The Brisbane Lions are back within one win of the AFL's top four after a fifth straight victory, Lachie Neale doing it all in an 11-point defeat of Adelaide.
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The hosts' 14.13 (97) to 13.8 (86) Sunday-night Gabba victory was powered by a club-best three first-half goals to midfielder Neale (35 disposals, 10 clearances, three score assists).
Former Lion Ben Keays had a career-high four goals for the Crows, who just wouldn't go away, two quick Darcy Fogarty goals giving the visitors a huge sniff in the final four minutes.
Some costly unforced errors didn't help, Brisbane sneaking home after a draw earlier this year at the Adelaide Oval and a six-point win at the Gabba last season.
Josh Dunkley (33 disposals, one goal) was quality support for Neale, while Rory Laird had six clearances in his 25 touches for the Crows.
Victory pushed the Lions to seventh, just four points behind fourth-placed Essendon, while the Crows remain 15th, more than three wins outside the top eight.
The visitors have other issues too, with star Izak Rankine to come under scrutiny for an off-the-ball bump that flattened Brandon Starcevich.
The defender failed his head injury assessment test and was ruled out at quarter-time.
Brisbane dominated the clearances in the first half to control the contest, but Keays kept popping up to keep the visitors interested.
Rankine shooshed the crowd when he launched a goal from the pocket before half-time, and the margin was just eight points when Jake Soligo's bomb from 50m sailed through.
Substitute Logan Morris and Will Ashcroft answered for Brisbane to reinstate the buffer, but again it was Rankine from 50m after the 24-year-old was taken high.
Charlie Cameron, playing on despite a heavy crash landing in the third quarter, offset a horror night with the boot to kick a timely major, only to see Taylor Walker (two goals) boot another at the opposite end.
Rankine chased down Darcy Wilmot to add to his highlight reel, but the Crows could only hand it straight back, a bad habit that seemed to dog them throughout the evening.
Cameron's second goal, a confident snap from a set shot, looked to pull the cord from the Crows, before Fogarty's double ensured another tense finish.
Australian Associated Press
