Adelaide capped star on-baller Rory Laird's 200th AFL game with a 16-point victory over West Coast at Optus Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Crows' 16.6 (102) to 13.8 (86) win was the final game for West Coast Premiership forward Josh Kennedy, who has decided to hang up his boots after a career spanning 17 seasons.
In an afternoon of high drama, the Eagles produced a desperate, fighting effort to send their spiritual leader out in style, but the Crows held their nerve late to spoil the party.
There were goals in every quarter from Kennedy, as he threatened to single-handedly win the game for his team.
But he stumbled late, missing a closer-range effort before the Crows kicked the final two goals of the match.
Crows key forward Darcy Fogarty was the hero, kicking three of his four goals in the final quarter to ensure the late-season triumph.
Elliott Himmelberg stood up with two key involvements late, converting a crucial late goal, before tackling Jack Redden as the midfielder was about to pump the ball inside 50 for the Eagles.
Laird was terrific in his milestone game, finishing with 36 disposals, 10 clearances and two goals to be the best midfielder on the ground and a crucial contributor in the second half.
After an emotional build-up to the first bounce, Adelaide sucked the air out of the hosts within 40 seconds, surging forward for milestone man Laird to snap the opening goal of the match.
Frustration for the Eagles then turned to panic within five minutes as the Crows added two more and raced to an 18-point lead.
But as he has done on big occasions before, Kennedy stepped up to settle his team, marking close to the boundary and slotting his set shot from just inside 50m before turning to celebrate with the crowd.
An arm-wrestle ensued, and Kennedy kept presenting, slotting back-to-back goals late in the quarter from 50m to get his team back in the contest.
West Coast's pressure continued in the second quarter to have the better of general play, before capitalising with a run of three goals to Jamie Cripps, Jack Darling and then Kennedy's fourth, from a 40m set shot.
With Taylor Walker being shut out of the contest by Tom Barrass at the other end of the ground, Darcy Fogarty stepped up to land an impressive goal from long range.
The margin was only two points at the main break, but West Coast could point to several indicators, including inside 50s (31-18), clearances (26-21), disposals (196-132) and tackles (45-34) to show they had control of the contest.
That's when Adelaide really lifted, starting the second half by kicking back-to-back goals and building a 10-point lead on the back of some excellent stoppage work from Laird.
The Crows' pressure lifted and ball-movement became more focused, playing the game in the front half and finally creating an opportunity for Walker, who got clear of Barrass to covert.
When Jamaine Jones gave away a 50m penalty for lingering in the protected zone, Elliot Himmelberg was sent within range and kicked the Crows' fourth straight goal, giving them a 23-point lead.
Again it was Kennedy who settled the Eagles, running backwards to mark and kicking his fifth, before marking close to the 50m and squeezing home his sixth.
The drama of the final quarter made for a gripping finish to Kennedy's career, with the teams trading blows but Adelaide always keeping at least one goal clear of their opponents.
Fogarty and Himmelberg were the villains for the packed crowd, which rode every bump late before Fogarty iced the game in the final minutes.
WEST COAST 3.3 7.4 9.5 13.8 (86)
ADELAIDE 4.0 7.2 12.4 16.6 (102)
GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 8, Cripps 2, Darling 2, Duggan
Adelaide: Fogarty 4, McAdam 3, Laird 2, McHenry 2, Himmelberg 2, Hinge, Murphy, Walker
BEST
West Coast: Kennedy, Barrass, Naitanui, Kelly, Shuey, Hurn
Adelaide: Laird, Fogarty, Dawson, McAdam, Hinge, Berry
INJURIES
West Coast: Nil
Adelaide: Hamill (head knock)
SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Rhett Bazzo (unused)
Adelaide: Ben Davis (replaced Will Hamill in the second quarter)
