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Sport
Steve Barrett

Crows shake off injury-hit Dockers in AFLW

Ebony Marinoff had a game-high 32 disposals in the Crows' 18-point AFLW win over Fremantle. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Adelaide have overcome a huge scare to notch an 18-point AFLW win over injury-hit Fremantle.

The Crows were held scoreless in the opening term at Unley Oval and trailed by nine points at three-quarter time before coming home with a wet sail to post their sixth successive victory, winning 7.7 (49) to 5.1 (31).

Ebony Marinoff was on all-time record pace with 24 first-half disposals, before slowing somewhat to finish with 32.

Teammate Anne Hatchard chalked up 28 disposals, 12 clearances and eight tackles, while captain Chelsea Randall, Caitlin Gould and Ash Woodland slotted two goals each.

Superstar on-baller Kiara Bowers (29 touches, 19 contested possessions, 10 tackles, 11 clearances) was magnificent for the 17th-ranked Dockers who, prior to the Crows' late flourish, looked on target for the upset of the season.

The visitors largely had the better of the opening three terms, despite being two down on the bench after halftime.

Rover Gabby O'Driscoll appeared to dislocate her left shoulder just before the main break while attempting to tackle Chelsea Biddell, before defender Janelle Cuthbertson injured her left ankle when brought down by Montana McKinnon in the second quarter.

That was after winger Airlie Runnalls shook off a pre-game injury scare when she rolled an ankle during the warm-ups.

Red-hot Adelaide's streak of zero goals conceded in their previous nine quarters came to an end inside the first four minutes when youngster Amy Franklin snapped superbly, giving Fremantle the edge at the first change.

The reigning premiers had the breeze in the second and moved ahead by two points, thanks chiefly to Marinoff's brilliance.

The Dockers regained the momentum after the long break, pinching the lead back on Mikayla Hyde's excellent spin around and snap and extending it when young ruck Mim Strom ran into an open goal.

The fourth quarter was all Adelaide, from the moment Randall goaled 22 seconds in.

Woodland's second major put the Crows in front before Gould's second made it three six-pointers in five minutes.

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