A free-scoring Adelaide Crows side proved too hot for North Melbourne to handle at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. 

Luke Davies-Uniacke's welcome return inspired the Kangaroos for a period in the second quarter, but not for long enough and the Crows motored away to win by 66 points, 21.12 (138) to 11.6 (72).

CROWS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

Spearhead Nick Larkey kicked three goals for North Melbourne, moving to equal second in the Coleman Medal race.

The Coleman leader, Adelaide's Taylor Walker, kicked three of his own and was one of seven multiple goalkickers for the home side, led by Izak Rankine (five goals).

The 17th-placed Roos were just seven points down 23 minutes into the second quarter but conceded nine of the next 10 goals.

Larkey slotted three goals in a 10-minute purple patch in the second term, Tarryn Thomas (two goals, 23 disposals) had patches of influence and Harry Sheezel was the Roos' chief ball-winner with 31 disposals.

The Crows, with Rankine booting two goals and setting up another, scored 7.2 to 4.1 in an opening quarter punctuated by an injury to key defender Jordon Butts and a flashpoint for the Roos' Callum Coleman-Jones.

Butts left the field, concussed and clutching his left cheekbone, after an accidental clash of heads while Coleman-Jones' late air-borne crash into Nick Murray after the Crow took a mark may attract match review scrutiny

It was all the Kangaroos after the first break as Davies-Uniacke began to assert control in the contest. Larkey kicked all three of his goals in the quarter and when Davies-Uniacke slotted a running goal to a chorus of boos from the home support, the gap was cut to six points.

But while the Roos looked to make their dominance count on the scoreboard, they were unable to prevent Adelaide pinch-hitting at the other end.

As momentum swung the Crows' way they piled on three unanswered goals before half-time, before accelerating with four goals in less than 12 minutes to kill off the Kangaroos in the third term. They were 53 points up at the last change and added four goals to two in the final quarter.

Did you see that?

It's going to take three high-quality goals to deny Jy Simpkin a Goal of the Year nomination this week. The Kangaroos co-captain was heading towards the cheap seats in the right forward pocket when he collected the ball from Luke Davies-Uniacke late in the first quarter. A glance up revealed a crowded forward line, so Simpkin lowered his eyes and coolly split the sticks.

Coleman-Jones late contact sparks remonstration

An entertaining first quarter ended with a fiery incident when Callum Coleman-Jones collected Nick Murray late in a marking contest. Murray, going back with the flight, took the mark but the airborne Coleman-Jones' knee and forearm crashed into his head and neck a half-second later. Crows players, Murray included, were quick to remonstrate, with the fracas picking up again 30 seconds later after the quarter-time siren sounded. 

What's next?

The challenge doesn't get any easier for the Kangaroos, who travel down the Princes Highway to face Geelong at GMHBA Stadium next Sunday. Friday night's draw against Sydney nudged the Cats out of the eight, and they will be motivated to claw their way back. Bouncedown is at 1.10pm AEST.

ADELAIDE CROWS         7.2      12.5       17.8      21.12 (138)
NORTH MELBOURNE      4.1      8.3         9.3        11.6 (72)

GOALS
Adelaide Crows: Rankine 5, Fogarty 4, Walker 3, Keays 2, O'Brien 2, Pedlar 2, Thilthorpe 2, Murphy
North Melbourne: Larkey 3, Stephenson 2, Thomas 2, Davies-Uniacke, Scott, Simpkin, Zurhaar

BEST 
Adelaide: O'Brien, Keays, Dawson, Rankine, Hinge, Sloane
North Melbourne: Sheezel, Wardlaw, Thomas, Larkey, Ziebell

INJURIES 
Adelaide: Butts (concussion)
North Melbourne: TBC  

SUBSTITUTES 
Adelaide: Lachlan Sholl (replaced Jordon Butts in the second quarter)
North Melbourne: Hugh Greenwood (replaced Todd Goldstein in the third quarter)