Adelaide survived a late Sydney fightback for a thrilling one-point win - 9.8 (62) to 8.13 (61) - in a low-scoring Wizard Regional Challenge Series struggle in wet, slippery conditions at AAMI Stadium on Friday night.

Matthew Nicks kicked four goals in the first 16 minutes of the final quarter to give the Swans the lead for the first time since late in the second term, but Jacob Schuback goaled to put the Crows in front again only three-and-a-half minutes before the desperate finish.

Continual light rain in the first half and a heavier drizzle throughout the second half made conditions extremely difficult - a greasy ball and an equally greasy, but well-grassed, surface.

It was hard to fathom what positives either side could take from the scrap, other than plenty of exercise and a competitive workout, particularly in the smothers-and-tackles department.

So, in that regard, it was more beneficial than a long training run but, with the ball as elusive as a piece of wet soap, players had a constant battle to use their skills effectively and stay on their feet.

Adelaide coach Neil Craig said: "It's always nice to win. Whatever team we put out there, we expect to play with a winning attitude.

"Luckily the scoreboard's fallen our way two weeks in a row. The reality is, when it gets down to two points there's a bit of luck involved.

"It was hard for both sides to get any flow or any style of game organised, but the positive of it was our ability to lift our intensity around the stoppages in the second half. I thought we were way out of kilter there in the first half.

"And the other pleasing thing is that, with the closeness of the game and when there's a bit of pressure on, it's good experience for (Nathan) Van Berlo, (Matthew) Smith, (Trent) Hentschel, (Nathan) Bock to play in those types of games where there is a bit of heat on - and (John) Meesen to come into the ruck and all those young guys, you can't buy it.

"It's better for those guys to play in that sort of environment and situation than it is if we are six or seven goals up. You find a lot more about people, so to us that was a real positive."

Sydney coach Paul Roos said: "We got everything we probably wanted to get out of the game in terms of coming over here with a pretty good side, certainly better than we've had, against what I consider a good team in pretty ordinary conditions.

"So it was probably a win, not on the scoreboard, but in terms of what we wanted to achieve."

Sydney led 2.9 to 2.3 at the 21-minute mark of the second quarter, but Adelaide lifted its workrate and efficiency to outscore Sydney 6.4 to 2.3 before Nicks performed his late heroics.

Sydney started well and, with strong running through the midfield, scored 1.2, with Adam Schneider snapping the goal, before Adelaide replied with a goal from Trent Hentschel, and Scott Welsh soccered the Crows' second goal from the goalsquare late in the first term

Ben Fixter's set shot from deep in the right pocket at the northern end sailed through for Sydney's second goal, and behinds to Amon Buchanan and Darren Jolly left the Swans four points ahead at quarter-time - 2.6 to 2.2.

Adelaide defender Jason Torney limped off with a right hip injury early in the second quarter, in which the first score - a behind from Welsh - did not come until the nine-minute mark as both teams struggled to handle the slippery conditions.

Adelaide had only four other scores for the term - a late goal to Mark Stevens, behinds to Chris Ladhams and Brett Burton, and a goal almost on the siren to Andrew McLeod, while Sydney added just four points - three of them rushed - and the Crows led by seven points at half-time - 4.5 to 2.10.

Finally finding ways to penetrate the Swans previously flooded defence, the Crows established a seemingly match-winning 19-point break by adding 4.2 to 2.2 in the third quarter to lead 8.7 to 4.12 at the last change - and then came Nicks.

The Crows used 28 players and did not consider Ben Hart, Rhett Biglands, Ken McGregor, Michael Doughty, Hayden Skipworth, Luke Jericho, Scott Stevens and Scott Thompson, while the Swans' 26 did not include Adam Goodes, Nick Davis, Michael O'Loughlin, Jared Crouch, Luke Ablett, Andrew Schauble, Josh Willoughby, Lewis Roberts-Thomson and long-term knee victim Jason Saddington.

Adelaide will play Melbourne at Optus Oval next Friday afternoon and Sydney will meet Collingwood in Newcastle next Saturday.

ADELAIDE: 2.2, 4.5, 8.7, 9.8 (62)
SYDNEY: 2.6, 2.10, 4.12, 8.13 (61)
GOALS – Adelaide: M. Stevens 2, Goodwin 2, Hentschel, Welsh, McLeod, Reilly, Schuback. Sydney: Nicks 4, Schneider 2, Fixter, Williams.
BEST – Adelaide: Goodwin, Hudson, McLeod, Hentschel, Reilly, Rutten. Sydney: Dempster, Kirk, Buchanan, Nicks, Williams, Schneider.
INJURIES – Adelaide: Torney (bruised back). Sydney: Ball (bruised arm).
UMPIRES - Margetts, Rowe, Hendrie, Dey.
CROWD - 5829 at AAMI Stadium.