Despite coming from 27 points down at half time to snatch an 18-point lead midway through the final term, the Magpies were unable to withstand a second momentum swing in Norwood's favour in the fourth quater.
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A win against the Legs would have given the Magpies a week off, instead they will now face South Adelaide in next weekend's preliminary final to decide who will play in the premiership-decider.
Both sides struggled to break the game open early, but Norwood dominated Port in key benchmarks - tackles almost doubled and inside 50s skewed in favour of the red-and-blue.
Port Adelaide's first half was sluggish in contrast, with Norwood constraining the Magpies' ability to produce its normal running game plan.
Norwood's first half pressure was immense and its attack on the ball brutal as it booted five goals to three in the second term to set up a 27-point advantage at the main break.
Ben Newton, Aaron Young and Sam Gray battled hard in the midfield during the first half, but the Legs forced the black-and-white into several decision making errors and capitalised on the rebound.
Inability to make the most of its chances up forward proved costly for the Magpies in the first half and each time they threatened to swing the momentum its way, Norwood shut down its chances.
The Magpies looked like a completely different side after half time as it treated its strong supporter showing to bouts of determined hard-running from Brendon Ah Chee, Tom Logan and Karl Amon through the middle.
Gray, Young and Newton also continued to work hard and helped to put the game back in the Magpies' favour.
Port booted five unanswered goals in the third quarter and finished with seven for the term, while holding Norwood to just one - ensuring a handy two-goal lead at three-quarter time.
When Karl Amon kicked Port Adelaide three goals ahead early in the final term, it looked as though the Magpies would control the game to the final bell, but Norwood refused to lie down and two quick goals to Simon Phillips and one from Matt Panos helped the Legs steal back control and run away with the game in the final 20 minutes.
Port Adelaide will face South Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval next Sunday 14 September at 2:40pm.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 1.1 4.3 11.7 12.7 (79)
NORWOOD 3.2 8.6 9.7 13.14 (92)
PORTADELAIDEFC.COM.AU'S BEST
Newton, A. Young, Ah Chee, Clurey, Logan
GOALS
Newton 2, Amon, Biemans, Bruggemann, Harvey, Impey, Krakouer, Logan, Shaw, Stewart, Summerton
INJURIES
R. Young (arm)
CROWD
13,431 at the Adelaide Oval
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