Adelaide narrowly fell to Collingwood at Adelaide Oval on Saturday afternoon, going down by five points.

In wet and windy conditions, the Magpies trailed for much of the match against a spirited Crows side, before stepping up a gear in the last quarter to secure the 14.7 (91) to 13.8 (86).

Collingwood trailed by 16 points late in the third quarter but rallied with the next four goals before edging a see-sawing final term thriller.

Jamie Elliott looked to have kicked the sealer when he put the Pies ahead by 16 points with seven minutes to go, but Adelaide hit back with two goals in a minute from Lachlan Murphy and Taylor Walker to ensure a tense final five minutes.

But the Magpies held on for an emotion-charged victory in Captain Scott Pendlebury's 350th milestone game.

Rory Laird was Adelaide's best with an AFL-record 20 tackles along with 31 disposals.

Veteran forward Walker gave everything, finishing with five majors, and small forward Lachlan Murphy booted three.

Laird's tackle record highlighted the intensity of the contest, with a remarkable game tackle count of 127-108 in favour of the Pies.

Adelaide had jumped the Pies with the first three goals of the game, opening up a 20-point buffer, before the visitors responded with the next four started by Nick Daicos with a running goal from just inside 50.

The lead changes were frequent in the second with both sides trading goals.

The Crows kicked the final three goals of the first half and added another early in the third from Murphy to open up a 16-point lead before Jack Ginnivan halted their run.

The visitors trailed by three points at the final change after goals from Pendlebury and Josh Carmichael late in the third, and Daicos kicked the first two of the fourth, before the Pies clung on for a key victory.

Adelaide plays Sydney on Saturday, July 23, at the SCG at 1.15pm (ACST).

ADELAIDE               3.2     7.6    10.8    13.8 (86)
COLLINGWOOD      4.1     6.3    10.5    14.7 (81)

GOALS
Adelaide: Walker 5, Murphy 3, Fogarty 2, Thilthorpe, McAdam, Hinge
Collingwood: N.Daicos 3, Mihocek 2, Johnson 2, Sidebottom, Cameron, McCreery, Ginnivan, Pendlebury, Carmichael, Elliott

BEST
Adelaide: Laird, Walker, Dawson, Berry, Thilthorpe, Murphy
Collingwood: N.Daicos, Pendlebury, Maynard, Carmichael, Cameron, Lipinski

INJURIES 
Adelaide: Nil
Collingwood: Nil

SUBSTITUTES 
Adelaide: James Rowe (unused)
Collingwood: Oliver Henry (unused)