White embracing Showdown rivalry

Jay Schulz manages a club record-equalling eight goal haul against the Western Bulldogs as Port go on to thrash the Bulldogs by 72 points.

Matt White has been excellent in his first season at Port Adelaide. Source: Getty Images

MATT White has played in front of 87,000 people at the MCG which for eight years was the ground he called home as a Tiger.

Now he says having 40,000 fanatical Power supporters at the Adelaide Oval is just as spine-tingling, and the Showdown rivalry with the Crows is as big as anything he experienced in Victoria.

In 105 games with Richmond, White said the biggest occasions were always against Essendon, Collingwood and Carlton but SA's greatest rivalry was just as intense.

"This year being the first time I was ever part of a Showdown - it had a finals like atmosphere," he said.

"It's a massive thing. I didn't understand the whole thing behind it when I first came over here, but to see how passionate people are about it.

Ken Hinkley says the most impressive part of his side's 128-56 thrashing of the Western Bulldogs was their outstanding defence from the second quarter ownwards

"And even inside the club it gets built up and it's an amazing atmosphere (at the ground).

"The first one (in March) was our home game and the Port crowd were ridiculously loud.

"And I'm sure the Crows supporters who will be there (this) weekend will be trying to beat it."

Unlike Showdown XXXVI in Round 2, Port Adelaide fans will be seriously out-numbered by Crows supporters who are hosting this weekend's game.

But regardless of the opponent, White said it was the majority support at Adelaide Oval which set its cauldron-like atmosphere apart from playing at the MCG.

"The big difference is the home crowd support, it's all one way," he said of the $535 million revamped city stadium.

"The ground and everything is amazing but you go into a crowd of 40-50,000 and you'll get maybe 2-3000 that are the opposition or interstaters. Where as at the MCG it was a 50-50 crowd.

"The noise of 40,000 people cheering for one club is deafening and it definitely gives us an edge having the great support we've got there."

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