PORT Adelaide shouldn't have been in a position to lose its past two games, against St Kilda and the Brisbane Lions, but coach Ken Hinkley's not complaining.

 

The Power led the Saints by 47 points in the second term last week before scraping home by five and with nine more scoring shots than the Lions on Sunday, the margin should have been greater than nine points.

 

But Hinkley praised his team's ability to find a way over the line after another close shave, spruiking the benefits of such encounters.

 

"I said to the boys after the game,'We've got to be in these experiences, we've got to live these things'," Hinkley said.

 

"The last couple of weeks have been great experiences for us – we dominated a game for a half and nearly let it slip, nearly lost it, found a way back in and today we found a way to win in a pretty scrappy game.

 

"That builds belief."

 

Defender Cameron O'Shea backed his coach's comments, admitting he and his teammates now had the confidence to stay in games right to the end in the hope of pinching victory.

 

"It just gives us a lot more confidence as a group knowing we can hang on entire games," O'Shea said.

 

"In previous years we probably would have rolled over and let them run over the top of us but being in that situation, same as last week, just gives us real confidence knowing that we can maintain that intensity."

 

Hinkley was thrilled with the Power's defensive effort.

 

The Lions were held to 43 inside 50s compared to the Power's 58, were out-tackled 71-61 and were soundly beaten in contested possessions.

 

"That's what I was pleased most about, the way we defended," Hinkley said.

 

"As much as we wasted some opportunities we still were able to keep Brisbane to a score that allowed us to still win.

 

"That's why we won – we defended well.

 

"We gave them a couple of goals through our skill, we know that, we turned the ball over but I think we controlled them pretty well defensively."

 

Hinkley continued to deny his side had earned the right to think about finals, despite pulling a game clear of ninth-placed Carlton.

 

"It's fair to say we'll get what we deserve … at the end of the season you'll mark it from there," he said.

 

"We've got some incredibly tough games, as every game is in AFL football.

 

"I'll bore you, I will, but we'll end up where we deserve to end up."