Adelaide have sealed a top-two spot after a pulsating three-point win over Collingwood that was marred by a number of controversial moments.

Riley Thilthorpe was the hero with a clutch goal late before the Crows held firm after Nick Daicos reduced the margin to less than a kick.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Thilthorpe gets away with time wasting.

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But there was a moment with just a minute remaining that left fans and commentators scratching their heads.

After the ball went out for a throw in, Thilthorpe kicked it away from the boundary umpire.

Under the rules, that’s a clear act of time wasting that should have been a free kick to Collingwood.

It would have given the Magpies a free kick on centre wing with just over a minute remaining.

As it happened, they won a holding the ball free kick moments later to have one final chance, but the Crows successfully repelled to hold on.

“I don’t know how all the umpires missed this, this is time wasting ... he is looking at and he toes it off the ground. That is not by accident. There are umpires all around him and they don’t pay it,” Jason Dunstall said in commentary.

Garry Lyon added: “I think it’s the non-free of the year. Now whether he is trying to kick it up to himself or not that’s irrelevant. If you kick the ball away at a critical time in the match ... you just have to say the umpire ... I won’t say, he didn’t blow the whistle.”

The Crows managed to win the game despite having a staggering 34 less inside 50s than Collingwood.

“One of the more extraordinary games that we’ve been at. You’re gonna look at the stats sheet and it just doesn’t make sense,” Lyon said.

Dunstall added: “I cannot fathom that you get beaten in the inside 50s 71 to 37 and find a way to win the game.”

It wasn’t the only missed call of the night with Ben Keays getting away with a clear throw in the third quarter that ended in a pivotal goal to Isaac Cumming.

The win puts Adelaide six points clear of second-placed Brisbane and they will seal the minor premiership if Geelong loses to Sydney on Sunday or if they beat North Melbourne next week.

Collingwood remain in fourth place with their double chance hopes resting on their final game of the season against Melbourne.

The Crows trailed by 25 points at quarter-time but flipped the script to end their 10-match losing streak to the Pies.

With victory before a sold-out crowd of 54,283 - the second-largest attendance at an AFL game at the oval - Adelaide equalled their club-best returns of 17 wins and five losses in 2005 and 2012 - a win over the Roos will create a new benchmark.

The Crows were jumped by a fast-starting Collingwood, who produced a first-term blitz to create a 25-point quarter-time lead, 5.3 to 1.2.

But Adelaide turned the tables in the second term, with ex-captain Taylor Walker kicking two of five unanswered goals for the hosts.

A late strike from Izak Rankine gave Adelaide a five-point edge at halftime, 6.3 to 5.4.

The third quarter, amid rain, was tight - neither team managed a goal until Adelaide’s Isaac Cumming scored in the 27th minute that came after Keays’ missed throw.

But Pie forward Jamie Elliott replied, threading a set shot from an acute angle, to reduce Adelaide’s advantage to two points at three-quarter time, 7.6 to 6.8.

Another scoring stalemate ensued in a tense finale: a goal-less 17-minute stretch was broken when Crow James Peatling snapped accurately.

But Magpie Jack Crisp responded six minutes later to reduce the margin to three points.

Key Crow Thilthorpe then took a superb contested mark and converted. Again the Pies responded, with a long bomb from Nick Daicos leaving the visitors three points down, but Adelaide grimly held on for victory.

Ex-Crow skipper Walker and Darcy Fogarty kicked two goals each, while defenders Josh Worrell (27 disposals), Mark Keane (23) and captain Jordan Dawson (23) were influential.

Collingwood’s Nick Daicos was superb with a game-high 29 possessions and a goal.

Veteran Scott Pendlebury (24 touches) was prominent, especially early, Darcy Cameron (23 disposals) ruled the rucks, and forwards Elliott and Tim Membrey booted two majors apiece.

- With AAP