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Has the AFL missed the mark on Showdown scheduling?
Jaiden Sciberras • May 11th, 2025 1:40 pm
The Adelaide Crows claimed victory in Showdown 57, holding on against a raging Port Adelaide to win by five points.
A tight contest from start to finish, the result went down to the final minute of the game, as Irishman Mark Keane claimed a phenomenal intercept mark deep in the Crows’ back 50 to ice the game for Adelaide.
Scheduled for Saturday night, Showdown 57 clashed with Gold Coast versus the Western Bulldogs in Darwin, marking a strong double header however splitting viewership from what were two top-tier games.
Speaking on the fixturing, Fox Footy’s Jon Ralph believes that in scheduling the Showdown on Saturday night, the AFL is doing the contest a disservice.
“The Showdown was incredible,” Ralph told SEN’s Point of View.
“The question is whether it’s good enough for prime time. The question is whether the AFL should just say to channel 7, who dictate a lot of the fixtures on Friday night, it’s a national game.
“We are not the VFL anymore, we’re the AFL.
“It was extraordinary. Mark Keane whacks a guy in the cods, he gets reported for kicking and then a quarter later he takes the match saving mark, another extraordinary Showdown moment.
“The AFL is doing a grand disservice by not having it on Friday night, prime time standalone game.
“You turn it into a massive night. Gather Round has been amazing, but that would be a really symbolic gesture.”
Following their 29th Showdown victory, the Crows will head to the MCG to take on Collingwood on Saturday afternoon, followed by Port Adelaide who host the Cats.
