The ex-Alex striker showed his former employers just what they've been missing with a second-half strike which completes an amazing feat for the hustling front-runner.
Rodgers grabbed Crewe's winner when Vale went down in the reverse of this fixture before making his switch across the great divide, and he added the gloss at his new home as the visitors simply rolled over.
Robin Hulbert grabbed his first ever league goal and Leon Constantine was also on target as Vale could afford to miss a late penalty as they cruised past the finish line.
But for a lack of composure in front of goal, Vale could have finished it off by the time they trudged off for their break - instead a solitary goal was all the hosts had for their endeavour.
Two golden opportunities were duly wasted in the opening ten minutes when both Akpo Sodje and Michael Walsh were allowed a free passage into the danger-zone.
Despite both steering wide when really the net should have bulged, the hosts took the initiative as the Railwaymen didn't take any heed from the early warning-shots.
The hosts eventually claimed a 36th minute bounty when Hulbert arrived on the edge of the box to smash Gary Roberts' tame clearance into the roof of the Alex net.
The chances continued to fall thick and fast at the feet of Vale's front-men, and in stark contrast to the careless opening, each was greeted with a clinical boot.
Constantine took his season tally to 23 when an amazing display of balance held off Crewe's rearguard before the gangly striker smashed a bicycle kick past the helpless Ben Williams.
And it wasn't long before Vale added a third when Rodgers pounced to pile on the misery for his former employers.
A move which owed more to the former Crewe man's brute strength than anything else, got him a sight on goal before drilling a low shot past Williams' outstretched frame.
The visitors managed to muster a shot on target in the 76th minute only to find Joe Anyon at his acrobatic best to deny Shaun Miller's spectacular overhead effort.
Williams produced his own piece of shot-stopping excellence to deny Constantine from the penalty spot to keep the scoreline respectable when an embarrassment was very much on the cards.