unusual in our industry, we’re obviously fiercely competitive and Bill has got a little bit of niggle in him, so no surprises something like that might happen at training but we’ve had our own scuffles from time to time, probably nothing that’s escalated to that level.” he said.

For both teams taking a win before travelling to their Gold Coast hub is imperative to prove match fitness and carry much needed form into rounds 3,4 and 5 matches.

“The team that is best prepared and can drive themselves will be the one that comes out on top,

“I think there’s plenty of ammo, we’re going to be saddling up next to the crows for two and a half weeks as of next Thursday , so it would be nice to hold one before going up there,” Jonas said.