PORT Adelaide interim coach Garry Hocking says the entire playing squad is on notice in the remaining two games of the minor season

Although the former Geelong champion maintained he would finalise his coaching plans at the end of the season, he said Power players have two weeks to impress whoever coaches the club next year.

"Right at the start of the year you've got players who might be right at the end of their careers or you've got some new kids on the block who want to prove a point," Hocking said.

"At round 21, 22 in regards to round one, I don't see any difference.

"All our group's on notice, the new coach coming in, whoever that may be, will be able to sit back and have a look at our list and decide on and our players get an opportunity to really do something in the next couple of weeks about their career or their form."

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Hocking insisted the players had improved since he took over as interim coach at the end of round 19, regardless of two big defeats in his two games at the helm.
 
Under Hocking, Port has lost to Hawthorn by 72 points and West Coast by 48.

But he praised the side's fast starts over the last two weeks where it outscored Hawthorn and managed five scoring shots against the Eagles last weekend.

"We've started well the last couple of weeks, so that's been an improvement probably on previous results for us to be able to get off to a really good start and we just need to take our opportunity up forward," he said.

"With a 0.5 start you really go back into more of a defensive mindset as a coaching group to try and sure things up before you start to attack.

"If we can take that opportunity in the first quarter, start well, put scoreboard pressure on the opposition, then you can start in the second and third, fourth quarter to really attack Brisbane."

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While Hocking said the Power's contested possession count had actually served the side well in 2012, he admitted the club had to improve its skills and uncontested play.

Turnovers have killed the Power in nearly every game they've played this year; with skill errors gifting opposition teams cheap, easy goals.

"Controlling the ball by foot, which has been a little bit of an improvement, we had 106 marks on the weekend to 95 (West Coast) … our players are now able to hold on to the ball a little bit more and make the other player defend," he said.

"Previously we probably have sugar-coated the fact that we've missed skills and turned the ball over too much.

"That's AFL footy and our players still need a little more work in regards to that, but there's been improvement over the last couple of weeks which has been promising."

Harry Thring covers Port Adelaide news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.