PORT ADELAIDE CEO Keith Thomas says the club is thrilled to be back in the SANFL finals, after a strong home-and-away season saw them finish second on the ladder.

The Magpies won nine of their last 10 games to finish the year, and Thomas believes the side is peaking at the right time.

“I can’t tell you how excited we are about this campaign,” Thomas told FIVEaa’s Rowey and Bicks on Wednesday evening.

“I think the Maggies have been building through the year, and we’ve been pleased at how the players who have been going back and forth from the AFL program have embraced the challenge of playing for the Magpies.

“We are absolutely up and about, and wanting to go a long way in this campaign.”

Thomas says the legacy of the Magpies means everything to Port Adelaide, and the importance is instilled in every player when they are recruited to the Power in the AFL system.

The chief executive says the group of players preparing for the 2019 finals series has a great opportunity to create its own history.

“We do spend a lot of time explaining to our new players from interstate, what the Magpies mean to our club, where the heritage is and what it means,” Thomas said.

“We honour it in many different ways, and they actually feel that honour. They want to be a part of the history of this great club.

“Here we have a great opportunity to do it.”

Glenelg finished atop the ladder after the home-and-away season, with Sturt (fourth) and Norwood (fifth) rounding out the top five, and Thomas says coming up against Port’s traditional rivals is exciting for the Port Adelaide people.

“How good is that? They are all traditional rivals of Port Adelaide,” he said.

“What a fantastic scenario this finals series presents. We can’t wait to get amongst it.”

There is an SANFL double-header this weekend at Adelaide Oval, with Sturt and Norwood doing battle in the elimination final from 3.20pm, before the Magpies host the Crows in the qualifying final from 7.05pm.