PORT ADELAIDE coach Ken Hinkley says his side’s win over Sydney on Saturday was built on effort, work rate and pressure.

The Power lost midfielder Zak Butters (knee) and debutant ruckman Brynn Teakle (collarbone) in the first half but blew the Swans away with six goals to one in the third quarter, eventually winning 12.10 (82) to 8.11 (59).

It was the club’s sixth straight win over Sydney, and made more impressive not just by the injuries but by the absence of experienced campaigners Travis Boak (H&S protocols) and Robbie Gray (rested).

The club has had at least one of Boak or Gray in the side in every game since Round 21, 2012.

“It’s good to see that the boys can hold up their end when those two champions of our footy club weren’t able to be there for us,” Hinkley said after the game.

“They’re still great players for us and we still love them in the team when they’re playing well.”

Pleasingly for Hinkley Port was able to keep Swans spearhead Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin to just 1.3, with former teammate Aliir Aliir enjoying the challenge on his good friend.

But the Port coach said it was an all-round effort to keep the visiting side quiet at Adelaide Oval and there were other reasons for the win.

“Our team defence is what’s got us back in the season, I think that’s really clear and today we were able to maintain that for a long period of time,” Hinkley explained.

“We scored a bit better and we scored a bit freer, we moved the ball with some high-quality stuff and at times we were a bit untidy.

“But you win games like that against high quality opposition purely on effort and work rate and pressure, and we were extremely good in that today.”

Teakle started promisingly, with nine hit-outs and five disposals while also taking a strong pack mark and laying an important defensive smother before a huge bump on an opponent saw him come from the field with a broken collarbone in the second term.

Butters was probably Port’s best with nine disposals, two tackles and a goal before being subbed out with what looks like a medial ligament injury just five minutes into the same quarter.

“We were only down one but I thought both players were playing well,” Hinkley said. “We should acknowledge that Brynn in his first game, in 14 days, comes in and has the impact that he does and he plays tough and hard and cops a broken collarbone.

“He’s got enough spunk about him to say as he’s walking off at half time ‘that’s the best 35 minutes ever’. He was happy with himself and the fact he’s playing AFL football. He’s a pretty good story.

“(Zak) was playing really good footy. We all know how good Zak can be but he’ll clearly miss some time with his knee.

“It looks like a medial. We’ll tell you exactly what happened when we get the information.”

Teakle’s injury forced Jeremy Finlayson back into the ruck, and he more than held his own against former Port player Peter Ladhams.

Hinkley said he might be called upon to play more ruck than forward against Gold Coast on Sunday week.

“He might have to (ruck) for the next few weeks. But we’ll revisit all that once we review tonight and get ready for the next game,” Hinkley said of the GWS recruit who had proposed to his partner Kellie Gardner less than 24 hours before the game.

“His follow up work is really important and so is Pep (Sam Powell-Pepper) and so is Charlie (Dixon). We certainly understand we lose a bit in the hit-outs but we gain a bit of support around the outnumber ball, which helps us.

“Jeremy said to me the other day, ‘when the ball is in the air, I’m a tall but when it hits the floor I'll be a small’. That’s a good way to play.”

Having started the season with five consecutive losses, Port Adelaide has banked an important win against a finals contender and now faces another with the Suns at Adelaide Oval in Round 15.

Hinkley is expecting another tight, high-pressure encounter against a side which is aiming to play finals for the first time in its history.

“We knew we had to bring absolute elite pressure against a Sydney Swans side that was very good,” he said.

“If we look back to the game against Richmond a couple of things went against us late but it was a pretty high-pressure game. We haven’t been that far off the mark since a really disappointing start and the only way to maintain it is to focus on each game.

“We’ve been pretty consistent for a period of time but we’ve still got to keep going when we’ve put ourselves in a position that’s going to be challenging. But we’re up for the challenge.”