Adelaide’s SANFL side has returned to the winners' list, knocking off North Adelaide by 38 points at Prospect Oval on Saturday afternoon.

The Crows started and finished the game well, keeping the Roosters goalless in the opening term, before piling on five goals in the fourth quarter to win 14.9 (93) to 7.13 (55).

Here are the five key takeaways from the match.

McHenry’s strong connection with teammates

Forward Ned McHenry helped get Adelaide off to a strong start, building on his connection with teammates to create strong inside-50 opportunities.

McHenry positioned himself well, knowing when to push up the ground and support the midfielders or stay inside 50 and he had his hand in many of Adelaide’s scoring chances.

“Since he has come back his attitude has been first class, what he does for us is so important with us having a young forward line,” SANFL Assistant Coach Matthew Wright said.

“He had some opportunities where he probably could’ve had a shot on goal but did the team thing, which he has been doing for the last three to four weeks.”

McHenry finished with 22 disposals, six marks and four inside-50s.

Burgess reliable in the air

Forward Chris Burgess proved to be a reliable set of hands throughout the afternoon for Adelaide, plucking multiple big grabs.

Burgess was reliable whenever the play was kicked in his direction, either able to out-muscle his man and take the mark or create a contest bringing the ball to ground.

“I thought he was outstanding today, it’s a tough gig one vs one,” Wright said.

“There was just some grit where he was out of position and his work rate to consistently be in good spots, I am glad he came away with some reward.”

Burgess recorded 13 disposals, eight marks – five contested – three inside-50s and two majors.

Tall backs limit oppositions fire power

Adelaide’s tall defenders Jack Madgen and James Borlase stood strong against the Roosters' key forwards, limiting their impact.

Madgen got his hands on plenty of the footy, and showed his versatility against tall and small opponents, while Borlase was at his consistent best, rarely beaten one-on-one.

“I thought the backs were the rockstars today, they just kept the game in a fight for us even when North got a run on,” said Wright.

“They have played a bit of footy together now Boz and Madge, so we are getting some continuity with those blokes and they just consistently perform week to week.”

Madgen finished with a team-high 27 disposals and seven marks, while Borlase had 18 disposals and six rebound 50s.

Schoenberg leads from the front

On-baller Harry Schoenberg was not afraid to get in and under to win the contested ball for Adelaide, with his effort unwavering throughout the game.

Wright was impressed with how the 22-year-old approached the game, often being Adelaide’s most experienced midfielder at centre bounces, along with fighting through extra attention from the opposition.

“His leadership for those young midfielders and at times our young team has been important, he is a real strong on field leader,” Wright said.

“He’s getting tagged most weeks now, they put a really good midfielder on him to try and nullify him and he just fights his way through it.”

Schoenberg amassed 20 disposals, five tackles and three inside 50s.

Curtin continues to grow in midfield role

First-year player Dan Curtin took another step forward against North Adelaide, playing his third game in a row in the middle where he showed his class.

Curtin was strong in the contest, while drifting forward to hit the scoreboard, finishing with two goals.

“He continues to grow, he played a lot of junior footy as a mid," Wright said.

“His off the ball stuff, his contest stuff, he has really grown as a player.”

Curtin recorded 20 disposals, five marks, five clearances and four inside 50s.

Adelaide’s SANFL side plays Woodville West Torrens at Woodville Oval on Sunday with the first bounce at 2:10pm.

ADELAIDE: 3.2  5.2  9.7  14.9 (93)
NORTH: 0.2  5.9  6.10  7.13  (55)

GOALS:

Adelaide: T.Murray 3, Burgess, Curtin, Welsh 2, McDonald, Schoenberg, Daniele, Gollant, Jones.
North: Harvey, McKenzie 2, McInerney, Coombe, Lockyer.

BEST:
Madgen, Jones, McHenry, Curtin, Burgess, Tahana, Borlase.