A second in historical past for ladies’s sport in South Australia.

Tonight, Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Soccer Golf equipment will go to battle in Showdown One underneath lights at Adelaide Oval.

“That is the start of one thing and I am certain there’s going to be a wealthy historical past over coming seasons as we have clearly seen within the males’s competitors,” Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke mentioned on Thursday.

Since Spherical 4, 1997, Adelaide and Port Adelaide have battled in 52 Showdowns within the males’s competitors.

And it was the Energy ending on high in that first conflict.

Now it is the ladies’s flip to battle for bragging rights for the very first time.

That sentiment was echoed by Port Adelaide’s inaugural coach Lauren Arnell.

“We skilled right here final night time and that was an actual vibe, this venue is wonderful. I completely love Adelaide Oval and our group does too, so the vibe is unreal,” Arnell mentioned main into the sport.

Former gamers anticipate loads of warmth

The historic conflict will pit the expertise of premiership winners Adelaide and Port’s younger creating aspect — some solely 5 video games into their careers.

“We clearly have a reasonably younger midfield, however we even have a extremely shortly creating and connecting midfield that’ll have a pleasant problem forward of them [on Friday] night time,” Arnell mentioned.

It’s going to even be the primary time former Crows star Erin Phillips goes up towards her former aspect for premiership factors.

She was certainly one of three gamers who made the change to the Energy within the low season.

“I undoubtedly do not hate the Crows,” Phillips mentioned on Wednesday.

“Clearly, for me, that is going to be a bit bit bizarre, a bit bit unusual, enjoying towards my former teammates however, on the finish of the day, I am a competitor.

Including to the expertise, there’s each likelihood Phillips might line up towards her good buddy and former co-captain Chelsea Randall.

“Irrespective of who she matches up on every week I anticipate [Chelsea Randall] to [compete hard],” Phillips mentioned.

“If it is me she runs alongside, I might anticipate that.

“We’re nice mates and we’ve got quite a lot of respect for one another however, on the finish of the day, we each play to win.”

Her former coach mentioned followers might anticipate to see the pair line up on one another at some stage all through the match.

“What I find out about them each, fierce rivals, they usually’ll each be determined to win this recreation of footy they usually’ll be doing no matter they will to get their crew over the road,” Clarke mentioned.

‘Once we cross the white line, it is recreation on’

Randall has been one of many dominant defenders of the competitors since its inception.

Earlier this week she mentioned she nonetheless could not consider how far the competitors had come.

“It is one thing that we have been trying ahead to for a really very long time,” Randall mentioned earlier this week.

“It is fairly surreal and you retain type of punching your self, the journey that you have been on, the journey that we have shared and the journey that awaits us, it is fairly wonderful.”