PORT Adelaide is determined to back up its dominant Showdown performance and prove it can be a consistent force this season, coach Ken Hinkley says.    

The Power followed up a shock loss to the Bulldogs last week with a scintillating 57-point win against the Crows on Saturday.

While Port has been plagued with inconsistency this season, Hinkley said they were a better playing group than some people gave them credit for.

Justin Westhoff takes a spectacular grab against Adelaide. Picture: AFL Photos

"They know what they're trying to achieve and they work really hard. We've trained incredibly well for a long period of this year and worked incredibly hard to become better as players and coaches," Hinkley said.

"We have some ups and downs, we get it, no one gets more frustrated than the boys themselves.

"They want to play like that every week, they do their darndest and they get another opportunity next week."

CROWS GET A POWER SHOCK Full match coverage and stats

Hinkley slammed his side following last week's loss, labelling them "untrustworthy, unreliable and inconsistent".

But Hinkley backed his players to back up their dominant Showdown win and become a more reliable side going forward.

"I just believe in the group. I know people won't like that… (but) this is a better group," Hinkey said.

WATCH Ken Hinkley's full post-match press conference

"It's not the same group. I got asked that question in a press conference, (and said) we're inconsistent, unreliable, not trustworthy.

"This is a different group altogether. They're learning, they're going to be a better team at some point. (But) there will be frustrations."

Hinkley praised the performance of his midfield, which won the clearances 45 to 27 despite losing in-form veteran Travis Boak in the warm-up.

Robbie Gray won the Showdown Medal with 35 touches, while Tom Rockliff (36 touches) and Ollie Wines (34 touches) also found plenty of the ball.

"Good on them, because the pressure was put on them and rightly so. They expect that pressure, led by Ollie (Wines), I thought. They responded," he said.

"Every week's like that, that's why we can win or lose. When our midfield is as strong as that we get the territory game that we want.

"We get the battle we want, plus 18 in clearance was a significant event for them to do it, but they've got to continually do it."

Hinkley has not been afraid to drop high profile players this season, with Justin Westhoff and Paddy Ryder among the causalities a couple of weeks ago.

The Power coach indicated he would continue to take this approach to keep the pressure on all his players to consistently perform.

"We've got some good depth. I think that's really important to acknowledge," he said.

"We've got some good players who are still playing in the (SANFL) tomorrow.

"I think the key thing is that we continue to reward the players who deserve to be rewarded by form. I think we'll become better when we become really consistent in our own form."