THE TIME has come for a Showdown double header at Adelaide Oval.

Last weekend's AFLW clash between Port Adelaide and Adelaide, which saw the Power record their maiden Showdown victory, was a fun, free-flowing affair.

There was also plenty of spot-fires throughout the match; the on-field camaraderie that had briefly developed from the cross-pollination between the two clubs when Port Adelaide first entered the competition has all but evaporated.

The Power's improvement in recent years, coupled with a waning Crows outfit, means the battles between the two teams will be more even going forward, compared to the first game between the two that saw Adelaide win by 60 points.

This rivalry is real, and it's time to give it the biggest stage.

A crowd of 5,434 poured into Norwood Oval on Friday night, more than halfway to the capacity of 9,600. The unique atmosphere of Norwood makes it a special venue, but numbers would surely swell if the game was played at Adelaide Oval.

And the South Australian community has a track record of showing up for AFLW games; nearly 21,000 attended the first Showdown between the two at Adelaide Oval in 2022, while the venue also holds the record for the biggest ever AFLW crowd of 53,034 at the 2019 Grand Final.

The 2026 AFLW season will begin in the week of August 10, meaning there will once again be a cross-over period of several weeks between the men's and women's seasons.

And with Adelaide Oval quickly shifting into cricket mode at the end of the men's football season, there is a limited window to play AFLW games at the state's premier ground.

The build-up to the men's Showdown always dominates the media landscape in South Australia, with heavily attended press conferences and training sessions in the week leading into the match, and near-guaranteed coverage nationally.

Why not leverage this existing media infrastructure and interest to also promote the women's edition at the same time?

The SANFL clash between the two clubs currently serves as a curtain-raiser to the men's game, but a triple-header across a full Saturday afternoon and evening is worth considering.

The second of two men's Showdowns has been played in round 20 or later in each of the past five seasons, so the timing lines up.

AFL.com.au understands the concept of a Showdown double header has not yet been formally discussed by the two clubs or League officials, and that the AFLW's Growth Strategy says double headers need to be strategic and repeatable, and not one-offs.

But the recent NRLW Grand Final, played in front of a crowd of 46,288 ahead of the men's NRL Grand Final that night, shows the power of the idea.

South Australians love their sport, and both clubs have growing, passionate fan bases of their women's side, with opposition AFLW players often commenting on the hostile conditions they face when playing in Adelaide.

A double header would capitalise on existing media interest for the men's game, expose potentially thousands of new fans to the AFLW and allow the men's and women's programs at the two clubs to build together in a full celebration of South Australian sport.