PORT Adelaide coach Mark Williams says the Power are committed to playing the kids after "officially" bowing out of the finals race with a four-point loss to Richmond on Saturday afternoon.

The game against Richmond was considered a 'must-win' if the Power were to sneak into eight spot and the loss has reinforced the need for Port Adelaide to revert back to the rebuilding process it initiated at the end of 2006.

"For the seventh time this year, we've lost by 17 points or less, which has destroyed any chance of us making the finals. I officially call that off. We have no chance," Williams said after the game.

"It was nice to think that we gave ourselves a chance to win [against Richmond], but we didn't take it. I know our supporters will be devastated by it and certainly we are. There are no smiles and it's a very empty feeling, but it's the truth and that's where we sit.

"A couple of years ago we put ourselves on a path to get back to having the opportunity to win a Grand Final and last year we far exceeded anything we anticipated.

"In fact, we thought we might finish in the bottom four when we put that plan together.

"This season was [supposed to be] another progression towards the eight, without actually making the eight – that's where the plan was.

"It seems like this year it [our performance] is more falling in line with how things should have gone.

"Last year was certainly highlighted by a lot of close games won and this year it's gone the other way, but we don't make any excuses for those losses."

The Power rallied from 28 points down at three-quarter time to claw within four points of victory, but Richmond's seven-goals-to-three third term proved the match winner.

Williams said the club would look at putting several players under the knife in the coming weeks with Peter Burgoyne (hamstring), Steve Salopek (Achilles strain) and Chad Cornes (knee/calf/finger) joining the injury list on Saturday afternoon.

"As a club, although we're pretty shattered and disappointed about the result, we're pretty firm and focused on the fact that we're going to give people opportunities to develop," he said.

"We will certainly start taking a long-term view on our selection, which may or may not mean that older players won't play. Right now it's a little emotional and too close to the result to come to that, but we must make sure that we know exactly our list at the end of the year and exactly who we're keeping and who we're not.

"[In the first 13 rounds] You continually look at picking the absolute best side with the aim of playing in the finals. Now, we're picking the absolute best side for us in two or three years' time.

"I think that's very much the path of a developing team.

"Look at Geelong two years ago. I'm not sure if anyone thought they were going to be a dominant force for years to come, but they stuck with their program, their belief and they kept working with their players.

"Probably the Bulldogs were the same last year. They were a young team and people weren't too sure how good they were going to be, but look at them now?

"There are no guarantees that will happen with us, but the facts are that these things happen with a young side. You have to give them time.

"You have to keep working and working and working hard and that's what we're committed to do. I'm sure that there are quite a few of the players who haven't played AFL that are keen to show what they've got."