IT WAS win or bust for the Magpies on Saturday, but Chad Cornes was thrilled with the endeavour showed by his players to overcome just 18 fit men at the end of its battle with West.

The contest was a do-or-die battle for both sides, equally struggling with form early in their 2016 SANFL campaign.

Taking the field without skipper Steve Summerton, the Magpies entered the match with its least-experienced side of the past three years.

The game wasn't always pretty, but Port Adelaide played hard-nosed to get out to a 28-point lead early in the final term.

The Bloods had a chance to punish Port’s tiring legs, with three fewer rotations on the Magpies’ bench after Colquhoun, Robbie Young and Frampton left the ground injured.

But Port Adelaide managed to dig deep, which pleased Cornes.

"I thought it was a really great team effort," Cornes said.

“To fight it out like that was a courageous effort.

"The mind is a pretty powerful thing, so if you're convinced you've still got a bit left then you always have.

"Wins like this are great for the morale."

Cornes lauded Zac Hawkins and forwards Jesse Palmer and Dougal Howard.

With a 2-4 record and sitting just outside the top five, Cornes was confident it was the win the Magpies needed to kick its season into gear.

"We said during the week that you don't really have an option, boys - it's pretty much do or die this round,” Cornes said.

"Looking at the ladder now, it's still a really even competition, so it only takes you to get a bit of confidence and get on a roll.

“Without looking too far ahead, it's [the win] a great way to start and you build on that over the next month."

Port Adelaide will look to string together consecutive victories when it plays Woodville West-Torrens at Woodville Oval on Saturday 14 May at 1.40pm.