Carlton have toppled reigning AFLW premiers Adelaide, reversing last year’s grand final result in a gutsy eight-point win.

The Crows crunched the Blues by 45 points in last year’s premiership decider in front of 53,034 fans at Adelaide Oval.

This time Adelaide’s fans, out in force with 7281 at Richmond Oval on Sunday to witness the return from injury of superstar Erin Phillips, were stunned by the brilliance of Carlton on-baller Madison Prespakis and key forward Tayla Harris.

The Blues showed they are right in 2020 premiership calculations as they improved to a 3-1 win-loss record, while Adelaide slipped to 2-2.

Prespakis, the Blues’ best-and-fairest in her first season last year, won 20 touches, while Harris booted two goals.

And when it came to the crunch in a frenetic final quarter, experienced Darcy Vescio booted the only goal for the term to seal the deal for the Blues.

Phillips made her AFLW comeback 336 days after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in last year’s grand final.

The dual premiership superstar and two-time league best-and-fairest winner started playing deep in attack but had spells on the ball later, desperately trying to lift her side and was one of the Crows’ best.

Adelaide, hit by an ankle injury to star ruck Jess Foley in the third quarter, led for much of the game but the Blues dominated the stats sheet and claimed the lead midway through the third term through a Harris goal.

Crows ruck Rhiannon Metcalfe, also returning from an ACL injury after missing last season, grabbed her place in the spotlight when she bounced through the opening goal of the game with a cool snap.