Wayne Carey has marked his return to the AFL with a premiership as Adelaide claimed its first pre-season flag.

Carey kicked two goals in his first match for the Crows, who withstood a late challenge from the Magpies to win by 31 points, 2.13.0.8 (104) to 1.9.1.7 (73).

Crows midfielder Andrew McLeod won the Michael Tuck medal as best afield.

It was Adelaide's first pre-season premiership after losing the 1994 and '95 grand finals for that competition.

But it meant two successive grand final defeats for the Magpies, who lost the regular-season premiership decider last September to Brisbane.

Carey's second goal, a well-judged snap, was a crucial score early in the last term.

Scott Burns had kicked Collingwood's first nine-pointer of the night and Chris Tarrant then goaled as the Magpies reduced the margin from 31 to 13 points.

The Carey goal killed Collingwood's challenge and Adelaide was never pushed seriously for the rest of the match.

Carey started on the bench and the Collingwood fans booed him whenever he warmed up on the boundary.

It was his first AFL match since a pre-season game for the Kangaroos on March 4 last year.

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