It was a 58-point turnaround after the Power conceded an early lead to fall three points behind the Crows 14 minutes into the third quarter.
Four goals from Showdown 35 hero Chad Wingard, combined with a rampant second half up forward from Jay Schulz to seal the match and cap a day where the oldest club in South Australia came home to the place it won 21 premierships.
When the formalities to officially open the Oval were done, Port Adelaide gave its true believers what they came to see - victory.
Championed by a sterling performance from eventual Showdown Medallist Hamish Hartlett, the Power stormed out of the blocks with the first three goals of the game, finding space wide and using the corridor to punish the Crows on several rebounding efforts.
Hartlett was in amongst it from the first bounce, with his trademark bursts through the pack crucial to so many of his club's forward movements.
He was ably helped by Brad Ebert who played a reliable and consistent game around the ground - an important link man on several occasions providing good support across the ground.
But the victors didn't have it all their own way, with the game threatening to turn into the Eddie Betts show after quarter time.
The ex-Blue tormented the Power with four goals - three in the second quarter - and looked menacing at deep forward.
Port Adelaide's next game is against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday 6 April ahead of the club's next home match against the Brisbane Lions at the Adelaide Oval on April 12.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 5.4 7.8 12.11 19.14 (128)
ADELAIDE CROWS 1.0 5.2 8.5 11.7 (73)
Goals
Wingard 4, Schulz 3, Gray, Wines, White 2, Boak, Ebert, Lobbe, Westhoff, Butcher, Hartlett
portadelaidefc.com.au's best
Hartlett, Ebert, Polec, Cornes, Broadbent, Hombsch, Wingard, Gray, Monfries
Showdown Medallist
Hamish Hartlett
Crowd
50,397
Championed by a sterling performance from eventual Showdown Medallist Hamish Hartlett, the Power stormed out of the blocks with the first three goals of the game, finding space wide and using the corridor to punish the Crows on several rebounding efforts.
Hartlett was in amongst it from the first bounce, with his trademark bursts through the pack crucial to so many of his club's forward movements.
He was ably helped by Brad Ebert who played a reliable and consistent game around the ground - an important link man on several occasions providing good support across the ground.
But the victors didn't have it all their own way, with the game threatening to turn into the Eddie Betts show after quarter time.
The ex-Blue tormented the Power with four goals - three in the second quarter - and looked menacing at deep forward.
But his performance masked otherwise strong last-line defending from the Power, particularly the reliable Jack Hombsch, who acquitted himself with aplomb all afternoon.
Adelaide, as can be expected in Showdowns, came back hard after half time.
Adelaide, as can be expected in Showdowns, came back hard after half time.
With Betts scoring his fourth and his teammates suffocating the Power's ability to use the corridor, the Crows claimed the lead midway through the term and looked capable of going the distance.
But the Power, through the spark of mercurial forward John Butcher, surged in the final moments of the term with exciting goals to Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard, combined with an after-siren major from Jay Schulz - eked out a five-goal lead at the final change which looked difficult to reel in.
It was, but only for the relentless running attack proffered by Port Adelaide for the remaining moments of the game that secured the historic victory.
That brave, risk-taking game play was praised by senior coach Ken Hinkley.
But the Power, through the spark of mercurial forward John Butcher, surged in the final moments of the term with exciting goals to Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard, combined with an after-siren major from Jay Schulz - eked out a five-goal lead at the final change which looked difficult to reel in.
It was, but only for the relentless running attack proffered by Port Adelaide for the remaining moments of the game that secured the historic victory.
That brave, risk-taking game play was praised by senior coach Ken Hinkley.
"My message to the boys before the game was that we need to play our way, we couldn't let a side restrict us in any way or any time or we'd find ourselves in a bit of trouble," Hinkley said post-game.
"Today was positive for us ... when they [Adelaide] had their turn with the ball, I thought our response was significant.
"That's what happens in a game of footy, the swing comes pretty quick."
Port Adelaide's next game is against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday 6 April ahead of the club's next home match against the Brisbane Lions at the Adelaide Oval on April 12.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 5.4 7.8 12.11 19.14 (128)
ADELAIDE CROWS 1.0 5.2 8.5 11.7 (73)
Goals
Wingard 4, Schulz 3, Gray, Wines, White 2, Boak, Ebert, Lobbe, Westhoff, Butcher, Hartlett
portadelaidefc.com.au's best
Hartlett, Ebert, Polec, Cornes, Broadbent, Hombsch, Wingard, Gray, Monfries
Injuries
nil
nil
Reports
nil
nil
Showdown Medallist
Hamish Hartlett
Showdown Medal votes
Hamish Hartlett (19 votes), Brad Ebert (12), Jared Polec (3), Chad Wingard, Kane Cornes, Richard Douglas (ADL) (2), Eddie Betts (ADL) Brodie Smith (ADL) (1)
Hamish Hartlett (19 votes), Brad Ebert (12), Jared Polec (3), Chad Wingard, Kane Cornes, Richard Douglas (ADL) (2), Eddie Betts (ADL) Brodie Smith (ADL) (1)
Crowd
50,397
