PORT Adelaide's maturity and improvement shone through in its gutsy 10-point win against Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Friday night, Power coach Ken Hinkley says.

Despite losing the Inside 50 count 68-39, contested possessions 177-158 and clearances 54-38, the Power booted the only three goals of the last quarter to over-run the Demons.

The win moves the Power (9-4) into the top four and gives it the perfect launching pad for the run into the finals.

PORT'S POWERFUL FINISH Full match coverage and stats

"That was a game that sometime in the not-too-distant past we probably would've lost, and I thought we showed a willingness to stay unconditional in the contest," Hinkley said.

"It shows a fair bit of growth, because we've lost games like that just in the last 12 months, big games, where we've dominated (Inside 50) entries and haven't been able to put the score on the board.

"You've just got to find a way to take your chances and we found that way to keep in the game."

'THERE'S NO V IN AFL' Ken and Kochie hit out at secret trials

The Power's second-year midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper was a study of his side's overall performance.

Although he struggled to find the footy – having just four kicks and 11 handballs against a quality Demons midfield – Powell-Pepper impacted the game with his defensive work.

DEES DON'T LIKE IT HOT Five talking points

His 17 tackles set a new Power club record, while Hinkley pointed to another stat that showcased his immense workrate.

"He had 94 pressure points, that's just off the charts," Hinkley said.

"That will be up there with the record books, too, I'd imagine.

"When it's not your night, you just get your grunt going, and you keep hammering in and you keep whacking in.

"I think at one stage he had one kick, 10 handballs or something, so he was under enormous pressure.

"That's credit to Melbourne, they're a really good young team and they're getting there really quickly."

WATCH Ken Hinkley's full post-match media conference

The Power have now won five of their past six games, with the only loss in that period against Hawthorn at fortress Launceston by three points.

It also includes three straight Adelaide Oval games on the national spotlight on either Thursday or Friday nights, with wins over reigning premier Richmond, the Western Bulldogs and now the Demons.

"It just gives us a chance (for the top four)," Hinkley said.

"No-one's a lock in the competition just yet, you've just got to keep working. It's brutal, you've got to keep going week in, week out.

"We've played some good footy through the season and we've been pretty consistent."