It was edge-of-the-seat stuff in the final term, with the Crows having no fit players on the bench and the Dees wasteful going forward before captain James McDonald and Nathan Jones goaled to ice the game in the final three minutes, 7.15 (57) to 5.11 (41).
Further compounding the loss for the Crows was the sight of Trent Hentschel (knee) and Nathan Bock (hamstring) finishing the game on the pine, while midfielder Patrick Dangerfield was stretchered off and taken to hospital after landing on his neck in the process of being tackled.
Star forward Kurt Tippett also finished the game with an ankle injury.
Finalists in 2009, the Crows are struggling in 2010, with their three losses coming at the hands of Fremantle, the Sydney Swans and Melbourne - three sides that failed to play finals football last year.
It was a mix of the old and the new for the Dees, with the veteran McDonald and the younger heads of Jack Trengove, James Frawley and Jack Grimes leading the way in front of 23,335 fans.
McDonald played a superb captain's game, finishing with 24-touches in a memorable victory, with Trengove showing the Melbourne supporters he is a player of the future.
He collected 23 possessions, including eight in the third quarter as the Dees worked their way back into the contest.
Frawley was a stalwart in defence, gathering 25 possessions, while Grimes was sensational across half-back, showing his class and coolness in the final quarter.
With no bench to call on, the Crows simply ran out of legs, managing to kick only one goal in the second half.
Bernie Vince was outstanding in the middle, finishing the game with 36 touches, while Adelaide captain Simon Goodwin also showed his skill across half-back, gathering 35 possessions.
Melbourne: 1.5 1.8 5.11 7.15 (57)
Adelaide: 2.5 4.9 5.10 5.11 (41)
GOALS
Melbourne: Bate 2, Bennell, Green, Jones, McDonald, Trengove
Adelaide: Burton 3, Cook, Maric
BEST
Melbourne: Grimes, McDonald, Green, Trengove, Jamar, Frawley
Adelaide: Vince, Goodwin, Mackay, Burton, Doughty, Thompson
INJURIES
Melbourne: Sylvia (jaw) replaced in selected side by Garland
Adelaide: Stevens (TBC) replaced in selected side by Schmidt, Bock (hamstring), Dangerfield (neck), Hentschel (knee), Tippett (ankle)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McBurney, Ryan, Armstrong
Official crowd: 23,335 at MCG
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
