The Crows got the jump at the start of the game, kicking five goals to one, and when they got the first of the second quarter, the margin was almost five goals, but Wayne Carey kickstarted a Roo fightback that saw them draw level by half-time with the last five goals.
The Kangaroos got the first of the second half as Adelaide appeared to be wasting its chances, but with Bryan Bienke kicking three goals either side of three-quarter time, the Crows did just enough to get home, 12.18.90 to 10.15.75.
“North’s had the wood on us,” winning coach Gary Ayres said. “We had to maintain the standard from last week, and I’m really proud of the way the guys fought. The pressure was on to perform and that’s what we did.”
After the tough battle of the first half, Simon Goodwin across midfield, Matthew Clarke in the ruck and Bienke up forward proved the difference as they led their team home, while Andrew McLeod and veteran Darren Jarman also performed well.
“We wanted to play with the same emotion and passion tonight after last week’s win, and we did that,” Andrew Goodwin said. “Clarke and Bienke were very important for us in the second half. We wanted to be positive and take the game to them.”
The win came at a cost though, Adelaide losing Peter Vardy in the first quarter with a hamstring injury, before Kane Johnson left the field late in the second term with a fractured cheekbone.
For the Kangaroos, Jason McCartney was his team’s best player in his 150th game against his former club, with solid support from skipper Carey, midfielder Brent Harvey and fellow defender Byron Pickett.
McLeod opened the scoring for the Crows, before Carey got the reply for the Kangaroos, who dominated the early play but couldn’t put the score on the board, Sav Rocca particularly costly with three misses from as many shots.
Goals to Matthew Robran and former Roo Evan Hewitt sparked the home side, and when Vardy and McLeod added further goals, the Crows claimed a handy lead at the first break, 5.4.34 to 1.4.10.
Johnson scored the first goal after the resumption to extend the margin to 29 points, but Carey made no mistake after a mark for his second, and then capitalised on Pickett’s stripping of Nigel Smart for his third.
And the Kangaroo momentum continued as Harvey, Shannon Grant through a brilliant crumbing effort and Pickett all added goals to level the scores at the main break, 6.7.43 apiece.
With the Crows squandering chance after chance early in the third term with four behinds and one out on the full from countless forward thrusts, it was left to Bienke to reclaim the lead with a goal after Grant had put the Roos in front.
Hewitt kicked his second after a mark moments later, before Smart extended the lead to 15 points with a controversial free kick against McCartney in the goal square.
After three more poor misses for goal by the Crows, the Roos went forward for just the third time for the quarter for Carey to mark and kick his fourth goal to keep his team in the contest, as Adelaide led 9.15.69 to 8.10.58 at three-quarter time.
Bienke got the opening goal of the last quarter to give the Crows a handy three goal lead, but with Adelaide’s wasteful kicking in front of goal continuing, Rocca finally got his first roving a boundary line throw-in and kicking truly with his left.
When Dockers recruit Jess Sinclair got another from a free kick in front of goal, the Roos had closed the gap to just four points, but Bienke replied with his third, before Bienke and then Smart missed chances that could have sealed the game.
But after dominating possession for much of the quarter, Chris Ladhams finally put the Kangaroos away, swooping on a loose ball 60m out and slotting a long goal, before Corey McKernan, Harvey and Carey all missed late chances.
ADELAIDE 5.4 6.7 9.15 12.18(90)
KANGAROOS 1.4 6.7 8.10 10.15(75)
Goals: Adelaide: B Beinke 3 A McLeod 2 E Hewitt 2 N Smart M Robran K Johnson P Vardy C Ladhams. Kangaroos: W Carey 4 S Grant J Sinclair G Archer S Rocca B Pickett B Harvey.
Best: Adelaide: S Goodwin A McLeod T Edwards B Beinke M Bickley D Jarman. Kangaroos: D King W Carey J McCartney G Archer B Harvey B Pickett.
Injuries: Adelaide: P Vardy (hamstring) S Welsh (cheekbone).
Kangaroos: R Olarenshaw (hamstring)
Reports: nil
Umpires: M Ellis H Kennedy R Fox
Crowd: 37,596 at Football Park
