PORT Adelaide's performance in the first two rounds has made everyone sit up and take notice.

Port smashed the Sydney Swans around the ball in its season-opener to record its first win at the SCG in eight attempts since round two, 2006.

The Power then backed that up by thrashing a dysfunctional Fremantle by 89 points at Adelaide Oval last Sunday.

After two rounds, Port Adelaide is the third-best in the competition at restricting opposition ball movement, behind only Melbourne and Adelaide.

Port has allowed the opposition to get inside 50 from its defensive midfield only 27 per cent of the time, an AFL-best rating; the competition average is 42.4 per cent.

It has conceded just 58 points per 100 turnovers, also ranked first, and appears to have shrugged off the appearance of being under siege to again being a side that hunts.

Port starts round three in top spot, and threatening to deliver on the potential it showed in Ken Hinkley's first two years as coach, when it emerged from nowhere in 2012 to a kick short of a Grand Final in 2014.

That it retreated just as quickly to middle-of-the-road mediocrity in 2015-16 (22 wins from 44 matches) – too often turning simple things into disaster with ordinary ball use – remains one of the game's modern mysteries.

Although no one at the club wants to tempt fate this early in the season – preferring to let actions speak louder than words – it appears a pre-season of tinkering has the Power motor purring again.

That re-assembling began soon after last season ended with Port in 10th spot, with the football department dissecting every aspect of the team's planning, preparation and execution.

Justin Westhoff and the Power felt the pain often in 2016. Picture: AFL Photos

The review started with an internal belief that while the components were at hand, the way they had been put together was not quite right.

Moreover, it was underpinned by an understanding that the 2013 version Hinkley took over and skipper Travis Boak first led was a completely different beast.

Although there no longer existed the gulf in leadership Hinkley found when he arrived, problems arose when the high-achieving duo's habits did not change quickly enough between 2013-16 to reflect the club's growth and, in a business sense, maturity.

Both finished last season tired, observers describing the skipper as “cooked” after his efforts to remain a conduit between a sometimes-confused playing group and frustrated senior club officials.

The confusion had come as more and more elements were added to a once-simple game plan in an effort to get the team firing again.

Losing – despite enormous effort – caused frustration, and everyone in the football department was mentally and physically drained.

During an off-season trip to the United States, Boak and a few teammates watched the NFL's Seattle Seahawks train, noting with interest how much fun the players were having.

A commitment was made to bring enjoyment back to training.

Although the players respected Hinkley's uncompromising nature and direct feedback, they missed seeing some of the coach's smiling side.

The coach, who had absorbed much of the pressure of the past two years, began to listen.

Hinkley was open to change – and to evolving as a leader and coach.

Experienced midfielder Brad Ebert reinforced the point on radio station 5AA recently, noting the coach "has tried to adjust a little bit to the playing group. [He's] enjoying his job and enjoying what he is doing. The ability to have a bit of fun with the boys as well has really improved."

Assistant coach Matthew Nicks became senior assistant and took more responsibility for the pre-season training program, allowing Hinkley more one-on-one time with his players.

Hinkley has been freed up to talk to his troops. Picture: AFL Photos

Anything in the football program considered beyond its use by date was discarded, as Hinkley became more open to suggestions about positional changes, using his experience to assess their merits with an open mind.

Could Charlie Dixon pinch-hit in the ruck? Should Hamish Hartlett run off half back? Could Chad Wingard fulfill a desire to push into the midfield?

Coaching sessions with players were taped and reviewed to engender improvement and sharpen communication.

The concept of mindfulness became a priority, with players encouraged to remain in the moment – rather than drifting towards possible outcomes – which fostered a more positive mindset.

Gerard Murphy, who worked with Hinkley when he was an assistant coach during a premiership era at Geelong, was recruited to run the leadership program. This took the load off football manager Chris Davies, allowing him to narrow his focus.

Players already had a voice, but they now had a better-managed forum to express it.

Training became shorter and sharper, the focus on kicking as a major area improvement.

Coaches identified specific kicks for specific moments, aiming to register a small percentage increase in execution.

Instead of having match simulation meander along, specific passages of play were repeated again and again at different tempos, with the squad being taught when to go fast in attack, as was its habit, and when it was OK to slow play down.

At times, the squad split into two so all players could participate in the same drill either side of the ground. This resulted in improved execution and skills and allowed more opportunities for players to kick during training.

More game-based training took players into positions that forced them to make decisions about their kicking.

The shift in the game to developing power-based athletes saw players do more explosive running, with metres covered per minute just one of the measures gaining precedence.

After all, the game had changed markedly since 2014, when uncapped interchange rotations were still in place.

Port’s defensive set-up, thought to have pressed too high at times in the past two years, was also simplified.

List changes helped shift the dynamic too, with ex-Bombers Paddy Ryder and Angus Monfries returning from their season-long bans, and new faces Joe Atley, Willem Drew, Brett Eddy, Todd Marshall and Sam Powell-Pepper replacing John Butcher, Cam O'Shea, Alipate Carlile, Kane Mitchell and Paul Stewart.

The departing stalwarts were popular among teammates, but the coach had ridden many of them hard in 2016. Although their ability limited them at times, the coach’s intense glare had worn their teammates down.

Paddy Ryder's return has given Port new impetus. Picture: AFL Photos

The club’s return to the draft after a couple of years spent shopping at the trade table brought new energy too, with Powell-Pepper (pick 18) the most obvious reward from that to date.

Ryder returned to the ruck, Jackson Trengove headed forward and Jared Polec's availability (after just two games in 2016) because of a foot injury has provided some run.

The additions have also allowed Robbie Gray to push forward (he kicked six goals and had 30 touches in round two), while the understated Ollie Wines' form was comparable to Richmond's Dustin Martin in the first two rounds, earning him 18 coaches votes to make him equal leader with Essendon's Zach Merrett.

It's way too early to make any rash predictions, for missing finals might yet become Port Adelaide's lot in 2017. However, lots of little changes appear to be adding up to marked improvement.

But everyone – from the chairman/breakfast television show host making big statements to the quietly-spoken Powell-Pepper – appears to be benefiting.

When Hinkley spoke to AFL.com.au in February, he said some aspects of what the club faced reminded him of his time with the Cats, before they put it together in 2007 after a crisis-inducing 2006 season.

"We're looking to emerge a little bit more from that shadow of not quite [being] sure who we are," he said.