Showdown Medals for the first six duals between fierce crosstown rivals Adelaide and Port Adelaide were officially awarded this week.

As revealed on Thursday night, Darren Mead (Port Adelaide) was awarded the medal for the inaugural Showdown, Brett James (Crows) was recognised for his performance in Showdown Two, while Port Adelaide’s Adam Kingsley claimed Showdown Three’s medal.

Crows stars Mark Ricciuto and Mark Bickley were awarded the accolade for Showdowns Four and Five, while former Power midfielder claimed best-a-field for Showdown Six.

Following the monumental announcement and ahead of Showdown 57 this Saturday night, Ricciuto, Mead and Bickley listed their three favourite Showdowns.

See the list here.

Mark Ricciuto

Showdown One (Round 4, 1997) Port Adelaide 11.17 (83) def Adelaide 11.6 (72) at Football Park

“These are in no particular order, but the first one was a great Showdown just because it was the first,” Ricciuto said.

“We really didn’t know what the Showdown was going to be like, I don’t think anyone in SA knew what it was going to be like.

“We probably went in as favourites and we got beaten and it was a horrible feeling but the atmosphere was unbelievable and it set the scene for the rivalry that’s there today.

“I remember after the game we went into the rooms and it felt like the world had ended and Blighty wrote the No.18 on the board and put a big circle around it and said ‘what do you reckon that means, boys?’

“He said ‘there’s 18 games to go’, we were 1-3 at that stage and he said it’s a long season and we went on to win the Premiership that year, so lost the Showdown and won the Premiership.”

Showdown Four (Round 19, 1998) Adelaide 22.12 (144) def Port Adelaide 10.10 (70) at Football Park

“This Showdown was great because we just had a big win,” Ricciuto said.

“At the start of 1999, we were just going OK but we started to get on a roll in the second half of the year

“We won convincingly and we were on a mission to get to the finals and try and win another flag.”

Showdown 39 (Round Five, 2015 - the Phil Walsh tribute) Adelaide 18.8 (116) def Port Adelaide 17.11 (113) at Adelaide Oval

“The Phil Walsh Showdown two weeks after he passed away was just an unbelievable game,” Ricciuto said.

“Both sides loved Phil… I was heavily involved in getting him to the Crows and the Crows were going in a great direction under Phil until the tragedy.

“But just the way everyone handled themselves leading into the game and then the type of game was just an absolute beauty.

“Port made a late comeback but the Crows got up in a thriller and it was just an absolutely perfect, fitting game for what Phil Walsh deserved.”

Darren Mead

Showdown One (Round 4, 1997)  Port Adelaide 11.17 (83) def Adelaide 11.6 (72) at Football Park

“The first one, no doubt, is my favourite,” Mead said.

“That was just a monumental day for South Australian footy, just the crowd and the whole beat up of years and years gone by of Port Adelaide trying to get into the AFL.

“It really sticks in my mind and it was great to be a part of it.”

Showdown 35 (Round 13, 2013) Port Adelaide 17.5 (107) def Adelaide 15.13 (103) at Football Park

“You could talk through the Angus Monfries goal with the bounce of the ball as a highlight of what the ball can do in a Showdown,” Mead said.

“That goal was just incredible, I was watching the game at the oval, I had retired by then.

“I think we were about four or five goals down but we came back in the last quarter to win, which was great.”

Showdown 28 (Round Six, 2010) Port Adelaide 14.13 (97) def Adelaide 10.14 (74) at Football Park

“Robbie Gray kicking five in a quarter for this one to help Port win was fantastic,” Mead said.

“It would be pretty hard to do that again.

“The way he went about Showdowns was definitely a highlight.

“Port was coming from a fair few goals down but Robbie’s five goals helped Port win it.”

Mark Bickley

Showdown Two (Round 19, 1997) Adelaide 9.11 (65) def Port Adelaide 9.4 (58) at Football Park.

“This one was a good one because it was our first Showdown win,” Bickley said.

“We went in red-hot favourites in number one against Port in their first year and lost, so that was fairly embarrassing for us and our fans.

“To be able to get a win was good and it got that pressure off of us.”

Showdown 39 (Round Five, 2015 - the Phil Walsh tribute) Adelaide 18.8 (116) def Port Adelaide 17.11 (113) at Adelaide Oval

“It’s hard to go past the Phil Walsh tribute match,” Bickley said.

“It was a unifying factor because Phil had an involvement with both clubs, so both clubs were heartbroken by the scenario.

“To have what was a really close game as well was great, and it’s probably the most unified the two clubs have ever been.”

Showdown 51 (Round Three 2022) Adelaide 15.6 (96) def Port 13.14 (92) at Adelaide Oval

“One of my favourites is a pretty recent one and that was when Jordan Dawson kicked that goal after the siren,” Bickley said.

“In terms of euphoria, it looked like it had come off the boot and it was going to miss and then it swung back.

“For some reason my kids weren’t at the game but they were just jumping up and down on the lounge like a lot of Crows fans would’ve been.

“Just the whole scenario with a free kick late and after the siren, that’s what every young boy dreams of.”