SISTERS Grace and Niamh Kelly combined for five goals to propel Adelaide to a scintillating 10-point win against Gold Coast in a pulsating instant classic at Unley Oval on Saturday.

Playing against her old side for the first time, Anne Hatchard started on the ball and had seven touches and two clearances in the first quarter, and kicked two crucial goals in the tense final term.

CROWS v SUNS Full match coverage and stats

But young Adelaide star Chloe Bown capped a brilliant individual display with a superb goal with a minute remaining to seal a memorable 10.3 (63) to 7.11 (53) win that keeps the Crows in the finals hunt.

On a sour note for Adelaide, Maddie Newman was carried from the ground in the third quarter with a potentially serious left knee injury.

"It was a great win," Crows coach Ryan Davis said after his side improved to a 5-5 record.

"They got a couple of (late) goals, it was a little bit tit-for-tat there, but our ability to shore up our defence, stay composed under the pressure, and then be able to finish up on the right side of the scoreboard was fantastic.

"The stats probably were more than likely in the Suns' favour, but we end up kicking straight.

"But I think the way we moved the football, the way we attacked, the way we defended it … I thought we just gave ourselves better looks at goal."

Charlie Rowbottom was outstanding for the Suns, who were left to rue their wastefulness in front of goal after a loss that ended their barnstorming run of six straight wins. 

Rowbottom had 12 touches and a goal in the first quarter as the Suns started strongly, but the visitors failed to fully capitalise on their early territory dominance with just a three-point lead at the first break.

Gold Coast led the inside 50 count 14-5 in the first term, but managed just the one goal, with a brilliant running major to Grace Kelly providing a spark for the home side.

The Suns had 28 more handballs than Adelaide in the first half, but the home side upped its pressure in the second quarter.

With a strong appetite for the contest, the Crows troubled Rhyce Shaw’s charges with their tackling pressure, leading the tackle count 28-15 at the main break.

Grace Kelly’s cool conversion and India Rasheed’s impressive major from an angle put their side out to a nine-point lead before Ava Usher replied to drag the margin back to a point at half-time.

The entertaining contest went up another notch after the break.

Sunny Lappin gave her side the lead from close range, but Adelaide hit back through Grace Egan and Lily Tarlinton.

Havana Harris gave the Suns back the lead, but Grace Kelly made it three goals in a game for the first time in her AFLW career and sister Niamh slotted a huge goal from 45m out to send the home side into the final term with a nine-point lead.

Niamh Kelly booted a team-lifting second goal late in the last quarter, with Bown stepping up to seal a stunner with a brilliant goal on the run.

"Credit to Adelaide, they played a really good game," Shaw said.

"It looked like they had a solid plan, but from our point of view, we probably let ourselves down in a number of areas and that's probably where it hurts the most, really, that we kind of let that one slip, I reckon.

"But again, full credit to Adelaide, they did a great job."

Kelly sisters sensationally strike
The Crows hadn't ventured inside their forward 50 in the game before the Kelly sisters imposed their will on the contest in sensational fashion. Niamh intercepted an ill-advised pass across the 50m arc by Clara Fitzpatrick and took off at pace. She fed a handball over the top to sister Grace, who gave it back as the pair sliced through the centre square. Storming inside attacking 50, Niamh gave it back with another slick handpass and Grace finished the job with a magnificent goal on the run.

Chloe Bown doesn't play water polo
Eyebrows were raised during the week when the official Adelaide account replied to Ava Usher's Telstra AFL Rising Star nomination on social media with 'Chloe Bown must play water polo' after the young Crow starred in the win against Richmond. A Rising Star nomination surely isn't far away for Bown after another impressive display. She finished with 25 disposals, nine clearances and goal.

Up next
Adelaide faces a tough task against ladder leader North Melbourne on Sunday at North Hobart Oval at 1.05pm local time, while the Suns will host Richmond at People First Stadium at 4.05pm on Saturday.

ADELAIDE            1.1    3.2     7.2     10.3 (63)
GOLD COAST       1.4    2.7    4.11    7.11 (53)

GOALS
Adelaide: G.Kelly 3, N.Kelly 2, Tarlinton, Rasheed, Egan, Charlton, Bown
Gold Coast: Hatchard 2, Harris 2, Usher, Rowbottom, Lappin

BEST 
Adelaide: Bown, Marinoff, N Kelly, G Kelly, S Allan, Goodwin
Gold Coast: Rowbottom, Single, Hatchard, McLaughlin, D'Arcy, D.Davies

INJURIES
Adelaide: Newman (knee)
Gold Coast: Nil

Reports: Nil

Crowd: TBC at Unley Oval