A GUTSY fourth term has seen Melbourne accelerate away from Adelaide, securing an 11-point semi-final victory and setting up a preliminary final against North Melbourne. 

Scores were level at three-quarter time, but Melbourne skipper Kate Hore struck first, ducking through a tackle to snap truly for her third, capping off an extraordinary captain's match from the game-breaker.

DEMONS v CROWS Full match coverage and stats

But it was lesser lights who helped the Dees break clear of the high-quality, see-sawing affair.

The speed of Shelley Heath, the smarts of Maggie Mahony (showing composure throughout the game far beyond her 19 years) and the set shots of Ryleigh Wotherspoon and Georgia Campbell, and all of a sudden Melbourne locked away the 9.6 (60) to 7.7 (49) victory, with Ebony Marinoff securing a late consolation goal to trim the margin.

A final-second run-down tackle of champion Chelsea Randall by 190cm Tahlia Gillard was icing on the cake for the Dees.

The match also signalled the end of premiership coach Matthew Clarke's career at Adelaide, having announced pre-season that 2025 would be his last in charge. The Crows coach made a beeline for counterpart Mick Stinear (coaching his 100th match) on the siren, shaking hands while the first rendition of Melbourne's song rang out.

Melbourne has been a traditionally strong first-quarter side this year, and Saturday's semi-final was no exception, with both Megan Fitzsimon and Hore finding the middle of the sticks with snaps in the opening five minutes.

Adelaide left the Demons' forward line far too open, allowing for leading lanes and room at ground level when the ball hit the deck

Anne Hatchard blew a perfect opportunity to kick Adelaide's opening goal after taking a powerful overhead mark in the square. She took her snap set-shot far too casually, hammering the ball into the goal-post, but Caitlin Gould spared her blushes a minute later, converting her own set shot for a seven-point play.

The normally mild-mannered Clarke gave Adelaide a proper rocket before the players broke into their line groups at quarter-time after the Crows had blown several chances with bombs into attack, before conceding a buzzer-beater to Mahony on the siren.

It had a definite short-term effect, with ruck Jess Allan juggling a mark, before Teah Charlton snatched the lead with a goal-line crumb on a sharp angle.

Trailing by 13 at half-time, Melbourne put Tayla Harris into the ruck to get her around the ball, and it helped stabilise the Dees and provide some extra bounce through the middle of the ground, pulling four ahead in the clearance count, which had been level to that point.

Adelaide' Chelsea Biddell was exceptional on the last line of defence, as was Gillard down the other end of the field, the two showing tremendous composure under the hottest of finals pressure.

Danielle Ponter was the victim of a clash of knees late in the third term and started the fourth on the bench, but returned to play out the game.

Adelaide gets the rub of the green

There's no doubting the Crows came out breathing fire in the second term, but they also benefited from some free kicks in their front half as the quarter progressed. Zoe Prowse (playing in attack, with Chelsea Randall behind the ball) was given a 50m penalty for a marginally late push after her mark, there was a mid-field free kick reversal which led to a Niamh Kelly major, and Ponter was also the beneficiary of a whistle in front of goal just before the half-time siren.

A captain's goal

Melbourne posted a compilation video of fans' messages of support a few days before the game, with one passionate older gentleman entreating Stinear to play Hore at full-forward. The skipper rested out of the goal-square in the third term – up against the well and truly in-form Biddell – and produced a fabulous dribbling major from a tight angle to snatch back the lead.

MELBOURNE      3.2     4.3     6.5     9.6     (60)
ADELAIDE          1.2     6.4     6.5     7.7     (49)

GOALS
Melbourne: Hore 3, Mahony 2, Fitzsimon, Mackin, Wotherspoon, Campbell
Adelaide: Gould, J.Allan, Charlton, Prowse, N.Kelly, Ponter, Marinoff

BEST
Melbourne: Hore, Hanks, Mahony, Gillard, Heath, Harris
Adelaide: Marinoff, Biddell, N.Kelly, Newman, Hatchard

INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
Adelaide: Nil

Crowd: 2,624 at Ikon Park