ADELAIDE has handed Hawthorn its first loss of the season with a 21-point victory at Kinetic Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The winds across Port Phillip Bay inserted itself as a main character, with the scoreboard taking a slight hit in the first term, but the Crows adapted best with a final score of 7.6 (48) to 4.3 (27).

HAWKS v CROWS Full match coverage and stats

Adelaide's forward line looked to be depleted early, when an attempted contested mark from Caitlin Gould went awry as she came crashing down onto her wrist. The Crows' equal leading goalkicker didn't return to the ground, leaving a hole up forward they struggled to replace in the first half.

Compounded by Hawthorn once-again leaning on their defence, the Crows struggled to capitalise on any of their inside 50 entries, even when kicking with the wind in the first quarter.

It was high-pressure from both sides early on, with the Crows notching up just two behinds in the first term, and the Hawks left scoreless, until a career first goal from Elli Symonds in the second term finally had them on the board.

Danielle Ponter struggled to convert her shots on goal in the first half but was finally rewarded in the early minutes of the third term, slotting a goal on the run that got the Crows moving.

The Hawks tried to return serve, with Aine McDonough's crunching tackle on Grace Kelly in Hawthorn's forward 50 allowing her to take the free kick and shrink the margin.

But it wasn't enough as the Crows maintained control of the footy from the second half, with skipper Ebony Marinoff leading her side with 32 disposals and 16 tackles.

Anne Hatchard made an impact with two goals, 29 touches and seven tackles to her name, whilst Chelsea Randall, fresh off signing a two-year extension and sporting a leg sleeve, celebrated her 75-game milestone with a goal in the final term.

"She’s just got a small, well not a small, issue with a blood vessel in her shin," coach Matthew Clarke said of the leg sleeve. 

"She’s been under a fair bit of duress throughout the whole week. So, it was just compression to make sure that as best we can, we help her through that."

Tilly Lucas-Rodd was Hawthorn's best, finishing with 24 disposals and did their best bring back the Hawks free-flowing footy of old. But despite not being shy to send the ball down the corridor, the Crows maintained composure.

Ultimately, Adelaide corrected their fourth-quarter woes with three goals in the final term, and 40 inside 50s for the match to Hawthorn's 26, as the Crows grabbed their third win of the season.

Concerns for Caitlin
Adelaide’s forward line looked to be in trouble from the get-go with the loss of key forward Caitlin Gould within the first two minutes of the match. After launching into a contest, Gould came off second best, landing awkwardly on her wrist. She headed straight to the clubrooms instead of the interchange bench and was quickly sent to hospital for scans. Coach Matthew Clarke said Gould would likely spend a significant time on the sidelines. "It looks like a fracture…and it could be an extended period out unfortunately," Clarke said post-game. "She’s real disappointed, as we all are. [It’s] really tough, obviously the season is so short so a significant injury could jeopardise the whole season."

McDonough’s desperation 
Defensive pressure was not just a strength of Hawthorn's defenders, with key forward Aine McDonough committing to a brilliant chase-down tackle in the Hawks' attacking end. Rewarded with the free kick and an explosive cheer from the crowd, McDonough’s desperation to get the Hawks back on the board was successful, slotting straight through the big sticks. 

Up next
Hawthorn will be tested again when it faces a red-hot Collingwood at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon. Adelaide will be on the road again, heading up to the Sunshine State to play the Gold Coast Suns at People First Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 

HAWTHORN     0.0   1.2    2.2    4.3 (27)
ADELAIDE        0.2   2.4    4.6    7.6 (48)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Symonds, McDonough, Stone, Bodey
Adelaide: Jones 2, Hatchard 2, Ponter, Randall, Charlton

BEST
Hawthorn: Lucas-Rodd, West, Wales, Smith, Bates
Adeliade: Marinoff, Newman, Hatchard, Goodwin, Kelly

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Nil
Adelaide: Caitlin Gould (wrist)

LATE CHANGES
Hawthorn: Nil
Adelaide: Nil

Crowd: 2401 at Kinetic Stadium