The North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos have fallen heartbreakingly short in the battle for second spot on the AFLW ladder against Adelaide at Norwood Oval on Sunday.

The Kangaroos led at every change but were overhauled in the closing stages as the Crows ran out three-point winners, 6.5 (41) to 5.8 (38).

CROWS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

North Melbourne threw everything at Adelaide, led by club champion Jas Garner, who kicked two goals from her 27 possessions.

But they could not buy a goal in a breathless final quarter, and speedster Niamh Kelly popped up at the death to put Adelaide in front for the first time all afternoon.

The Kangaroos will rue two damaging 50m penalties: Kim Rennie's late clip on Zoe Prowse in the second quarter, and a momentum-sapping overstep by Jasmine Ferguson in the final term.

Garner was immense for the beaten team, laying a game-high nine tackles and winning six clearances. She was supported by Ash Riddell (31 touches, six clearances), Mia King (26 touches, eight clearances) and the tireless Jenna Bruton (22 touches, eight tackles), who ensured the Roos had first use of the ball, while heaping pressure on the Crows all game.

Kate Shierlaw (five marks and a goal) was a menacing forward target, while fellow tall Tahlia Randall also caused the Adelaide defence plenty of problems.

The Crows worked their way back into the game after the Kangaroos had the best of the early exchanges.

Garner and Randall both kicked goals after winning holding-the-ball decisions in the first quarter, adding to Ellie Gavalas' opportunistic opener on her AFLW return.

When Shierlaw pounced on an Adelaide error early in the second term, the Roos held a deserved 18-point lead, but they would find themselves under siege for much of the rest of the opening half.

Caitlin Gould capitalised on a Roo turnover to cut into the margin, before Zoe Prowse made the most of her 50m penalty after being caught late by Rennie.

Following a seesawing third term, the last quarter was played at a finals-like intensity, with clean possessions at a premium as the Roos clung to a slender lead.

Shierlaw flew for a contested mark but collided heavily with teammate Lulu Pullar as she came down, forcing both players from the ground at a critical time in the game.

The Kangaroos did all they could to force a decisive goal but it did not arrive. Randall had perhaps the best of the chances, throwing her hands to her head after missing a set shot from 25m out in the right forward pocket.

After Kelly kicked her match-winner with 90 seconds on the clock, the crowd held its breath as the Kangaroos sent the ball forward, but desperate defending by the Crows resulted in a game-saving clearance by Ebony Marinoff.

Fierce Roos get the jump

The Kangaroos' early pressure left no doubt they planned to make amends for Round 8's disappointing loss to Melbourne. Jasmine Ferguson and Ash Riddell helped set the tone by winning holding the ball decisions inside the opening 10 minutes. Jas Garner and Tahlia Randall then went one better, both pinning Crow defenders inside 50 and kicking goals from the resulting free kicks. 

Did you see that?

Players on both sides were ferocious in their battle for the ball, including the usual suspects Anne Hatchard and Ebony Marinoff. But with 12 minutes left of the third quarter, the Crows’ dynamic duo was so fired up to get the ball they actually tried to steal the ball from each other. With their blinkers on and eyes only for one thing, they both crumbed the ball and tried wrenching it from each other’s hands, until it spilled up in the air and Marinoff was able to get it again, sticking out her tongue in a chuckle in the process.

The ladder now

The Crows’ win means they held onto second spot over the Kangaroos. They are now two games clear of the Kangaroos, and sit on equal points with Melbourne, who will face runner-up premiers Brisbane, who are currently fourth. Melbourne is ahead of Adelaide percentage-wise with 260.4 per cent compared to 196.3 per cent, but with the Crows facing 16th-placed West Coast, the top two switching places is not completely out of the question. 

What's next?

VU Whitten Oval is the venue for the Kangaroos' last home-and-away match before their finals campaign, against the Western Bulldogs next Saturday. Despite sitting bottom of the AFLW ladder, the Bulldogs will be brimming with confidence after chalking up their first win of the season against West Coast on Saturday, and Darren Crocker's side won't want to approach the game lightly. Bouncedown is at 1.05pm AEDT.

Adelaide Crows      1.2   3.2  4.4   6.5 (41)
North Melbourne  3.2   4.3   5.4   5.8 (38)

GOALS
Adelaide: Gould 2, Jones, Kelly, Ponter, Prowse
North Melbourne: Garner 2, Gavalas, Randall, Shierlaw

BEST
Adelaide: Marinoff, Hatchard, Kelly, Biddell, J. Allan,
North Melbourne: Garner, Riddell, King, Bruton, Randall

INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
North Melbourne: Pullar (head knock)

Crowd: 3,632 at Norwood Oval