PORT Adelaide "paid the ultimate price" for its inconsistent effort against West Coast on Sunday evening, according to coach Ken Hinkley.
His side "steamrolled" the Eagles in the final term, launching inside 50 19 times to 10, but was equally hammered in the third quarter when it conceded 16 entries to seven.
He thought the difference between third-quarter Port and last-quarter Port summed its season up.
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Criticising the effort of his players in the third term, Hinkley said the 10-point loss was deserved.
"Our intent to stay in the moment probably dropped off … it doesn't sit very well with me at all," Hinkley said.
"It becomes even more frustrating when our last quarter, albeit we lost on the scoreboard, we steamrolled them – 19 to 10 with entries.
"For the first time we've got the game played the way we'd like to have it played and we couldn't put that score on the scoreboard.
"That's what you get; you just can't rely on it happening when you want it to happen and you're going to pay a price and we paid the ultimate price tonight."
WATCH: Ken Hinkley's full post-match media conference
But credit had to go to West Coast's defence; Jeremy McGovern was brilliant, as was Brad Sheppard and Will Schofield.
Their performance is only enhanced considering the injuries the club has sustained in defence, namely Mitch Brown and Eric Mackenzie, as well as the pre-season retirement of Beau Waters
Hinkley admired the depleted backline's resolve.
"I thought they defended really well in our forward 50; I've watched them really closely over the last couple of weeks and they've been getting their drop-off defenders in the right spot," he said.
"The upside of them losing a couple of key backs is that they've had to rely on each other to fill roles and play together … they've learned a lot off that.
"We didn't handle their method as well as we needed to.
"Again, the competition, we've seen it all over the whole weekend again – you take your eye off the ball, you end up paying a price."
The good news for the Power was that Brad Ebert (corked thigh) and Jay Schulz (corked back) are both expected to play the Brisbane Lions next week despite appearing in obvious discomfort during the loss.
