Adelaide sewed up the minor premiership, posting a 13-point win against North Melbourne.

The Crows claimed a 17.11 (113) to 15.10 (100) victory at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.

A ninth consecutive triumph confirmed Adelaide (18-5) will top the home and away ladder for the first time since it reached the Grand Final in 2017, with the best winning ratio in club history.

Saturday's mismatch loomed as a one-sided affair between sides ranked first and 16th, and Adelaide's class ultimately shone through.

But North was competitive and refused to lie down, despite the Crows threatening to break the game open.

Adelaide, which led at every change, increased its advantage to a match-high 37 points with the first two goals of the final term.

North breathed life into the contest with four goals in six minutes, including one in controversial fashion when Adelaide's Mark Keane failed to rush a behind and was caught by Cooper Trembath.

The ball spilled to Tom Powell, who poked home a goal that was awarded on review.

Adelaide steadied when North's Finn O'Sullivan was penalised 50 metres for not obeying the stand rule on the wing, gifting James Peatling his third major.

Riley Thilthorpe and Ben Keays also finished with three goals, while Billy Dowling kicked two after being called up for his first game of the season.

Rory Laird (23 disposals) was among the Crows' major ball-winners on return from suspension, along with Sam Berry (24) and Jordan Dawson (23).

Luke Davies-Uniacke (31 disposals, 12 clearances), Luke Parker (27, 10), Harry Sheezel (32, six) Tristan Xerri (25, seven) were all busy for North, while Paul Curtis kicked three goals.

SCOREBOARD

NORTH MELBOURNE          3.3     7.6     10.7     15.10 (100)
ADELAIDE                          4.3     9.5     14.8     17.11 (113)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Trembath 3, Curtis 3, Stephens 2, Scott, Powell, Parker, Harvey, Davies-Uniacke, Darling, Banch
Adelaide: Thilthorpe 3, Peatling 3, Keays 3, Dowling 2, Walker, Taylor, Smith, Neal-Bullen, Laird, Fogarty

BEST
North Melbourne: Xerri, Sheezel, Parker, Davies-Uniacke, Simpkin, Trembath
Adelaide: Thilthorpe, Keays, Dawson, Peatling, Worrell, Laird

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Adelaide: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
North Melbourne: Cooper Harvey (replaced Geordie Payne in the third quarter)
Adelaide: Brodie Smith (replaced Sid Draper at three-quarter time)