Fremantle was on the ropes six minutes into the third quarter when it trailed by 49 points - 3.2 to 10.9 - but, with centre half-forward Pavlich dominating, the Dockers rattled the Crows with an 11.2 to 4.1 finish, including 6.1 to 1.0 in the final term.
Pavlich kicked seven of those 11 goals after also having booted the first goal of the match.
Adelaide's 14.10 (94) to 14.4 (88) win was its ninth this season and lifted it into second position on the AFL ladder. It also boosted Adelaide's home-ground record against the Dockers to 8-1.
Fremantle led 2.1 to 1.1 at the 13-minute mark of the first term before Adelaide, with midfielders Tyson Edwards, Simon Goodwin, Mark Ricciuto and Brett Burton leading the way and supported by a disciplined defence, kicked six unanswered goals as the Dockers persisted with a short, indirect style of game that included too much wasteful handball.
Adelaide led by 20 points at quarter-time and 36 points at half-time, and it looked to be all over when the lead stretched to 49 points early in the third quarter.
Suddenly, the Dockers - and Pavlich - seized control.
Pavlich scored four of Fremantle's five third-quarter goals in a brilliant burst that forced Adelaide to move Nathan Bock to full back and bring Ben Rutten out to centre half-back on Pavlich, who had only four kicks and two handpasses in the first half.
Bock moved back on to Pavlich for the start of the final quarter in a reassuring vote of confidence in him by Adelaide's coach Neil Craig. But Adelaide centre half-forward Ken McGregor finished on Pavlich.
Pavlich pulled in a strong overhead mark in the goalmouth area and kicked his sixth goal at the nine-minute mark. It was Pavlich's third goal from a mark. The other three were from free kicks.
Pavlich's sixth goal came in the middle of a three-goal spurt that reduced Adelaide's lead to 25 points - 14.10 to 11.3 - 10 minutes into the final term. Heath Black, Fremantle highest possession winner, kicked the first of the three and Graham Polak booted the third.
Then the irrepressible Pavlich booted two more and Polak got his second, but time ran out for Fremantle, much to the relief of the Crows and the partisan crowd.
Adelaide coach Neil Craig said he was 'pleased' with the win and that luck was on the Crows' side, as it was on that of any team winning by up to 10 points.
"Our first half was outstanding, our third quarter matched Fremantle's and our last quarter was very disappointing," he said.
"But there was also an opposition out there playing for their lives after what they've been through, so a big tick to Fremantle. But there were some areas we weren’t happy with.
"We were just happy to try to save the game … we want to pride ourselves on being proactive and in charge of our own destiny, not being stupid and taking risks, but to play with some boldness and aggressiveness, and we certainly didn't do that in the last quarter.
"Unless we can address that very quickly - and our intention is to do that - we'll continue to see that sort of football, but that's not the football we want to play."
Fremantle coach Chris Connolly described the loss as 'frustrating' but said there were positives to build on.
"I'm really disappointed we didn't get the four points but I have a lot of respect for the players for their second-half effort," he said.
"It's a young defence and they made a lot of errors early that gave easy goals to Adelaide, and that's kind of haunted us in past games, but the whole group hung in there and I really respect that."
ADELAIDE: 5.3, 8.8, 13.10, 14.10 (94)
FREMANTLE: 2.1, 3.2, 8.3, 14.4 (88)
GOALS – Adelaide: Welsh 3, Edwards 2, Shirley 2, Hentschel 2, Perrie 2, McGregor 2, McLeod Fremantle: Pavlich 8, Polak 2, Medhurst, Carr, Headland, Black.
BEST – Adelaide: Edwards, Perrie, Goodwin, Burton, Shirley, McLeod, Ricciuto, Thompson Fremantle: Pavlich, Black, Hasleby, Schammer, J.Carr, Mundy, Cook
INJURIES – Adelaide: Ricciuto (broken nose) Fremantle: nil
CHANGES - Adelaide: Torney (hamstring) replaced in the selected side by van Berlo Fremantle: nil
REPORTS - Welsh (Adelaide) by umpire Goldspink for wrestling with Parker (Fremantle) in the final term. Parker by umpire Goldspink for wrestling with Welsh in the final term
UMPIRES - James, Head, Goldspink
CROWD - 41,794 at AAMI Stadium
