Adelaide spearhead Kurt Tippett kicked three priceless goals as the lowly Crows scored a seven-point AFL upset over Sydney on Saturday night.

The Crows broke a six-game losing streak before their lowest ever home crowd, winning 8.9 (57) to Sydney's 6.14 (50).

Only 23,063 spectators attended AAMI Stadium - less than the previous low Crows crowd of 24,597 in 1994.

Heavy rain was a factor in the small crowd, but Tippett defied the slippery conditions for a match defining haul of goals.

The Crows forward was the only player in the game to kick multiple goals and his final major late in the last quarter sealed Adelaide's fourth win for the season.

The Swans held the early going in a fixture fought in constant rain which made goals a premium.

With star forward Adam Goodes prominent, the visitors slipped out to a 13-point lead some 18 minutes into the game.

The margin proved the greatest of an unrelenting battle as the Crows showed mettle missing during their previous six consecutive losses.

Adelaide trailed by seven points at halftime, with Goodes peerless early in the tricky conditions.

Goodes set up Sydney's opening goal and kicked their second and when teammate Craig Bird booted another the Swans established the match high lead.

But Adelaide hung in the contest and two unanswered third term goals gave them a one-point lead at the last break.

The gallant Swans reversed the deficit and took a one-point buffer when Paul Bevan goaled in the 18th minute of the final term.

But subsequent goals to Adelaide youngster Rory Sloane and Tippett confirmed a Crows victory to mark the 200th game of their half-back Michael Doughty.

Adelaide coach Neil Craig praised the effort of his players to prevail despite the injury losses of Ian Callinan (hamstring) and Richard Douglas (ankle).

"The scoreboard, end result, is a bonus for us," Craig said.

"Our capacity to compete with them all night, particularly when headed, and to fight back was the most pleasing thing."

Sydney coach John Longmire lamented a wasteful streak from the second term until late in the last when the Swans scored 13 points in a row.

"To continually have the ball in your forward half and keep missing shots ... it was really frustrating," Longmire said.

"We just had a lot of the ball but couldn't put the score on the board."

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