Led by young forward Chad Wingard who booted five goals en route to winning the Showdown Medal, Port overcame crucial skill errors to win the final ever derby at AAMI Stadium.
Port finishes with a 19-16 record at the ground over Adelaide and, critically, keeps the chasing pack of top eight candidates led by Carlton at bay.
It now sits in eighth place on the ladder; two games clear of the Blues in ninth.
It was never smooth sailing for the Power though, after the Crows stormed out of the blocks early with goals to their main forward targets Lewis Johnston and Patrick Dangerfield.
Things went from bad to worse for Port when utility Paul Stewart broke his wrist early in the quarter after being tackled to the ground by Crow Jared Petrenko.
He was substituted from the game and replaced by young runner Sam Colquhoun.
Port responded to the Crows in kind through Jay Schulz and the trademark long-bomb of Hamish Hartlett to level the scores, before Adelaide again responded late to carry a seven-point lead into the first break.
Cue the surge.
Port opened the taps in a five minute burst with goals to John Butcher, Chad Wingard and Robbie Gray, and clawed its way into the lead for the first time some eight minutes into the second quarter.
Gray looked to have recaptured his 2011 brilliance with a second goal around the body to extend the Power’s lead before doing all the hard work to gift teammate Angus Monfries an easy shot at goal.
Hartlett finished the quarter for the Power with two classy snap goals to help his side to a 21-point advantage at half time.
Momentum in normal games is precious, but Showdowns are no normal games.
So it was this time, with Adelaide turning the derby on its head with four consecutive goals after half time to fight its way back into contention.
Port disappeared in the third quarter as the Crows' pressure and clean skill execution pushed it aside with ease.
Not even two goals from Jay Schulz and Wingard to stem the flow of Adelaide goals was enough.
The Crows plauged the Power all over the ground and finished a seven-goal-to-two quarter to reclaim a 12-point advantage at the final break.
Enter Wingard.
If pundits thought his breakout season couldn't be bettered, they were dead wrong.
Wingard opened Port's final quarter with his third goal in the first 19 seconds before substitute Sam Colquhoun kicked his first major to bring the margin back to a point.
But the composed Crows kicked away again through Lewis Johnston, Patrick Dangerfield and Ricky Henderson to lead the Power by 20 points after 22 minutes of play.
Heroes are born in the heat of battle and it was Robbie Gray who rose to the challenge with his third goal.
Undoubtedly it was his best game since returning from an ACL injury in Round 4.
He had stiff competition from Angus Monfries though, who gave the Australian cricket team some training hints with a great bouncing goal to make it a two-point ball game.
But if heroes are born in the heat of battle, then the winner was ice cool under the pressure.
With four goals already under his belt, it was Chad Wingard's set-shot sealer which delivered the knockout punch to Adelaide with 28 second left on the clock.
He had stiff competition from Angus Monfries though, who gave the Australian cricket team some training hints with a great bouncing goal to make it a two-point ball game.
But if heroes are born in the heat of battle, then the winner was ice cool under the pressure.
With four goals already under his belt, it was Chad Wingard's set-shot sealer which delivered the knockout punch to Adelaide with 28 second left on the clock.
It was his fifth for the night, the most important, and enough to deliver Port a famous four-point victory.
Port Adelaide's senior coach praised the never-say-die attitude of his players after the match.
"They just play to the end, this group of players, " Hinkley said.
"We know how quick football turns and how quickly the scoreboard changes.
"I suppose it was looking like it would be hard to win ... but we just kept going and just kept trying."
Port Adelaide sits eighth on the ladder with four games of the season remaining and upcoming games against Geelong (Simonds Stadium), Gold Coast (AAMI Stadium), Fremantle (Patersons Stadium) and Carlton (AAMI Stadium).
FINAL SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 2.1 9.3 11.4 17.5 (107)
ADELAIDE 3.2 5.6 12.10 15.13 (103)
Goals: Wingard 5, Hartlett, Gray 3, Schulz, Monfries 2 Butcher, Colquhoun
Crowd: 43,368 at AAMI Stadium
Port Adelaide's senior coach praised the never-say-die attitude of his players after the match.
"They just play to the end, this group of players, " Hinkley said.
"We know how quick football turns and how quickly the scoreboard changes.
"I suppose it was looking like it would be hard to win ... but we just kept going and just kept trying."
Port Adelaide sits eighth on the ladder with four games of the season remaining and upcoming games against Geelong (Simonds Stadium), Gold Coast (AAMI Stadium), Fremantle (Patersons Stadium) and Carlton (AAMI Stadium).
FINAL SCOREBOARD
PORT ADELAIDE 2.1 9.3 11.4 17.5 (107)
ADELAIDE 3.2 5.6 12.10 15.13 (103)
Goals: Wingard 5, Hartlett, Gray 3, Schulz, Monfries 2 Butcher, Colquhoun
Crowd: 43,368 at AAMI Stadium
