West Coast has spoiled Adelaide's celebrations for Ben Hart's 300th AFL match with a gallant two-point win - 13.12 (90) to 13.10 (88) - at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

The skilful, hard-running Eagles stunned the home team - and a crowd of 43,206 - with a five-goal surge in 12 minutes from late in the second quarter until early in the third term, and then survived the Crows' storming finish.

It gave the Eagles a 14-13 win-loss record against Adelaide, but only 4-10 return at AAMI Stadium.

West Coast had enjoyed nine 'free' days since its 18-point first round win against St Kilda at Subiaco last Thursday week, while the Crows had had only a six-day break since beating Collingwood by 34 points at Telstra Dome last Monday night.

But this seemed a lame reason or excuse for the marked difference between the teams at times - and, in any case, it ignored the way Adelaide flew home so strongly.

The Crows trailed by 32 points - 5.7 to 10.9 - late in the third quarter and by 27 points at three-quarter time - 7.7 to 11.10 - but piled on 5.3 to 0.1 to lead by five points at the 18-minute mark of the final term before goals to Rowan Jones and Brent Staker regained the lead for the Eagles.

Nathan Bassett goaled soon after for Adelaide but West Coast held on with some desperate defence.

Big Dean Cox was best for the Eagles - and best afield - with 29 hit-outs, 17 kicks, seven handpasses and nine marks.

Rowan Jones, Andrew Embley, Matt Rosa, Ben Cousins, Michael Braun, Daniel Kerr and Chris Judd also were prolific ball-winners, and Jaymie Graham and Staker (three goals each) were big, strong forward targets.

Mark Ricciuto, closely attended by former team-mate Tyson Stenglein, kicked five of Adelaide's 13 goals - two in the first quarter, one in the third and two in the last - but lacked marking support ahead of centre.

Simon Goodwin, Tyson Edwards, Scott Thompson and Andrew McLeod were busy midfielders, and Hart and Graham Johncock were lively defenders for the Crows.

Hart took a spectacular 'hanger' across half-back in the first quarter and continued to clear with his customary dash and immaculate disposal.

Adelaide chief executive officer Steven Trigg announced before the match that the club would retire Hart's No.34 guernsey - after he had retired - because of his 'enormous contribution to the club 'and as 'a demonstration of the club's appreciation and respect for that contribution'.

The Crows had the better of the first quarter but had only an 11-point lead to show for it at the first break - 3.3 to 1.4.

Ricciuto kicked the second and third of Adelaide's goals but booted two behinds in between.

The difference was still 11 points nearly eight minutes into the second term - 4.3 to 2.4 - but West Coast added 4.2 to 0.2 until half-time, with three of the goals coming in the last eight minutes as the Crows made too many turnovers through skill errors and the Eagles' runners swooped.

Goals to Staker and Graham (his second) in the first four minutes of the third quarter enabled the Eagles to stretch their half-time lead to 25 points.

They looked to be running away with the game to the extent that nobody could have been quite prepared for Adelaide's dramatic turnaround and the tense finale, even though the Crows were kicking with the aid of a stiff breeze.

Adelaide coach Neil Craig said his players' last-quarter resurgence was 'a credit to their fighting spirit', but he praised the Eagles for playing 'pretty good footy' and they had deserved to win.

"I thought some of our aerial work was really poor - contested marks in their forward line, they were very good, we were very poor there," Craig said.

"Our execution was nowhere near good enough - (but) better in the last quarter. We were pretty stilted all game, apart from the last quarter when we were a bit better. But we didn't play with any flow-on sort of footy."

West Coast coach John Worsfold said his players had worked hard enough early but doubted they were working with 'true belief' until the second term when they showed 'grit' and 'lot more confidence'.

"Just to win against a top-quality opposition in good form … and they were ready to go, so we knew it was going to be a tough game," Worsfold said.

"We just had to back ourselves and believe in the players, so we left them in their roles and they came through."


WEST COAST: 1.4, 6.6, 11.10, 13.12 (90)
ADELAIDE: 3.3, 4.5, 7.7, 13.10 (88)
GOALS – West Coast: Graham 3, Staker 3, Sampi 2, Cousins 2, Fletcher, Lynch, Jones
Adelaide: Ricciuto 5, Bode 2, van Berlo, Stevens, Biglands, Perrie, McLeod
BEST – West Coast: Jones, Staker, Embley, Cox, Kerr, Hunter, Rosa, Braun, Wirrpanda
Adelaide: Goodwin, Johncock, Edwards, Riccuito, McLeod, Reilly, Hart, Clarke
INJURIES - West Coast Nil Adelaide: Knights (bruised shoulder)
CHANGES – West Coast: Gaspar replaced in the selected side by Rosa
Adelaide: Hentschel (calf) replaced in the selected side by Stevens
REPORTS - Lynch (WC) reported for attempting to trip Andrew McLeod (Adel) in the third quarter
UMPIRES - McBurney, Head, Woodcock
CROWD - 43,206 at AAMI Stadium