Port Adelaide Magpies secure a top-three finish by belting Norwood in the SANFL

Jackson Trengove starred up forward with four goals while Jarman Impey and Aaron Young were brilliant as the Port Magpies beat arch rival Norwood by 71 points at Alberton yesterday.

Port Adelaide Magpies coach Chad Cornes at quarter-time.

THE JACKO and Jars show secured Port Adelaide a top-three finish and condemned Norwood to an elimination final as the Magpies beat their arch rival by 71 points at Alberton yesterday.

Port Adelaide looked every bit like a team that can go all the way in September with a healthy list and the Power charging into finals as well.

Jackson Trengove starred up forward with four goals while Jarman Impey and Aaron Young were brilliant all over the ground to stake a strong claim for an AFL recall.

And they weren’t alone with Brendon Ah Chee and Brett Eddy also among Port’s best.

“Firstly I want to point out the attitude of the guys who came back from the AFL team again led by Jacko (Trengove),” Port coach Chad Cornes said.

“It’s outstanding and not just what he does on the field, it’s in the warm-up, Friday night training, the energy he creates pre-game, two weeks in a row he’s led the way in playing hard Port Adelaide football.

“And to everyone else who came back there was no sign of complaining about not being in the AFL side, just outstanding attitudes and it was probably the most satisfying win of the year.”

Eddy kicked five goals and his fourth was a ripper when he came charging out of full forward, took the ball at ground level with one grab, turned on his left and snapped truly.

But his fifth was better when again running at full pace on his right side he was pushed as he kicked it from 35m and it still sailed through.

Port Adelaide can now finish no lower than third while the Redlegs are at least assured of finals going into the final minor round of the season.

In a double blow, Norwood also lost Lewis Johnston to a quad injury early in the game.

“In regards to effort from the previous week I thought our tackling pressure was pretty good,” Norwood coach Jarrod Cotton said.

“But they got us on the outside and when you’ve got Trengove and Krakouer and Impey, Ah Chee, they all want to play (AFL) finals and give them credit, names are one thing but they actually got it done.

“There are things we’ve got to get better at and making the right decision with ball in hand hurt a bit.”

Brendon Ah Chee could mount a case he’d been hard done by at AFL level but a week after again being dropped he was as aggressive as ever in the midfield and helped Port get off to a flyer.

Jesse Palmer kicked two goals in the first quarter and Trengove dominated in the air to give the Magpies a 13-point lead.

Just when the Redlegs desperately needed a lift, Mitch Grigg delivered a 55m goal with his booming left foot to halt the momentum, but two consecutive goals to Brett Eddy put the game almost beyond Norwood’s reach.

Two late goals just before half-time to Kristian Roocke and Sam Baulderstone at least gave Norwood some hope of a fightback.

But it was all Port Adelaide in the third quarter as they sounded an ominous warning going into finals.

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