Adelaide played a long game after prized South Australian youngster Izak Rankine was whisked away to the Gold Coast at the 2018 draft – and the Crows’ patience is paying off in spades.
Rankine, the No. 3 pick five years ago, lit up Adelaide Oval with four goals in the Crows’ stunning 31-point Showdown triumph.
The former Sun was the highest rated player on Saturday night – according to Champion Data’s AFL Player Ratings system – showing mercurial ability close to goal while also influencing the contest close to goal.
Watch every match of every round of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Fellow top-three pick Riley Thilthorpe was also outstanding, booting an equal career-high five goals from 11 disposals. He was the second-highest rated player on the ground.
Despite the duo’s influence inside 50, neither of them claimed the Showdown medal, with Crows skipper Jordan Dawson claiming the honour for his one-goal, 18-disposal outing.
AFL commentators and fans were left perplexed by the judges’ call.
While the full Showdown medal votes haven’t been revealed, dual premiership Kangaroo David King, who commentated the game for Fox Footy, was one of the judges asked to vote on the medal.
King revealed on Twitter he hadn’t given any votes to Dawson, instead awarding three votes to Rankine, two to Crows midfielder Rory Laird (1 goal, 26 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 11 clearances) and one to Connor Rozee, who was arguably Port Adelaide’s best player with a game-high 28 disposals.
“I had to vote on the medal … The moments that were important were the reason that I gave my (Rankine) three. When the game was in the balance, there was a couple that stood tall most,” King told Fox Footy post-game.
“I thought Izak Rankine had the biggest moments in that second half. He created goals when he had an opportunity. Clearly he’s in an area of the ground where he doesn’t get as much opportunity to win as much ball as others.
“Rory Laird was second best. The volume of clearances this guy won, he was irrepressible at stoppage.
“And then you could throw a blanket over half a dozen players after that.”
King didn’t give Thilthorpe any votes.
Dawson, who claimed his second Showdown medal on Saturday night, joined Crows coach Matthew Nicks in the post-game press conference and believed Thilthorpe was best on ground.
“I probably said I thought it was his medal,” Dawson told reporters.
“I was proud of him (because) you can see the work he’s doing.
Adelaide Crows Press Conference | 10:53
“To see him step up and play a real big boy presence was really pleasing to see as a captain.”
Nicks was full of praise for high-profile recruit Rankine following the win and recalled a particular game in his draft year that made him sit up and take notice.
“When the pressure was on, he stood up so that’s why he went so high in the draft,” Nicks said.
“(But) he went to the Gold Coast, so we had our eye on him from that moment onwards.”
After closely monitoring Rankine’s progress across 48 games in three seasons with the Suns, the Crows pounced with a blockbuster trade centred around the club’s pick No. 5 that landed the gifted forward-midfielder they had long coveted.
His four-goal effort against the Power was his best in Adelaide colours and came off the back of a two-goal performance in the Round 2 defeat by Richmond.
Izak drops 2 F-Bombs after stellar win | 00:48
The loss to the Tigers was Rankine’s first game for his new club at Adelaide Oval, and his 50th career match, which Nicks suggested had carried some extra mental baggage for the 22-year-old.
“Without speaking out of school, I think his first home game, he had a fair bit going on,” he said.
“But he was focused this week.
“He sorted everything out off-field and you could just see it in his eyes before the first bounce that he was ready to go.
“He came out of the blocks pretty fast.
“We’re really pleased to have him at the footy club.
“Along with Jordan Dawson, they’re a couple of acquisitions that have really taken us to the next level.”
— NCA Newswire, with Fox Sports
