Adelaide beat Collingwood at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night, a result the AFL described as the Crows "flipping the script" on a side that has long been their nemesis. AFL.com.au

The stakes going in were clear on both sides. Adelaide sat just 0.6 per cent outside the AFL's top four — a sliver so thin that a win would draw them level on points with second place. ABC Sport Collingwood, meanwhile, arrived a game and a half adrift of the top six, their finals hopes needing urgent repair.

Both sides made changes. Collingwood dropped young forward Sam Swadling to bring back veteran Jeremy Howe, a reliable marking defender who slots into the backline — the zone behind the ball where teams repel opposition attacks. AFL.com.au Adelaide's own preparations took a hit earlier in the week, with a key defender ruled out through injury in the club's official Round 20 medical update. Adelaide Crows Coach Matthew Nicks confirmed the selection calls in the days before the match.

Thursday night football in Adelaide has a particular hum. The match was scheduled as a prime-time fixture, the AFL's marquee slot for the round, and the crowd at Adelaide Oval responded.

The venue carries recent history between these two sides. When Collingwood's Isaac Quaynor last faced the Crows at Adelaide Oval, the home crowd subjected him to relentless jeering — so much so that Adelaide leaders publicly called the booing "not appropriate." AFL.com.au That response came from a 2025 encounter, but the atmosphere on Thursday suggested the rivalry has lost none of its edge.

For the Crows, the win tightens an already congested top four. Sitting level with second place on points, with percentage now the only separator, Adelaide has put themselves firmly in the frame for a coveted double chance in September — a finals system where the top four teams get a second life if they lose their first final. Every percentage point matters from here.

Collingwood's path is harder. A game and a half outside the top six means they are chasing teams with fewer rounds to catch them. The margin for error, already slim, has shrunk again.

The AFL's full match report and final scores are available at afl.com.au.