Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says his club's rivalry with home-town foe Adelaide is unsurpassed in the AFL.
The Power meet the Crows on Saturday night in the latest instalment of a rivalry which Hinkley says should captivate the competition.
"It's as big as you get when it comes to our competition," he told reporters on Friday.
"I don't think there's a bigger game in the competition than Port Adelaide versus Adelaide.
"I just think it's a massive game and they have been such great games that they even grow."
The South Australian foes have met 45 times - Adelaide have won 23 and Port 22 - with 17 games decided by two goals or less.
Last season, both of the games dubbed Showdowns were won with the last goal of the game.
"Those two games were as good a games of footy as you would have seen throughout the year," Crows coach Don Pyke told reporters on Friday.
"They are always tough games but great games and and that is what footy is about."
Pyke's Crows carry favouritism into Saturday night despite both clubs having a four-three win-loss record this season.
Adelaide take a three-game winning streak into the fixture against a Port side weakened by injury.
The Power's co-captains Ollie Wines (fractured leg) and Tom Jonas (calf) will be sidelined, along with stalwart Brad Ebert (concussion) while vice-captain Hamish Hartlett (hamstring) and spearhead Charlie Dixon (broken ankle) are yet to play this year.
But Pyke noted he was also missing first-choice players such as ruckman Sam Jacobs (knee), Bryce Gibbs (back), Paul Seedsman (knee) and Wayne Milera (shoulder).
The Crows boss dismissed suggestions it was a good time to play an injury-hit Port.
"I don't buy into that, to be honest," Pyke said.
"Our players ... really clearly understand this competition - every week is a significant challenge because there's no easy games and we have seen that all throughout the year."
Pyke also rejected any concern at recalling Luke Brown for his first AFL game of the season - the half-back only returned to state league ranks last week after a long-term ankle injury.
"He has done a fair volume of work so we're confident that our high performance guys have got him ready to play," Pyke said.
