Port Adelaide AFLW senior coach Glenn Strachan has praised his side’s ability to execute its structures and maintain pressure throughout a hard-fought Showdown V victory over Adelaide at Alberton Oval. 

Speaking to the media after his first Showdown at the helm, Strachan reflected on the Power’s ability to capitalise on its opportunities, limit the influence of Adelaide’s midfield and defend as a cohesive unit in front of a record crowd at Alberton. 

Strachan on winning Showdown V 
“What a great contest. I've heard a lot about Showdowns and now experiencing one, it's a really cool part of our year and nice to come away with a win.” 

Strachan on what pleased him most about the win 
“Probably just our ability to stick to our structures. We put some plans in place, as we do every week, and it felt like we were just able to execute that. I thought the girls did a great job of just sticking to their roles all night.” 

Strachan on bringing intent and pressure early 
“I think it's a focus when you’re playing these big games and there's going to be plenty of heat in the game early. We obviously spoke about our tackle numbers at quarter-time and how pleased we were, but equally how we knew that we needed to continue that through the rest of the game. It was nice to start off that way and kind of be able to build on it at quarter-time.” 

Strachan on the group’s method to hit the scoreboard 
“I just felt like we got some looks and were able to capitalise on it, which feels like we've been building for a while now, and it was nice to see that come out early in the first half. And then equally, I felt like Adelaide were getting some looks that we needed to stop and then try and go back the other way. I’m pleased with what we were able to do.” 

Strachan on the midfield and curbing the influence of Ebony Marinoff 
“I don't know that you ever fully quell her influence. She's such a great player and has been for ages. We put a couple of things in place around her. But equally, we tried to just make sure that our mids were nailing their roles and where they needed to be at what time. So again, I felt like they did that really well throughout the game, and I felt like that was a big part of why we got the win.” 

Strachan on the heat of the game 
“I think again that's a part of why we love the Showdown and the rivalry that sits between the two clubs. And yeah, there was a bit of heat in it, but I felt like the game was played in a spirit that was really tough and contested. I thought that was the pleasing part of the game for sure.” 

Strachan on being able to capitalise on moments to hit the scoreboard 
“I think just our ability to get completion on those plays. It felt like we were getting a lot of parts of it right previously, and we probably just couldn't quite finish off with the goal at the end. Fortunately, over the last couple of weeks we've started to put some of those to bed, which is nice.” 

Strachan on the performance of the backline 
“It felt like all of our defenders played their role and executed that as a unit, and it's probably what they're best at, just being able to do it together and rely on each other. So yeah, another good showing by them, but they've done that across the whole year.” 

Strachan on what the Showdown win does in terms of confidence 
“I think plenty of confidence will come out of it. If nothing else, it'll show that we can match it with really strong teams, and we play some of those stronger teams throughout the back end of the year. You never really know where it's going to land at the end of the year. But if we can put these performances together for longer, hopefully we'll see what happens at the pointy end.” 

Strachan on the record-breaking crowd at Alberton 
“They are fantastic. We knew the Port fans would show out, and we thought the Adelaide fans would come in too, and we really felt the energy. When we were able to kick some goals, it was nice, and the celebrations and the crowd and everything there was so fun to see.” 

Strachan on Abbey Dowrick’s back-to-back Showdown medals 
“It was a fantastic performance by Abs. But I think she'll be the first one to tell you that she can't do it without all of her teammates. It certainly helps when she's playing well for us. She's such a great player and a really big influence on our game from the contest. I felt like quite a few of them could have won it, and I think the voting was pretty close, so it just shows that we had some great contributors across the team.”