ADELAIDE has defied the odds to create history as the first NAB AFLW premier.

The Crows fought off a late challenge to upset previously unbeaten favourites the Brisbane Lions by six points in a tense Grand Final at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.

Adelaide won 4.11 (35) to 4.5 (29).

Brilliantly led by co-captains Erin Phillips and Chelsea Randall, the visitors controlled the contest for three-quarters before the Lions crept within five points in a desperate last-quarter fling at victory.

After being outplayed for a lot of the contest, the Lions threw everything into the final term and a mark and goal from Tayla Harris cut the margin to inside a goal. But the Crows stood firm, limiting the home team's scoring chances with an extra player behind the ball for most of the game.

Phillips was inspirational and ran herself to exhaustion, finishing with an impressive 28 possessions and two vital third-quarter goals that set up the scoreboard buffer.

And Randall did a crucial stopper job at full-back on the dangerous Harris, keeping the high-leaping Lion kickless in the first half.

It was a stunning triumph for Crows coach Bec Goddard, who has all the players at her disposal only on game-day, with a large group of the list based in Darwin during the week.

Adelaide grabbed the early lead with two freakish goals in the opening term, unlikely snapshots from tight angles that were gold in a low-scoring contest.

It was virtually the first play of the game when Crow Kellie Gibson ran onto a loose ball and snapped around the body on the run from 35m for the perfect start.

And Deni Varnhagen added another from the opposite pocket, this time a left-foot snapshot from near the boundary line for only her second goal of the season.

Considering the Crows' inside 50 domination, they should have taken a far greater advantage than six points into the main break.

Their system was superior in the first half, based on the midfield grunt of Phillips and the ability to get numbers back when the Lions started a surge out of the backline.

But Adelaide squandered the second-term control, managing only 0.6 from so many chances inside their forward half. The lopsided inside 50 count, with the Crows' leading 26-11 in the first half, emphasised their impressive work-rate but poor return.

It was a goal against the run of play from Jessica Wuetschner in the second quarter that kept Brisbane in touch in a defence-dominated contest.

The Lions finally found their share of the contested ball in the last quarter and threatened to send the match into overtime. But the determined Crows were not going to let their earlier hard work go to waste and held on until the final siren.

BRISBANE LIONS     1.0       2.1       3.3       4.5 (29)
ADELAIDE     2.1       2.7       4.9       4.11 (35)

GOALS

Brisbane Lions: Wuetschner 2, Frederick-Traub, Harris
Adelaide: Phillips 2, Gibson, Varnhagen

BEST 
Brisbane Lions: Bates, Frederick-Traub, Virgo, Kaslar, Hunt, Ashmore
Adelaide: Phillips, Randall, Marinoff, Cramey, Gibson, Bevan

INJURIES 
Brisbane Lions: Koenen (ankle)

Adelaide: Anderson (shoulder)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Rodger, Bryce and Cheeve

Official crowd: 15,610 at Metricon Stadium

Watch: Press Conference