Port Adelaide came under intense scrutiny following the shock 12-point loss to Carlton last weekend and the club has been handed tags of 'mentally soft', 'chokers' and 'lacking hardness' around the contest.
One player whose commitment and attack on the ball could never be questioned is tough-as-nails defender Michael Wilson.
And he has implored his teammates to respond to the criticism the same way the club shook the 'chokers' tag by winning the premiership in 2004.
"All players or teams, in some stage of their careers, will have a patch where it doesn’t go right and they're embarrassed with their form, but I think the positive for us is that, yes, people have pointed out we may have done it [been questioned] in the past, but we always come out with a bloody good response," Wilson said.
"We still win games. We get up the top of the ladder. We won a premiership when people put the heat on us last time and we just need that type of commitment and that response again this time.
"We've got a few embarrassed people who've got a lot to prove for the rest of the year, and that's what we're going to be working on."
The Power will tackle Geelong at Skilled Stadium on Sunday and Wilson said the side would be in trouble if they didn’t bring their A-game across the border.
On Sunday, youngster Matthew Kreuzer and Chris Judd inspired Carlton to an unlikely victory and Wilson, a former vice-captain, said it was now up to the Power players to show some leadership under pressure.
"If you can do some sort of inspirational act – like Dom Cassisi smothering or Chad Cornes running back with the flight of the ball – to inspire your teammates when the chance comes, you've got to do it," Wilson said.
"It's a fair honour to get nominated by teammates as a player that leads, so if you can do something special that's what we're looking for."
Wilson, who has battled his share of injuries, is three games into his latest comeback.
The 31-year-old missed last year’s grand final after snapping his achilles tendon a week earlier and made his awaited return against the Swans in round nine.
"My fitness is improving, but as you find out, you can do as much training as you like, but it's always different playing a game. I'm pretty happy with the way things have gone so far. I would like to get a few more kicks but you know, that'll come I hope," Wilson said.
"To credit the medical staff and fitness staff, the training they put together while I was out was that hard that, coming out of the games, I'm not actually too sore.
"I’m pretty happy with the way I've recovered and every week I'm getting fitter."
But Wilson, who has endured two knee and two shoulder reconstructions during his 190-game career, refused to get carried away by making any decisions on his long-term future.
"Playing on for a while to come, for me, is this week at the moment. I'm a couple of games in [to my comeback]. I'm improving in my fitness and little areas and I'm not even worrying about next year," he said.
"Every interview I've ever done I've always said I'm one game away from a major injury, I've had that many.
"I'll just keep playing for the week that's coming and keep the fingers crossed that I get through, so I can ring up the wife after the game and say 'I'm all together', and ready to go next week."
