PORT ADELAIDE has shown some positive signs but ultimately gone down fighting to Adelaide in a steaming hot summer Showdown in the JLT Community Series.

The Power slipped behind by as much as 35-points in the last quarter but looked on track for a remarkable comeback but fell 17-points short after the Crows booted the last two goals.

While it wasn’t the result the Power was chasing at Port Pirie's Memorial Oval, there were encouraging passages of high-intensity play and some promising performances by new players including draftees Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Xavier Duursma.

West Coast recruit Scott Lycett and Paddy Ryder also showed their partnership in the ruck could be damaging.

Former Captain Travis Boak turned back the clock, playing primarily in the midfield, with a team-high 27 disposals, while Butters (25 touches), Rozee (2 goals) and Duursma (nine touches, one goal) didn’t look out of place against the more mature Adelaide bodies.

It was a high-quality opening in stiflingly hot conditions with neither side taking a backwards step as the mercury reached 40 degrees.

The Crows had the first major through Eddie Betts after what appeared a soft free kick against new Power co-captain Tom Jonas.

Back in his home town, Brisbane-recruit Sam Mayes found himself on the end of some good build-up play, marking 30 metres out off a centred spearing pass from draftee Zak Butters in the pocket. Mayes converted the set shot to put his new side on the scoreboard.

Jonas started strongly and was frequently in the play, nailing a brilliant tackle on the wing to prevent an Adelaide counter, and it lifted his side with its promised faster ball movement leading to three consecutive goals to Rozee, best and fairest winner Justin Westhoff and Brad Ebert – playing in a forward role as promised.

Boak started in the centre and was having an impact, with nine first quarter possessions and a clever snapped goal to give the Power a three-goal lead.

But the Crows booted the last two goals of the quarter to close to within six points at the first change.

Adelaide kept the momentum in the second stanza, dominating possession and territory and making it count on the scoreboard.

The Crows booted six of the eight goals in that term with Betts starting the run with his third of the match after a free kick.

Jarrod Lienert did his best to stop the rot with a diving smother to prevent a certain goal to Josh Jenkins and goals to young midfielders Karl Amon and Willem Drew went some way to keeping the Power in the game.

But fumbled marks, including by Westhoff 15 metres out from goal, and a major in the last 15 seconds of the half to Riley Knight saw the Crows take a 22-point lead into the main break.

The Power came out eager to close the gap in the third term and started well when Westhoff showed a clean pair of hands, marking in front and copping a hit to the head that probably should have earned him a 50-metre penalty, and converted from a tricky angle from right on 50.

When Paddy Ryder goaled from a 45-metre set shot dead in front, Port was back to within 10 points.

But the Crows lifted their intensity and made the Power pay for a number of turnovers and slower play as the heat took its toll, booting the next three goals, including a fourth to Betts to extend their break to 29 points at the final change.

Knight’s second with 18 minutes to play had the Crows out to a 35-point advantage but Paddy Ryder’s move into the centre square changed the game.

The Power responded with five consecutive goals as Ryder, Sam Powell-Pepper and Boak started having an impact, even with Robbie Gray sitting out the final quarter.

But just as it appeared there would be a sixth with Todd Marshall’s dribbled effort off the ground bouncing towards goal, the Crows cut it off and rebounded out of defence, going end to end with Darcy Fogarty nailing a 30-metre set shot to end the Power’s momentum.

A goal to Adelaide draftee Chayce Jones in the final minute pushed the margin back out to 17 points, where it remained at the final siren.

Adding injury to insult, Ryder limped off with a suspected ankle injury, after landing awkwardly at a ball in deep in the final term.

SCOREBOARD

PORT ADELAIDE            5.1      7.3        9.4     14.5   (89)             

ADELAIDE                       4.1      10.7      13.9   16.10  (106)              

Goals

Westhoff, Rozee, Ebert, Motlop 2, Mayes, Boak, Amon, Drew, Ryder, Duursma

Best

Boak, Butters, Bonner, Houston, Lycett, Amon, Ryder, Burton

Crowd

8,000 approx at Memorial Oval, Port Pirie