Fresh from last week's bye, the Magpies' players gave their mothers reason to cheer displaying a courageous, tough and hard running brand of football from the first bounce.
The home side held on to record the thrilling win thanks to Sam Gordon's goal at the 22-minute mark of the final term.
The Academy's win came despite Sturt's constant fight back and second quarter surge.
Will Northeast was the first to put the home side on the board after a tackle that resulted in a holding the ball decision inside 50.
Port Adelaide continued to run riot through the middle through the hard work of Danny Butcher and Zac Hawkins, who gave the forwards plenty of opportunity to score and set up a 17-point buffer at the first break.
The visitors swung the momentum in the second quarter though with harder running and clearance wins giving them the freedom to transition the ball from defence to attacking 50.
The Double Blues doubled the Magpies' inside 50s entries in the second quarter and punished their hosts with accurate goal kicking - eight goals from eight shots.
But the Maggies weren't done with yet and continued to work hard to spread around the ground and create opportunities around the ground.
A courageous mark from Sean Davidson leveled the score at 58 apiece at the 17-minute mark of the third term.
Defensive pressure combined with Port Adelaide's spread down the corridor led to Haarsma being left alone in the goal square to mark and a goal to put The Magpies eight points in front.
Despite Sturt quickly hitting back, a second major to Davidson and Cooper's first for the day gave the Magpies a 14-point lead at three-quarter time.
It was almost goal for goal in the final term, as each side desperately searched for their second victory of 2014.
But it Port Adelaide managed to hold onto the lead late in the quarter to record the slimmest of victories.
SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 5.1 6.1 12.6 15.8 (98)
STURT 2.2 8.2 10.4 15.7 (97)
portadelaidefc.com.au's best
D Butcher, Young, Davidson, Raikiwasa, Deeley-Godfrey
Goals
Gordon, Deeley-Godfrey, Davidson, 2, Northeast, Clarke, Cooper, Haarsma, Hawkins, Jessen, Lebois, Raikiwasa, Sawford
Injuries
TBC
