The first match between the Port Adelaide and Adelaide football clubs had been at least 7 years in the making, and when it arrived in Round 4 of 1997 it took over the state. The media said it was the ‘ultimate showdown’, and so it was.

It was a complicated rivalry between the clubs – there were different interpretations of events from the years gone by depending on who you supported – but everyone agreed on one thing: it was very important to win the first one.

So where were you that day? Could you get a ticket to the game? What is your lasting memory from the match? We’d love a collection of stories from that unforgettable game below as we fire up for Balfours Showdown XXVI on Saturday night.