Goals: Adelaide: E Betts 4, T Lynch 3, M McGovern 2, P Seedsman 2, T Walker 2, J Jenkins, R Atkins, R Douglas. Sydney: I Heeney 4, L Franklin 4, B McGlynn 2, K Tippett 2, D Hannebery, H Cunningham, L Parker.

BEST: Adelaide: Sloane, Thompson, Laird, Betts, Smith, Atkins. Sydney: Hannebery, Kennedy, Franklin, Tippett, Parker, Heeney.

Injuries: Sydney: C Sinclair (infected foot) replaced in selected side by T Nankervis.

Umpires: Brett Rosebury, Luke Farmer, Nicholas Foot.

Official Crowd: 51,330 at Adelaide Oval.

Adelaide called on every ounce of courage to beat an equally brilliant Sydney Swans by 10 points in a thriller at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

In an game where fortunes changed so often, the Crows' miracle man Eddie Betts twice goaled in the dying minutes to stave off a brave Sydney to the roar of the 51,330 home crowd.

This was football at its finest. It had everything – excitement, skills, courage and especially the ability of both sides to shut the game down only to break it open again with a rush of goals.

They kicked 10 goals between them in the first half, and 21 in the second, and not one of them was easy.

It was a remarkable game, and perhaps it will be remembered most by 33-year-old Scott Thompson, who was among the home-town heroes in his 250th AFL game.

But in the far bigger picture, Adelaide showed they have come of age against the predictions of most outside of the club. It was said they had the worst draw and could be 0-8, but they are 3-1 and have put an end to the Swans' winning run.

This was huge for Adelaide. They had struggled to beat the Swans in recent years, and their ability with withstand Sydney's brave effort under incredible pressure and still be able to demonstrate their much-improved skills was a clear indication they are a quality side. It is a huge triumph for new coach Don Pyke, and remarkable credit for a club that endured such difficult times last year.

Adelaide went into the game as the hot-shots of the current competition, and while they kicked well below season average with just five goals in the first half, it was still their forwards who kept them well in the game – with their defensive efforts.

It was a terrific, hard-working contest, perhaps best epitomised during a torrid seven minutes midway through the second quarter. The Crows went forward and struggled to score four behinds. But with each kick-out, they bound the Swans up and locked the game down.

Tackle-by-tackle, Adelaide eventually broke clear and Tom Lynch goaled, but this was about team persistence rather than individual brilliance.

After a combined 10 first-half goals, the game opened significantly in the third term with the Swans kicking 7.2 to 6.5, and while they led by only a point at three-quarter-time they certainly had the momentum coming from 17 points down and kicking three goals within the last four minutes of the term.

Sydney had the early ascendancy, especially through a brilliant Dan Hannebery, when it came a battle of the midfielders, but Adelaide slowly evened the battle, thanks largely to some courageous work and skill by Rory Sloane, who produced his best game for the season.

Both sides tried to move the ball quickly, with the Swans more keen with the use of handball, and for most part this element out-numbered their kicks. The ploy was to to break through Adelaide's resilient press, but this was tough going and the Crows found it just as difficult against the Swans' non-stop pressure.

Sydney suffered a pre-match setback when ruckman Callum Sinclair was a late withdrawal because of an infected toe and was replaced by Kurt Tippett became the No.1 ruckman, and amid the constant boos the ex-Adelaide giant did very well. 

The Age

The story Adelaide Crows hold on to defeat defiant Swans first appeared on The Age.