Adelaide reigned in the rain in the South Australian showdown, crushing Port Adelaide by 70 points in a physical AFL affair at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

The Crows began a little sluggishly to allow the Power an early lead, before sweeping their opponents aside in the third quarter and romping home in the last to win 19.18 (132) to 9.8 (62) in front of 46,859 people.

Following a heavy loss to St Kilda, the Crows regained plenty of confidence and poise by registering such a comfortable victory, and will take satisfaction from also dealing a hefty blow to Port's hopes of squeezing into the finals.

Among numerous influential performers for Adelaide, Nathan Bock played a dominant game at centre-half back and was justly rewarded with the showdown medal.

He had plenty of support from midfielders Michael Doughty, Bernie Vince, skipper Simon Goodwin and Brent Reilly, while Brett Burton proved his value up forward with a lively four-goal performance.

Veteran Andrew McLeod (two goals) responded to questions about his place in the side with one of his strongest games of the year.

Crows coach Neil Craig said his players retained a fierce desire compete with the best, despite their hiding at the hands of the Saints a week before.

"We can play some reasonable footy, as shown by what's happened this year, we're not an outstanding team," he said.

"But (the players) have got a huge hunger to be the best.

"I don't want to put any limitations on (what they can achieve this year), it tends not to happen overnight, but we play a pretty good team next week (Geelong."

Power captain Domenic Cassisi was one of few Power players to put in a sustained effort across the four quarters.

The pre-match withdrawal of Dean Brogan - with flu and a thigh, shoulder, back or rib injury depending on who described it - halved Port's notional ruck advantage over an inexperienced Adelaide tall brigade.

Burton made a sprightly start to his second game back from a knee reconstruction for the Crows, and was paid the compliment of being matched with Port's lead defender Troy Chaplin after Paul Stewart spent more time under Burton than on him in the first 20 minutes.

The Power had been decent value for their seven-point quarter-time lead, but they were swamped in the second, as helpless in the face of Adelaide's run and structure as the spectators caught in the open were when a snap downpour drenched the ground.

In all the Crows threaded seven goals without reply, two from the rapier-like boot of skipper Goodwin, and two from defensive midfielder Doughty, the second of which arrived at the end of a chess-like passage when the Crows pushed methodically through the Port Adelaide zone.

Clear by 33 points at the half, Adelaide fought out a final wrestle with a desperate Port in the third.

A trio of majors to Jason Davenport, Justin Westhoff and Cassisi - after some excellent lead-up work by Lade - provided some faint hope for the Power.

But McLeod bobbed up deep in time-on for the goal that allowed Adelaide to win the term and so hold a sturdy 34-point advantage that they more than doubled in the last against flagging opposition.

"The second quarter was the worst quarter, we were in the game and they kicked seven goals in a row," said crestfallen Power coach Mark Williams.

"That was the most damaging for us, having been in that spot then we got some sense of getting back in the game, having some ball inside 50m which gives you a chance (in the third quarter), but the second quarter was disgraceful."

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