Adelaide has held off a frantic finish from Carlton to sneak home by three points at AAMI Stadium on Friday night.
On the back of five goals from Taylor Walker, the Crows won 4.11.7 (109) to 2.13.10 (106).
Despite the match looking over at three-quarter-time with Adelaide leading by as much as 30 points, the Blues kept the Crows scoreless in the last and stormed home with four goals before running out of time.
Walker was sensational for the Crows – proving his mojo is far from lost.
Less than a week after he was kept goalless and made to look second-rate by Geelong's Harry Taylor, the mulleted man was at his very best on Friday night, banging through two super goals in his five-goal bag.
A bulked-up Walker took seven marks and had 16 possessions on his way to a stunning return to form.
While poor defending allowed Walker to slot his second nine-pointer in the third quarter, his first was straight out of a Wayne Carey highlights reel as he wheeled around off the mark and nailed it from 55m.
Adelaide's advantage at stoppages led to scoreboard ascendancy and Josh Jenkins' second goal ensured his side skipped away to an early lead.
Blue Dennis Armfield turned on the jets to run down reigning AFL Grand Final sprint champion Patrick Dangerfield not once, but twice, in the opening term, and then sold some candy to boot his first – reducing the margin to two goals just before the first change.
Pint-sized Crow Ian Callinan made way for Graham Johncock at quarter time; subbed out because of a knee injury.
Eddie Betts was kept quiet in the first term by young defender Luke Brown, but he made something out of nothing to set Kane Lucas up for his third major.
When Brock McLean hammered home a super goal from the next centre-bounce, Adelaide's lead was just two points.
It started to rain nine-pointers as the main change approached; Walker, Sam Jacobs and Carlton star Marc Murphy all nailing long bombs.
Scott Thompson was in the thick of things with 17 first-half possessions and Brent Reilly was superb across half-back with 12 touches at 100 per cent efficiency.
When Crows skipper Nathan van Berlo and the highly touted Brad Crouch goaled in the third term, Adelaide threatened to take the match away from Carlton.
Bernie Vince and Walker added super goals and the home side's increased to 23 points.
The Blues looked gone when Adelaide's lead reached five goals but, with a Grand Final berth on the line, the Blues hit back in the last, dominating possession and managing to pull the lead back to 10 points.
Chris Yarran brought his side to within three points with just minutes to play and the Blues looked like pinching a thriller at AAMI Stadium, until Matthew Jaench ran down Jeff Garlett giving the Crows vital possession… and sealing the win.
ADELAIDE 0.6.2 2.7.4 4.11.7 4.11.7 (109)
CARLTON 0.4.2 2.7.4 2.9.7 2.13.10 (106)
SUPERGOALS
Adelaide: Walker 2, Jacobs, Vince
Carlton: Murphy, McLean
GOALS
Adelaide: Walker 3, Jenkins 2, Petrenko, Johncock, Douglas, Crouch, Dangerfield, van Berlo.
Carlton: Lucas 3, Armfield, Robinson 2, Scotland, McLean, Hampson, Garlett, Yarran
BEST
Adelaide: Reilly, Thompson, Walker, van Berlo,
Carlton: Carrazzo, McLean, Lucas, Armfield
INJURIES
Adelaide: Callinan (leg)
Carlton: None
Official crowd: 7,511 at AAMI Stadium
