Adelaide have announced themselves as AFLW premiership contenders, thumping previously-undefeated North Melbourne by 35 points in Werribee.
The Crows conceded the first two goals but rallied strongly to pile on 10 of the last 12 majors to run out handsome 10.4 (64) to 4.5 (29) winners in the hot conditions and move to the top of Conference A.
After setting the pace all season, the loss placed North in danger of slipping out of the top two with Fremantle taking on the Western Bulldogs later on Sunday.
The result was further soured too with Jess Trend appearing to badly hurt her right ankle in the last quarter.
The meeting between the AFLW's top sides also featured a heavyweight battle within as arguably the competition's two best players in North's Emma Kearney and Adelaide's Erin Phillips locked horns.
Kearney was brilliant with 31 disposals (16 contested), 10 clearances, eight marks and four tackles but probably shaded by Phillips who had 23 touches (12 contested), seven clearances and two goals.
Chelsea Randall was also an architect of the Crows' victory with 23 touches (11 contested) and seven marks as was Ebony Marinoff with 22 disposals (11 contested) and 10 tackles.
Kearney found support in North vice-captain Jess Duffin, who collected 23 touches (11 contested) and a game-high 11 marks, Kaitlyn Ashmore (11 touches, nine marks and nine tackles) and Jasmine Garner (15 disposals).
North got off to a bright start, booting the two openers with the help of a combined three 50-metre penalties.
But it didn't take long for Adelaide to dust off the cobwebs as they piled on the next five majors to open up a 17-point lead in the second quarter, capitalising on some awful turnovers from North.
The Kangaroos settled, though, and fought back admirably, registering five of the next six scoring shots, including two goals, to whittle the margin to four early in the third stanza.
However Adelaide held their nerve and restricted the hosts to just two more behinds while helping themselves to five more goals.
After winning the premiership in 2017, the Crows endured heartbreak last year as they lost their final game to lowly Collingwood when victory would've seen them qualify for their second consecutive grand final.
With two regular-season weeks to go, ruck Jessica Foley said her teammates wanted to make sure they didn't experience the same anguish.
"Any time you lose the last game of the season and you don't make finals that's going to put a bit of burn in the belly all through the pre-season coming into the next year," she said.
North coach Scott Gowans agreed the result was a timely wake-up.
"What we learned today was we've got a bit of work to do so we'll go back to the drawing board and see what we get out of it," he said.
