Unlikely hero Mark Keane produces one of the marks of the year to help Crows win epic Showdown

Unheralded Adelaide defender Mark Keane has produced one of the marks of the year to help his side beat Port Adelaide by five points in an epic Showdown.

The Crows looked home when superstar Izak Rankine kicked two goals in a magical minute, but the Power set up a grandstand finish with a late goal to reduce the margin to less than a kick with just over a minute remaining.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Keane’s match-saving mark.

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They got the next centre clearance through Jason Horne-Francis, who kicked long to set up what looked like would be another scoring opportunity.

But Keane had other ideas.

He bravely ran back with the flight and clunked a match-saving mark.

“What a mark, what a mark! That man has taken one of the marks of the year,” Garry Lyon said in commentary.

“We’ve seen some great marks in our time and to the people who judge mark of the week and mark of the year, this has to be in the (mix).

“In the context of where they are, look what he does, back into traffic, not knowing what’s coming the other way at a critical time. He’s just a hero.”

Reilly O’Brien pulled down another big mark moments later as the Crows held on for a 13.11 (89) to 12.12 (84) victory.

The Crows held a slender two-point advantage at the final change before Darcy Fogarty kicked the all-important first foal of the last quarter.

Then it turned into the Rankine show.

First he received a handball from Reilly O’Brien before brilliantly finishing on the run to put the Crows up by 15 points.

Then from the next centre bounce, captain Jordan Dawson kicked forward and Fogarty spilled an easy mark only to watch as Rankine came flying in and soccered the loose ball out of mid-air for an incredible goal.

“I just threw my boot at it and it went through, it was nice,” Rankine told Fox Footy after the match.

WATCH IN THE VIDEO BELOW: Rankine’s stunning goal in the Showdown.

It put the Crows up by 21 points, the biggest lead of the match.

The Power reduced the margin to four points in the closing stages, but Keane stood tool to ice the game.

“It’ll be hard to beat (for Mark of the Year),” David King added.

It capped an eventful game for Keane, who was earlier reported for kicking Jeremy Finlayson.

Adelaide retain a grip on fifth spot with Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty slotting three goals each and Rankine, Josh Rachele and Ben Keays booting two.

Thilthorpe was an immense aerial presence, grabbing 10 marks – half of them contested – while ex-Giant James Peatling (24 disposals) and defender Josh Worrell (23) were influential.

Port skipper Connor Rozee was superb at halfback with 32 touches and a goal and his deputy Zak Butters (33 possessions) was typically busy.

Miles Bergman’s tag on Jordan Dawson (14 disposals) paid off, Finlayson slotted three goals and Mitch Georgiades, Darcy Byrne-Jones and Sam Powell-Pepper scored two apiece.

Adelaide opened with a dominant quarter-hour for a 15-1 lead but led by only three at quarter-time, 3.4 to 3.1.

An after-the-siren conversion from Crow Josh Rachele gave Adelaide a five-point buffer at halftime, 7.8 to 7.3.

The tide turned towards Port early in the third quarter with Rozee scoring after a 50m penalty against Rankine rapidly followed by a Powell-Pepper strike.

The Power led by nine points before the Crows rallied with the next three goals – the first from Thilthorpe after another strong mark – for an eight-point lead.

But a stunning snap from a tight angle by Jason Horne-Francis reduced Port’s deficit to just two points at three quarter-time.

The Crows then kicked three goals in four minutes and were 21 21 points up before Port’s late flourish – Byrne-Jones and Finlayson goaled only for their side to fall just short.

– With AAP