The Dockers, coming off loss at home to the Kangaroos last week, were fired up for the contest and gave plenty of cheek throughout the night before Matthew Pavlich sealed the 14.8 (92) to 12.8 (80) win with a goal in the dying seconds.
The Crows had pulled to within a point midway through the term and seemed likely to overrun the visitors, but it was not to be.
Adelaide captain Mark Ricciuto led from the front once again and finished as the leading possession-winner for the match with 34 telling disposals.
Young Brent Reilly continued his recent good form with 22 disposals and 10 marks, while the usual suspects, Tyson Edwards and Andrew McLeod did their bit also with 22 possessions apiece.
Adelaide's form forward Scott Welsh bagged four important goals.
Byron Schammer did well for the Dockers with 29 disposals and nine marks and was assisted well in the midfield by Paul Hasleby who finished with 26 possessions.
Troy Simmonds gave the Dockers the start they were after with a strong mark and goal in the second minute of the match but neither side was able to gain the ascendancy with most of the play occurring between the two half-forward lines.
Welsh slotted Adelaide’s first at the six-minute mark but it was 11 minutes before either side was able to score another major with Simmonds bagging his second for the night to break the goal drought.
The Crows suffered a blow when young forward Trent Hentschel limped from the ground with an ankle injury but Tyson Stenglein – playing in his 100th AFL game – snapped truly soon after to give Adelaide a slender one-point lead at quarter time.
Adelaide piled on the pressure early in the second term with goals to Andrew McLeod, Graham Johncock and Welsh within the first five minutes of the restart.
The Dockers held their nerve, however, and came storming back into contention when Des Headland sparked a four-goal run with his first major at the 13-minute mark.
Freo was back in front when Justin Longmuir goaled and despite a quick reply from Rhett Biglands held a five-point lead at half time thanks to a late goal from Pavlich.
Michael Doughty won’t remember a lot of his 50th game for Adelaide after he copped a stray knee to the head late in the term and left the ground with the help of two trainers.
Welsh bagged his third major five minutes into the third quarter to regain the lead for Adelaide but it was all Fremantle after that.
Schammer, Hasleby and Bell all got busy around the stoppages and repeatedly sent the Dockers into attack, but with all the play they managed only 3.6 for the term to leave the door slightly ajar for the Crows. Both Paul Medhurst and Pavlich missed shots they should have converted.
Peter Bell put Freo 20 points up early in the final quarter but quick goals to Simon Goodwin, McLeod and a brilliant snap from Johncock saw the gap close to just one point with 13 minutes gone.
However, Roger Hayden and Hasleby both goaled soon after to steady the ship for the Dockers with Pavlich later sealing the win despite a late goal from Welsh.
Adelaide coach Neil Craig had mixed feelings about his second defeat in three matches in charge.
"At the end of the day it’s a loss and it really starts to eat away at you but that’s what the competition is about," Craig said.
"The club knows that is not acceptable and we’re not in it just to play the season out and we won’t be. Having said that, some things that we tried (and) some of the younger players were very, very encouraging and I think just our overall courage in a whole range of areas – certainly from a coaching perspective – only gives me admiration for the group of guys that we have.
"We got tied up on the interchange bench (through injury), but I think at the end of the day Fremantle were just a bit more competent than us in some areas.
"We accept that, we analyse it (and) we make some decisions on he we can improve ourselves."
Adelaide: 2.3, 7.2, 8.5, 12.8 (80)
Fremantle: 2.2, 6.3, 10.8, 14.8 (92)
Goals: Adelaide: Welsh 4, Johncock 2, McLeod 2, Watts, Biglands, Stenglein, Goodwin
Fremantle: Simmonds 2, Headland 2, Medhurst 2, Pavlich 2, Bell, McManus, Hasleby
Best: Adelaide: Ricciuto, Reilly, Johncock, Welsh, McLeod, Stenglein
Fremantle: Schammer, Hasleby, Headland, Bell, Thornton, Pavlich
Injuries: Adelaide: Hentschel (ankle), Doughty (concussion)
Fremantle: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Rowe, Meredith, Woodcock
Crowd: 34,855 at AAMI Stadium
