Crows outmuscle Port to claim AFLW Showdown honours

Niamh Kelly AFLW star Niamh Kelly.
Niamh Kelly played a starring role as Adelaide scored a 30-point win over Port Adelaide in the AFLW. -AAP Image

Adelaide have kicked off their AFLW premiership push in fine style with a 30-point thumping of arch-rivals Port Adelaide.

The Crows kicked six consecutive goals out of halftime to run away with the convincing 8.10 (58) to 4.4 (28) victory at Norwood Oval on Saturday.

Niamh Kelly (28 disposals, six clearances, one goal) and Ebony Marinoff (31, seven, one) were outstanding for Adelaide, with prolific ball-winner Anne Hatchard (29 touches) also prominent.

Yvonne Bonner and Port's Ashleigh Saint were the game's only multiple goal-kickers with two each.

The Power booted three unanswered goals in the second quarter and looked capable of causing an upset when they led by three points at the main break.

But the Crows finished full of running and proved far too strong when the game was there to be won.

Making matters worse for Port, Hannah Ewings will come under scrutiny for a sling tackle on Kiera Mueller during the final quarter.

Adelaide belted the Power 63-3 in their only previous AFLW meeting last year and looked on track for another big win over their cross-town rivals early.

Irish pair Kelly and Bonner kicked the only two goals of the first term, putting Adelaide up 2.3 to 0.0 at quarter-time.

But Gemma Houghton put Port on the board in the second term and two goals from Saint gave the underdogs a narrow advantage at halftime.

The Crows kicked 3.3 to 0.1 in the third quarter and pulled 36 points clear in the last before Ewings' long bomb from almost 50m found the target in the dying stages.