PORT Adelaide's form might have wavered, but Ken Hinkley never lost belief.

A run of four defeats in five games – as well as some significant and bold recent decisions at the selection table – had led to talk of unrest among Power officials over the last month.

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However, Port Adelaide responded in style on Saturday, downing the high-flying Essendon by 59 points at Marvel Stadium to ensure its finals hopes received an emphatic boost.

While the result might have stunned the Bombers – and external critics – Hinkley instead suggested it was reflective of a side that remains defiant it can achieve something in 2019.

"The noise has been there," Hinkley said after the match.

"(But) we've been committed as a group and connected as a team all the way through.

"I – and the group – have never lost the belief in us as a football team. We haven't quite played as well as we'd like consistently, but there's never been a lack of belief from inside the club. That's something I'm really strong on.

"We believe in this football team and in this football club."

Port Adelaide risked slipping two games from a finals spot should it have fallen on Saturday, with the clash billed as a do-or-die encounter against one of the League's in-form teams.

However, that's not the manner in which the Power attacked the contest.

Instead, Hinkley revealed that Port Adelaide had built belief from victories over Geelong and West Coast this season, as well as last week's narrow defeat to Greater Western Sydney.

"We didn't approach it in that way at all," Hinkley said.

"We approached it in a way that it was an opportunity against a good team. They're sixth or seventh on the ladder and we've beaten one and two … and got within a point of GWS.

"We're thereabouts, but we're not winning consistently."

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Young ruckman Peter Ladhams was one of three surprise inclusions for the victory over Essendon, but impressed to amass 18 disposals, 22 hitouts and seven clearances.

Uncontracted beyond this season and drawing rival interest from Adelaide and North Melbourne, Hinkley stressed he was adamant the 21-year-old would stay.

Peter Ladhams (centre) celebrates his first AFL win. Picture: AFL Photos

"We're extremely confident that he'll be playing at Port Adelaide," Hinkley said.

"Pete's been a Port Adelaide boy his whole life. He lived across the road.

"How much do we want to keep him? Well, we picked him today. We didn't make a really easy decision. Scott Lycett has been fantastic for us this year. He's had a couple of weeks where he hasn't been quite as good as he'd liked to have been.

"(But) Pete's form demanded to be picked, not as much as Scott's form was that terrible. Pete has been so good (in the SANFL) and I thought he played like an emerging young ruck."