Adelaide dynamo Izak Rankine has kicked five goals in a 13-point win over Melbourne soured by a serious knee injury to Crow Josh Rachele.
The Crows recovered from a 28-point deficit in the second term to win 13.12 (90) to 11.11 (77) at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
But Rachele faces a year on the sidelines with Adelaide fearful the goalsneak damaged the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Rachele will have scans after hyper-extending the knee when landing awkwardly in a marking contest against Jake Bowey late the second quarter.
"Our fingers are crossed," Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said.
"We will hope for the best and think positive thoughts."
The blow to the Crow came as his club banked an 11th win of the season and returned to third spot on the ladder.
But Adelaide were forced to dig deep against the plucky 14th-placed Demons (five wins, 11 losses).
The hosts led by three points at quarter-time after Melbourne blew a series of goal chances, kicking 1.6 to the Crows' 2.3 in the term.
Melbourne then produced a sizzling 10-minute burst in the second quarter yielding five consecutive goals.
The last in the scoring stretch, from Kysiah Pickett after soaring high for a pack mark, gave the visitors a 28-point advantage 12 minutes into the term.
Adelaide responded with three successive goals - two more from Rankine and Taylor Walker's second for the game.
"At the 10-minute mark of the second quarter, anyone who is watching the game is saying: 'Well, this is over'," Nicks said.
"The toughness our players showed in that second quarter to turn it around was really pleasing."
Adelaide trailed by only five points at halftime and hit the front 40 seconds into the third term when Ben Keays dribbled a goal. They were never headed.
Keays' goal was followed by another pair from the brilliant Rankine as the Crows logged five majors to two for a 15-point lead at the last break.
Melbourne twice crept within nine points in the final quarter but couldn't edge closer.
"It's frustrating because clearly we're in an outcome based sport," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.
"But we also know what we're building as a footy team as well.
"And some of the characteristics that you love to see - the grit and the fight and the things that build genuine substance in your team - were there on show today."
Adelaide's Rankine was the game-breaker and teammates Walker and Darcy Fogarty scored two goals apiece.
Crows captain Jordan Dawson (25 disposals) and workhorse Keays (23 touches, two goals, seven inside 50s) were standouts, alongside midfielders James Peatling (25 touches) and Jake Soligo (21).
Melbourne ace Pickett's two goals came from 24 possessions, Jake Melksham was ever-threatening with four majors and Jacob van Rooyen kicked two.
The Demons were also well served by stalwarts Jack Viney (30 disposals, nine tackles), Ed Langdon (25 disposals) and Steven May (12 marks).
