Brett Montgomery says the side is united and still holds belief heading into an important four games of the home-and-away season. Image: AFL Photos.

PORT Adelaide is not broken - and in the next four weeks the mantra of never being torn apart will be tested amid the disappointment of under-performing in the wild race to AFL finals.

The close of round 19 - with a 12-point loss to AFL leader Geelong - puts Port Adelaide at 8-10, two wins from the eighth-ranked Western Bulldogs and with no margin for error in the remaining four home-and-away games against Collingwood, Richmond, Essendon and Adelaide.

Port Adelaide midfield coach Brett Montgomery understands the deep frustration that exists in the team and inside the clubhouse is just as tough among a demanding supporter and membership base.

But the telling measure of the Port Adelaide football program - particularly after the 0-5 start to the AFL home-and-away season - is a team that has not fractured nor fallen away from being a challenger.

"We are united - and we have a huge amount of belief," Montgomery said at Alberton on Monday.

"I still see a group that under some trying circumstances, after the start to the season, is still coming to work looking to improve every day. And I don't see that changing.

"We have an important four games to play against tough opponents. There is nothing else to do other than prepare at our absolute best.

"We are still a good team. We just have not been able to get the job done.

"It is a good list, a good team ... it just has not hit the absolute highs of expectation this year."

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Brett Montgomery press conference - 25 July 2022 | PTV

Brett Montgomery speaks to the media at Alberton Oval

The pressure on senior coach Ken Hinkley, who is contracted to Port Adelaide next season, is again rising but not distracting the football program.

"Ken feels the expectation - and he sets the (high) expectations," Montgomery said. "He is no stranger (to the demands placed on AFL senior coaches).

"We know our supporter base has a passion level that is higher than most. We feel it, whether it is real or not. And that is a good thing. That passion might spill over ... but that is the passion our people have.

"Ken will push on. He has belief in the group. The players have belief in him.

"To get this group to preliminary finals, to get this group highly competitive, to get it playing with a brand of footy that is at the highest level is all players look for. And that has been delivered - no doubt about that."

Round 19 MG MVP claimed by Charlie Dixon

Port Adelaide plays fourth-ranked Collingwood (13-5) - the masters of close finishes - at the MCG from 1.15pm on Saturday. A loss would formally eliminate Port Adelaide from finals contention by removing the prospect of a 12-win season.

"What we feel at the moment is the odds are definitely stacked against us," Montgomery said. "But that has been the case since we had the 0-5 start. And I don't expect anything (in the team's approach) to change with attitude or intensity, particularly this week.

"We play another finals contender as an opponent. Nothing changes.

"We do acknowledge it is going to be really tough and many things need to fall our way.

"But this week there will be no change (to the approach of believing finals are still within reach)."

Port Adelaide will look to end Collingwood's nine-game winning streak, facing the Pies for the first time this year. Image: AFL Photos.

After losing three of the past four games - with notable trends on turnovers and small fade-outs in key moments - Port Adelaide needs to change on match day. The clash with Geelong again exposed Port Adelaide for a disappearing session during the second term that allowed the league's top-ranked team to develop a 34-point lead at half-time. Port Adelaide did regain the lead off an eight-goal third term, but did not capitalise from opportunities in the last quarter.

"There is some tightening of a few things (needed) - no doubt about that," Montgomery said. "In terms of expectation, ours was high (for this season) - and it remains high. During games, there are slips, there are lapses that we need to take care of and address. There is no doubt about that.

"If you look at the season over the course, there are those games against Geelong, Melbourne, Fremantle, Richmond, Carlton, Brisbane ... in all of those games (against top-eight contenders) we were pushing late with some chance of winning. Those teams are the measure of the competition and we have not got to the highest of highs, but we have been around the mark."

Port Adelaide's fall from a top-four side - with 31 wins from 39 home-and-away games in 2020 and last season - does bring into question the program at Alberton, the player list and the needs to advance the squad in the upcoming trade and draft period.

Brett Montgomery says the close losses this year indicate Port Adelaide are around the mark but that the side has not risen to their expectations. Image: AFL Photos.

Montgomery says the on-field results have forced Port Adelaide to advance this agenda.

"We are always reflecting on the squad; that is what we do as full-time employees," Montgomery said. "We don't get to shy away from addressing or assessing what we have at our disposals or what we are doing in terms of our growth.

"That does not get on the radar any more this week than it does any other.

"It is ongoing. So far, it has not thrown up anything more than we are a little bit short of the good teams right now. That is not just playing personnel. That is system at times, concentration, intensity. Our results speak to that."

Montgomery dismisses Port Adelaide needs to pack away Season 2022 to focus on the future by arguing the long-term agenda has not been ignored at Alberton, as noted with the recent confidence to pick novices such as half-back Jase Burgoyne.

"We are always looking at that," Montgomery said. "Be it the next four weeks or six or even where we were a couple of weeks ago, we are always looking to get as much as we can out of what is coming up or beyond. We don't have the luxury to veer away from that (long-term agenda). That does not change."

First-year player and father-son pick Jase Burgoyne has impressed in his first matches with Port Adelaide, proving to be a composed presence in the backline. Image: AFL Photos.

Port Adelaide's season is marked with competitive losses to the league's pacesetters - 11 points to Brisbane at the Gabba, three points to Carlton at the MCG, 12 points to Richmond at the MCG, eight points to Fremantle at Perth Stadium, 14 points to Melbourne at Alice Springs and 12 points to Geelong at Adelaide Oval at the weekend.

"The frustration comes from knowing we are good enough," Montgomery said. "Lapses or slips have cost us in those bigger games. We have dropped two or three games that were unacceptable. We have not been able to jag one against one of those top teams to get back on track. So, there is some frustration around that, for sure.

"But we also have not hit expectation."

Port Adelaide had more AFL-listed players in its SANFL line-up that beat Central District at Woodville Oval on Saturday evening. The most notable were specialist forward Orazio Fantasia and young ruckmen Sam Hayes and Brynn Teakle.

The conclusion on review is Port Adelaide made the right call in resisting quick recalls for any of these players - and the same approach will be needed this week regardless of the pressing need for a goalkicking specialist and a specialist ruckman.

Livewire forward Orazio Fantasia enjoyed a successful return to the SANFL, booting three goals in his return to the field. Image: AFL Photos.

"(The SANFL game) opened up some options," Montgomery said. "There are guys who are now healthier than they have been and they will become (AFL) options for us in the next month. Whether it is this week ... there are some guys who were playing their first game in some time.

"We believe in what Orazio Fantasia can bring. There was excitement as to what he could have done for our team by throwing him back into the AFL (against Geelong). As it turned out, Orazio was definitely short of that AFL gallop. We can't have our judgement on what a player can deliver become clouded by reaching for that result we are ultimately searching for.

"We will review Orazio's performance and see where it fits against the guys who are in the team. There is some urgency to get him in the team. We love what he can do. We will push all those boundaries to make sure that if he is ready and is at a level where he can perform, we will take full advantage of that. If not, we can't do that at the expense of the rest of the team."

Port Adelaide ruck stocks have deepened with Teakle joining Sam Hayes and Dante Visentini in SANFL action. But Montgomery is still seeing purpose in the makeshift ruck tandem of key forwards Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson.

"Charlie, Jeremy and Sam Powell-Pepper have been outstanding," Montgomery said. "What we have done is, we have challenged the competition in a way of ruck play and outnumbering the opposition at the ground-level hunt for the ball. By circumstance (the shoulder injuries to Scott Lycett and Teakle), we have found something new.

"Sam Hayes took a really big step on Saturday night. It is nice to see Brynn back in the team off a short turnaround with that collarbone. And we just love what Visentini is doing as a development player. The stocks are good. We just need to decide on the combination (in ruck)."

Port Adelaide will need to replace half-back Dan Houston (concussion protocols). This opens opportunity for Riley Bonner to come off the medical substitute's seat.