ADELAIDE has denied inspirational midfielder Ben Cunnington a fairytale AFL return as it overcame a spirited North Melbourne challenge to run away to a 29-point victory on Saturday.

The Crows proved too slick for the Kangaroos and finished stronger, kicking the only five goals of the final term on their way to a 15.13 (103) to 10.14 (74) triumph at Adelaide Oval.

CROWS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

The gripping contest was a clash of styles as the Crows were more damaging when moving the ball on the outside while the Kangaroos had a stranglehold around the stoppages for much of the match.

Adelaide's Darcy Fogarty continued his impressive form and looked a threat throughout, booting four goals, while Taylor Walker finished with three.

Jordan Dawson was also influential as he gathered 33 disposals and had 830m gained, while Rory Laird worked his way into the match after a slow start to finish with 25 touches.

The Crows (8-13) have now won three matches in a row and pushed past their seven wins of 2021.

Cunnington impressed in his first AFL match for 385 days after overcoming two bouts of cancer but it was emerging star Luke Davies-Uniacke that looked most likely to propel the Kangaroos to a rousing victory.

Davies-Uniacke was outstanding as he gathered game-highs for disposals (37), clearances (11) and inside 50s (10), and kicked a goal as his partnership with Jy Simpkin (30 touches, 10 clearances) continued to blossom.

Spiritual leader Cunnington battled well throughout the match and finished with 17 disposals, six of them in his preferred contested manner.

The Kangaroos (2-19) were dominant at the centre bounces, especially early, but the visitors failed to make the Crows pay as they kicked 5.6 to 3.0 in the second term to take an eight-point lead into the main break. It left room for the momentum to swing and the teams headed into the final quarter with scores level.

While North had it all to play for in Cunnington's return, with captain Jack Ziebell subbed out of the match and Jaidyn Stephenson (back) also sidelined, it was Adelaide who finished with the running.

Making matters even worse for the Kangaroos, Jed Anderson (concussion) and Paul Curtis (shoulder) also suffered injuries in the second half.

The Crows will be desperate to stretch their winning streak in the Showdown next Saturday night, while the Kangaroos need a win over Gold Coast to avoid their worst win-loss record since 1972.

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All eyes on inspirational Roo
Cunnington was the main man as the North midfielder returned for his first AFL game since round 19, 2021. He made an emotional entrance onto the Adelaide Oval and was, characteristically, straight into the thick of the action. It was a solid first outing back at AFL level for the 31-year-old, who finished with 17 disposals and three clearances.

Fog, Crows continue rising
Darcy Fogarty's impressive late-season form continued on Saturday. The forward booted his third four-goal haul of the season and second in as many weeks, moving onto 30 goals in 2022, with 28 of those coming since round 11. For the Crows, it was a third straight win and eighth of the season – the same tally as rival Port Adelaide and Hawthorn, although the latter duo can both add to theirs on Sunday. And there is a Showdown to come in the final round.

Davies-Uniacke's stellar season continues
It has been a miserable 2022 for North, but Davies-Uniacke has been a shining light – and that continued at Adelaide Oval. The midfielder was electric, particularly in the first half, and finished with 37 disposals, 11 clearances and a goal. Davies-Uniacke and Jy Simpkin combined incredibly in the first half, with the former having seven centre clearances before the Crows slowed his impact.

ADELAIDE                         4.7       7.7       10.10       15.13 (103)
NORTH MELBOURNE       3.3       8.9       10.10       10.14 (74)

GOALS  
Adelaide: Fogarty 4, Walker 3, McAdam 2, Rowe 2, McHenry, Murphy, Schoenberg, Thilthorpe
North Melbourne: Curtis 2, Ziebell 2, Zurhaar 2, Coleman-Jones, Davies-Uniacke, Goldstein, Larkey

BEST  
Adelaide: Dawson, Fogarty, Laird, Berry, Walker, Schoenberg
North Melbourne: Davies-Uniacke, Simpkin, Hall, Archer, Scott

INJURIES  
Adelaide: McAdam (hamstring)
North Melbourne: Ziebell (shoulder), Stephenson (back), Anderson (concussion), Curtis (shoulder)

LATE CHANGES
Adelaide: Wayne Milera (back soreness) replaced in selected side by James Rowe
North Melbourne: Nil

SUBSTITUTES  
Adelaide: Ben Davis (replaced McAdam in the fourth quarter)
North Melbourne: Hugh Greenwood (replaced Ziebell in the third quarter)