After a flat start at AAMI Stadium on Sunday, North Melbourne charged back into the game and almost walked away with an interstate win. 

The Kangaroos managed to get the game back on their terms late in the second quarter, before making a move in the third term.

Going into Round 20, Adelaide had conceded the fourth-most turnovers in the competition, however North struggled to get the ball back off its opponent early.

It all changed in the premiership quarter, with the Crows recording almost a third of their turnovers for the day.
 

Another focus going into the game would likely have been restricting Adelaide’s ability to launch scoring attacks from its back half. In Round 9, more than a third of the Crows’ scores started from defensive 50.  

This wasn’t the case at AAMI Stadium as North restricted Adelaide to just two scoring shots from the area in question.
 

Individually Daniel Wells was superhuman as he led the Kangaroos back from the brink.

In addition to his amazing goal from behind the centre circle, his stat-line speaks for itself.
 

[RELATED: Daniel Wells highlights]

Not often does a three-possession quarter from a midfielder prove important, but Jack Ziebell’s third term was an exception.

The vice-captain looked to be done for the day when he landed awkwardly in the goal-square, but came back on the field and inspired his teammates with this chase-down tackle on Nathan Van Berlo.
 

Ultimately the third term comeback proved in vain and it was Adelaide’s ability to create scoring shots through the middle of the ground that gave it the edge.

North had the Crows well covered in the majority of advanced statistical areas, but struggled in the centre for much of the day. 
 

All stats courtesy of Champion Data