SYDNEY has opened a new era under coach Colin O'Riordan with a gritty come-from-behind win against Adelaide, Ally Morphett and Zippy Fish starring in an eight-point victory at Unley Oval on Sunday.

The Swans trailed by 12 points at three-quarter time, but with Laura Gardiner and Fish lifting, the visitors hit the front seven minutes into the tense final term when Holly Cooper added her second.

CROWS v SWANS Full match coverage and stats

The visitors clung to a two-point lead as time ticked down when Cynthia Hamilton found Imogen Brown inside the last minute and the debutant iced the impressive 9.7 (61) to 7.11 (53) win.

The display showed O'Riordan that he has plenty to work with after taking over from Scott Gowans.

"I think it was our ability to handle the big moments, especially in the last quarter," O'Riordan replied when asked what impressed him most about the performance.

"We spoke at three-quarter time about how we're going to have moments in this last quarter.

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AFLW last two mins: Debutant seals win as Swans charge past Crows

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"We were really confident as a group that we could finish out the game.

"Just our ability to stay in the hunt, stay in the fight, and keep showing up was just really impressive … credit to the girls they just had the grit, and the desire to get the job done in the end."

06:12

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There were plenty of question marks over the Crows after an off-season of great change that saw Ryan Davis take the reins from departing premiership coach Matthew Clarke.

But there were plenty of answers on offer in the first-up display despite the loss, with Ebony Marinoff, Sarah Goodwin and Maddie Newman all impressing.

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The first quarter was played at a highly entertaining breakneck pace, with both teams keen to move the ball quickly from defence.

Eloise Jones showed flashes of class after a role switch, with the mercurial forward redeployed to half-back where she provided great pace and damaging execution by foot in the first term.

Adelaide's small forwards impressed, with Christina Leuzzi getting out the back for two goals in the first quarter, but goal of the first half came from Newman, who banged home an absolute ripper on the run from 40m out.

00:46

Leuzzi on the loose with lively double

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Former premiership Lion Taylor Smith kicked two goals in the first quarter and another early in the second, but her third major would be her side's only goal in the second term as the home side gained the ascendancy.

The home side led by seven points at quarter-time and 15 at the main break, but it should've really been a wider margin with the Crows letting themselves down with inaccuracy in front of goal.

A change in the tempo of the game in the third quarter and Sydney's slower, more considered ball movement troubled Adelaide.

With the goals drying up for Adelaide, Hamilton and Cooper hit the scoreboard before Brown stepped up, with Adelaide restricted to just one goal in the second half.

00:27

Crow’s crunching tackle leaves Swan worse for wear

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"It was a disappointing loss in the end, but I think Sydney's pressure certainly in that last quarter … they really ramped it up in terms of their contest and their outnumber," Adelaide coach Davis said.

"They were harder for longer in the end.

"(But) we're very positive at the footy club, we know this brand that we're trying to play is going to hold up in big games."

Young Crow Kiera Mueller's day ended in the second quarter when she left the ground to have a knee injury assessed and did not return.

Fabulous firsts in new colours
Following off-season moves, former Tiger Grace Egan and Brisbane dual-premiership forward Taylor Smith stepped out in new colours for the first time, and they each had an early impact for their new clubs. It took Egan just two minutes to impress Crows fans when she stroked home an impressive running goal with her first kick. New Swan Smith followed suit just minutes later, converting a set shot for a goal with her first kick after she marked a deft Chloe Molloy pass.

00:39

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Bown impresses in dazzling debut
The Crows were delighted when elite Victorian ball-winner Chloe Bown fell to them at No.5 overall in the AFLW Draft and she quickly showed why some rated her as a No.1 prospect. Bown had 12 touches in the first half and set up a Caitlin Gould major with a brilliant pass. She had two set shots for goal, but missed both and was quieter in the second half, but showed she is a star in the making.

Up next
Adelaide is back in action in Melbourne on Sunday against Carlton at Ikon Park at 3.20pm AEST, while the Swans will play their first home game of the season when they host Essendon at the SCG at 12.30pm AEST on Sunday.

ADELAIDE       4.2    6.7    7.11    7.11 (53)
SYDNEY           3.1    4.4    6.5       9.7 (61)

GOALS
Adelaide: Leuzzi 2, Newman, Gould, Egan, Charlton, Boyle-Carr
Sydney: Smith 3, C.Hamilton 2, Cooper 2, Molloy, Brown

BEST 
Adelaide: Marinoff, Newman, Goodwin, Bown, Kelly, J.Allan
Sydney: Morphett, Fish, Molloy, Gardener, Smith, McEvoy, Hurley

INJURIES
Adelaide: Mueller (knee)
Sydney: Nil

Reports: Nil

Crowd: TBC at Unley Oval