PORT Adelaide is miles off being a top football side and coach Ken Hinkley takes responsibility.
 
The Power slumped to what Hinkley described as the most disappointing defeat during his time at the club when they lost to the Western Bulldogs by 64 points in round 19.
 
While season 2015 has been one of failed expectation, perhaps last year's narrow preliminary final loss to Hawthorn delivered fans an inflated view of the side's position in the competition.
 
Port has won just 14 of the 32 games since round 12 last season and will miss this year's finals campaign.
 
Speaking before training on Friday morning, Hinkley said Port was some way from becoming a consistent force and he held himself accountable.
 
"I take major responsibility, that's my job – I'm responsible for the team performance and I don't shy away from that," Hinkley said.
 
"No one takes more responsibility at this football club than me and that's the way it should be.
 
"It's about where we started, it's about being team first and it's about being a defensive team and it's about being really hard to play against
 
"They're the things we're going to get back … we're a middle-of-the-road team, we don't want to be a middle-of-the-road team, we expect to be a top-of-the-ladder team.
 
"We're so far off that at the moment, we've got a lot of work to do."
 
There are four games remaining for the Power to build some sort of confidence before what promises to be another telling pre-season.
 
Their run home begins on Saturday against Greater Western Sydney but Hinkley said in many respects that the result wouldn't matter.
 
"Yes, we want to win every game we play … but there's some stuff that you'd like to be able to see regardless of winning or losing," he said.
 
"Whether we've got the ball, they've got the ball, there's some ways and things you'd like to see and behaviour from Port Adelaide players in the next three or four weeks.
 
"I'm looking forward to seeing those."