ADELAIDE has won its first NAB Cup since 2003 with a hard-fought 34-point victory over West Coast at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.
The Crows repelled countless charges from the gallant Eagles including a fierce final-term charge in which the visitors missed a host of gettable chances.
For full match replays 12 hours after the game, go to AFL VIDEOS under the screen.
West Coast forward Josh Hill had eight shots at goal, but could only convert two of them, finishing with 1.1.6.
Bernie Vince put a tumultuous week behind him, collecting the Michael Tuck Medal as the Grand Final's best player to a huge reception from Crows fans.
Vince was red hot from the opening bounce, slotting the opening goal and collecting 11 of his 29 possessions in the first term.
"He was outstanding," Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson said of the Michael Tuck medalist.
"I thought he really gave us a spark in the first quarter.
"He probably felt like he owed the group but having said that, I must admit it was only a minor distraction for us this week," he said of Vince's sanction for stripping down to his boxer shorts in a rural pub.
Adelaide's usual suspects in Scott Thompson and Patrick Dangerfield were electric with 27 and 25 disposals.
Taylor Walker was sensational for the Crows, kicking three goals, including a supergoal, and pulling down eight marks.
The Crows looked set to break away early with the ball rarely leaving their attacking half, but consecutive supergoals to Mark Nicoski and Hill ensured the visitors took a six-point lead into quarter time.
The quarter turned sour for the Eagles with a hamstring injury to Nicoski shortly after he booted his supergoal.
Nicoski lay on the ground and clutched high at his left leg before he was assisted from the ground.
It took nearly 12 minutes for the second quarter's first major, as West Coast's Ashton Hams finally converted after several missed opportunities.
Eagles coach John Worsfold said Nicoski's injury was disappointing, but that it didn't appear as bad as it first looked.
"It's hard to say at this stage, but it looks like it could be two or three weeks," he said.
Combined with an injury to Mark LeCras, Nicoski's set back was further bad news for West Coast's forward line, but Worsfold thought he had the talent on hand to get through.
"I'm pretty confident we'll have (Quinten) Lynch, maybe (Josh) Kennedy … but we'll be right," he said.
"We've been really pleased and excited with three blokes, (Ashton) Hams, (Josh) Hill and (Gerrick) Weedon… three main guys who have been pushing up in those roles."
Long kicking to contests became the norm making free possession rare and despite desperate football from both sides it was the Crows who made the most of their opportunities.
Crow Walker booted a much-needed supergoal before converting from inside 50 as Adelaide wrestled the lead back before the main break, with Scott Thompson at his very best, registering 17 touches and six tackles to half time.
Walker's third major, followed by a supergoal to Matthew Jaensch saw the Crows lead extend to 19 points and when Kurt Tippett kicked his first after a strong mark, the game was on the verge of breaking open.
Adelaide's pressure on the ball carrier was intense, but the Eagles refused to lie down.
While Vince, Thompson and Dangerfield continued to use the ball well for the Crows, West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui started to impose himself and the Eagles found goals through Jack Darling, Hill and then Priddis.
Gerrick Weedon marked and goaled to bring the margin back to just 12 points early in the fourth, but just when the Eagles looked to have assumed control the Crows again hit back.
Home crowd favourite Jason Porplyzia found himself on the end of another Vince kick and made no mistake from 40 metres out.
West Coast will rue inaccurate kicking in the final term with six behinds. Hill was the main culprit, missing three very kickable goals.
When Crow Jared Petrenko booted his first, the game was all but over.
Ian Callinan began the party early with his first for the night and ruckman Sam Jacobs' one-handed mark and goal was the icing on the cake in what has been a flawless Adelaide pre-season.
Sanderson was understandably pleased with the result.
"It's a nice reward for a really good summer," he said.
"We played 38 players through the NAB Cup competition, we exposed a lot of our younger kids to AFL pressure and almost in every game we were challenged in some way.
"Even tonight, it was a tight game and was scrappy until half-time. But we just kept at them, kept focusing on contested ball and winning contests and it was a fantastic four-quarter effort from our boys."
ADELAIDE 0.2.2 1.3.6 2.6.13 2.10.17 (95)
WEST COAST 2.0.2 2.1.6 2.4.7 2.5.13 (61)
SUPERGOALS
Adelaide: Jaensch, Walker
West Coast: Hill, Nicoski
GOALS
Adelaide: Walker 2, Callinan, Jacobs, Mackay, Petrenko, Porplyzia, Thompson, Tippett, Vince
West Coast: Darling, Hams, Hill, Priddis, Weedon
BEST
Adelaide: Vince, Thompson, Dangerfield, Walker, Reilly, Mackay
West Coast: Priddis, S.Selwood, Butler, Hill, Waters
INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
West Coast: Nicoski (hamstring)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, McInerney, Mollison, Dalgleish
Crowd: 27,376 at AAMI Stadium
