A HEARTBROKEN Danyle Pearce says no words can justify the Power's disappointing 32-point loss to Adelaide in Showdown XXXI on Sunday afternoon.

The Crows showed more desire for the contest, leading Port in clearances, tackles and contested possessions to hand the Power their seventh consecutive defeat.

"We've got no excuses, we've got no lines to feed everyone," a shattered Pearce said after the loss.

"We really have to apologise to all the supporters that continually show up. We are letting them down big time."

Pearce was one of only a few Port Adelaide players who could hold their head high after the match, with the speedster gathering 25 possessions and six marks in a brave performance against the tide.

Cameron Hitchcock also contributed with three goals from limited opportunities, taking his tally to seven goals from the past three games.

But there was too much left to too few for Port Adelaide, as the Crows gave caretaker coach Mark Bickley the ideal start to his coaching career.

Port coach Matthew Primus vented his frustration upon the playing group immediately after the game, questioning his players' desire to compete at the elite level.

"All year we just haven't played like footy means the absolute world to us," Primus said in the post-match press conference.

"We just had a great discussion of why that is, because if footy means absolutely everything to us, we wouldn't be down the bottom with two wins."

But Pearce says the players still had the hunger to compete, despite the Power's lacklustre performance against their cross-town rivals.

"No matter who you are, whether you are top of the ladder or whether you're bottom, everyone is playing [because] they love the game. It's their life. It's 24/7 for as long as you are playing footy for a career," he said.

"After a loss ... you go home and you don't sleep. It affects every aspect of your life.

"We just want everyone to know that we are hurting just like everyone else. But we want to go out there next week and really show how much it does mean.

"We've really got to start earning respect back across the whole AFL."

The task doesn't get any easier for Port Adelaide however, as the Power line up against premiership favourites Collingwood next Saturday night at AAMI Stadium.

A win, or at least a competitive showing, against the reigning premiers would go a long way to returning some of that much-needed respect back to Alberton.

Max covers news from AAMI Stadium for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_MaxPhillips