ADELAIDE dynamo Izak Rankine has kicked five goals in a 13-point win over Melbourne soured by a possible serious knee injury to Josh Rachele.
The Crows recovered from a 28-point deficit midway through the second term to win 13.12 (90) to 11.11 (77) at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
CROWS v DEMONS Full match coverage and stats
But Rachele suffered a potential season-ending injury, 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.
The blow to the Crow came as his club banked an 11th win of the season and returned to third spot on the ladder.
However, Adelaide was 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 chances, kicking 1.6 to the Crows' 2.3 in the term.
The Demons then produced a sizzling 10-minute burst in the second quarter which was rewarded with 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.
The strikes reduced Adelaide's deficit to five points at half-time when the visitors led 6.7 to 5.8.
Melbourne's advantage disappeared just 40 seconds into the third quarter when Ben Keays dribbled a goal to put the Crows in front. They were never headed.
Keays' goal was followed by another pair from the brilliant Rankine as the Crows logged five goals to two for a 15-point lead at the last break.
Melbourne twice sneaked within nine points in the final quarter but couldn't edge closer.
Rankine was superb and key forwards Walker and Darcy Fogarty scored two goals apiece.
Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson (25 disposals) and workhorse Keays (23 touches, two goals) were standouts, alongside midfielders James Peatling (25 possessions) 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 winger Ed Langdon (25 disposals) and Steven May (12 marks), while former skipper Jack Viney gathered a match-high 30 disposals and laid nine tackles.
Star Crow goes down
Adelaide answered Melbourne's early dominance with a powerful finish to the second quarter, but just when it looked like everything was going its way, disaster struck. With a minute left on the clock Josh Rachele came down awkwardly from a marking contest, his left knee buckling as he landed. The star Crow was assisted from the ground and subbed out at half-time. After a 2024 that saw him dropped late in the year, Rachele was enjoying a terrific season. All at Adelaide will be hoping it didn't finish on Sunday.
Pickett plays are always spectacular
It's not unusual for Kozzy Pickett to provide the Melbourne highlights, and he was as reliable as ever on Saturday. The small forward bookended the Demons' second-quarter flourish of five goals, the latter coming from a mark of the week contender as he climbed on the pack near the goal line. Finishing the play with a runaround left-foot snap only emphasised Kozzy's class.
The sealer! Or was it?
Late in the final quarter and with the Demons charging hard, the Crows needed something special. And they got it. When Ben Keays received a handball from Riley Thilthorpe just a metre inside the goal line, he was immediately swamped by three Demons who forced him backwards to the ground. Keays didn't consider that enough to stop him, throwing his boot upwards to make contact with the ball and send a one-and-a-half-metre kick over the line through a web of Melbourne hands untouched. Or was it?
ADELAIDE 2.3 5.8 10.11 13.12 (90)
MELBOURNE 1.6 6.7 8.8 11.11 (77)
GOALS
Adelaide: Rankine 5, Walker 2, Fogarty 2, Keays 2, Taylor, Curtin
Melbourne: Melksham 4, van Rooyen 2, Pickett 2, Sparrow, Rivers, Fritsch
BEST
Adelaide: Rankine, Dawson, Keayes, Laird, Soligo
Melbourne: May, Turner, Pickett, Melksham, Viney
INJURIES
Adelaide: Rachele (knee)
Melbourne: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Adelaide: Wayne Milera (personal reasons) replaced in selected side by Lachlan Murphy
Melbourne: None
SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Lachlan Murphy (replaced Josh Rachele at half-time)
Melbourne: Harry Sharp (replaced Koltyn Tholstrup in the fourth quarter)
Crowd: 43,306 at Adelaide Oval
