The Power narrowly overcame non-finalists of last year North Melbourne and West Coast in the opening two rounds, but struggled to match it with top-four fancies the Brisbane Lions at AAMI Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The home side managed just three goals in the first half against the Lions and trailed by 39 points at the main break.
Port Adelaide fought back and outscored the visitors eight goals-to-six in the second half, but was unable to overcome the quarter-time deficit.
Midfielder Kane Cornes blamed his side’s poor start for the loss and said he was confident the Power’s best football was good enough to match it with the top sides in the competition.
“I think the margin at quarter time was about the difference at the end of the game, so it was disappointing to come out and start like that," Cornes said after the game.
"It just shows that if you’re five or 10 per cent off with your intensity ... and attack on the ball, especially against good sides, you’re really going to struggle to win the game.
“We just have to get back on it. We’ve got a tough two or three weeks now and it could really make or break our season. We’ve got to train hard and put in a good performance against Geelong next week.”
Cornes picked up a game-high 30 possessions in the loss to the Lions, at an efficiency rate of 70 per cent.
The Port Adelaide players struggled to hit targets in general play against the Lions and also failed to capitalise in front of goal, kicking inaccurately to return 11.15.
Cornes conceded the Power’s skill level was not up to standard on Saturday afternoon.
“Our ball use all day really hurt us with the number of turnovers we had, or turnovers Brisbane created with their pressure.
"It was very uncharacteristic for us and it wasn’t just our shots on goal that missed the target - we kicked a few balls out of bounds on the full as well."
