Adelaide has survived a massive scare from North Melbourne and ended the Kangaroos' faint finals chances with a nine-point victory at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
The Crows were in cruise control before the Kangaroos kicked four goals in a five-minute burst in the last quarter to set up a thrilling finish.
But Eddie Betts took a Mark of the Year contender and kicked a goal after the siren as the Crows hung on – 12.14 (86) to 11.11 (77) – in front of a crowd of 41,444.
The Crows (11-11) remain 12th on the ladder and the Kangaroos stay in 10th – four points and percentage behind eight-placed Geelong, who are expected to easily account for Gold Coast next week and punch their ticket to the finals.
Trent Dumont and Shaun Higgins were the leading ball-winners for the Kangaroos with 33 and 29 disposals respectively, while forward Jarrad Waite kicked three goals.
Crows defender Tom Doedee was influential in the first three quarters, but finished the game on the bench with a shoulder injury, while Kangaroos youngster Will Walker suffered a suspected left knee injury.
The signs were encouraging enough early for the Kangaroos that they could win their first game in Adelaide since 2011.
But after kicking three goals in the opening 13 minutes, they didn't kick another for the rest of the first half.
The Crows booted six unanswered goals to take a commanding 28-point lead at the main break.
It looked a fait accompli when they went up by 37 points late in the third quarter, and 27 points after Josh Jenkins kicked a huge bomb from outside 50m, and his third of the night, at the 16-minute mark of the last term, but the Kangaroos had other ideas.
Jack Ziebell and Shaun Atley responded quickly, Waite threaded the needle from the boundary, and then kicked another to bring the deficit back to just three points with 4:47 left on the clock.
The Crows were able to do just enough to record their 11th win of the season ahead of their round 23 encounter with Carlton in Melbourne next Saturday.
Kangaroos coach Brad Scott lauded his side's ability to get back into the contest and push the Crows all the way.
"Finals didn't enter my mind, it was a matter of just competing and just keep fighting," Scott said.
"We look at the positives of the game for us, and they're a lot.
"Number one is the character and the substance of our team, and that's something we can build on."
The Kangaroos round out their season against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium next Sunday.
ADELAIDE 3.4 7.9 10.13 12.14 (86)
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.2 3.5 6.7 11.11 (77)
GOALS
Adelaide: Jenkins 3, Greenwood 2, McGovern 2, Gibbs, Knight, Gallucci, Lynch, Betts
North Melbourne: Waite 3, Goldstein 2, Atley 2, Walker, Simpkin, Wood, Ziebell
BEST
Adelaide: Crouch, Laird, Gibbs, Atkins, Jenkins, Otten
North Melbourne: Dumont, Goldstein, Higgins, Atley, Waite
INJURIES
Adelaide: Brodie Smith (corked calf) replaced in selected side by Jake Kelly. Doedee (shoulder).
North Melbourne: Walker (left knee)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, O'Gorman, Findlay
Official crowd: 41,444 at the Adelaide Oval
