"Four points."
And, added Ken Hinkley after his side's loss by that margin at the SCG on Saturday, was the Power’s inability to get the little things right at crucial moments of the game.
A tackle here, the execution of a kick on goal elsewhere, spoiling Swans goals in defence, there were plenty of moments the Power principal could identify as a moment where the game slipped from his side’s grasp.
Equally, however, were there times where Port dazzled the Swans with its pace, daring and well-executed play around the small oval.
Little, arguably just the margin on the scoreboard, separated the Swans and Power at the end of the day.
But while he was proud of his players' endeavour, Hinkley was still left unhappy by the result.
After all, the Swans took away a four-point victory, and four points on the premiership table.
"We lost, I don't like that," Hinkley said.
"We had a real go at the game though, there's no doubt about that, and the toughest test in footy as everyone said during the week was to come up here and play Sydney on their patch.
"I thought, at least, we had a real go at that and I was proud of the boys for the way they went about it."
TALKING POINTS
While it was the Swans with the momentum - and eight six missed shots on goal - in the opening quarter, it was the Power that couldn't capitalise on opportunities late in the game.
And although the Power managed to swing the momentum of the game in its favour and claim the lead midway through the contest, it was Sydney's ability to play with polish at pivotal moments that ultimately delivered the result in its favour.
It leaves Port Adelaide with many lessons to take home to Alberton.
"They [Sydney] missed their chances early, and we missed our chances a bit late but that's two good sides playing a good game of footy, I would have thought," Hinkley said.
"Everyone would have been reasonably pleased with the standard of football that was played out there.
"[But] the good sides ... consistently do the little things really well and in crucial moments they get it right.
"It's crucial moments today where we perhaps got it wrong, and to Sydney's credit they made us pay."
Few pundits gave Port Adelaide a chance on Saturday afternoon at a notoriously difficult venue for visiting teams, but the Power can take some comfort from the close result.
Hinkley says his side will also take away lessons though, knowing it can't rely solely on fast legs to deliver a result late in the game against strong-all-over sides like Sydney.
VOTE FOR YOUR BEST
"We've got lots to learn,” Hinkley said.
"I've said before that we're not always going to win, even though we're a hard-running side," Hinkley said.
"It's one of our key strengths, and we have to go with it [and] play to that style.
“We're not a club that sits back and gets happy with a good performance, we need to get better and we know that - we have another opportunity really soon to play Sydney, obviously, with the way the draw works out.
"We know we just have to keep going to work and keep working hard, because we know that our best stacks up really well.
"But it doesn't mean we'll win all the time."
Port Adelaide plays the Western Bulldogs at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday 21 June.
