PORT Adelaide has made a habit of putting its supporters through close encounters in the SANFL this year.

Garry Hocking said Friday night's heart-stopper against Glenelg, where the Magpies won despite trailing for three-and-a-half quarters, was the "best win" he'd been involved in since beginning his tenure coaching Port's SANFL side last year.

He believes the character-building victory over Glenelg will keep the Magpies in good stead for a challenging fortnight against top-five sides South and West Adelaide.

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"Those sort of wins, they build character," Hocking said. 

"We lost [at Glenelg] last year, and that was in the back of our minds and going into the finals - it put a bit of doubt in our minds and we just didn't need that again. 

"We've had other wins and come from behind, but it didn't have the same gusto like that win.

"For me, it's more about the team being really close ... It was a massive character boost for us at this time of the year." 

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Hocking admitted the Bays were allowed the upper hand for the first half and the Magpies could have easily fallen apart. 

"Glenelg were hungry (on Friday night), they moved the ball well and they tested us and we were rattled," Hocking said. 

"But the message was for us to get back to playing as a team and dictating the opposition rather than letting them dictate us.

"It was a game of two halves really because we didn't start well, the time the ball spent in our front half in the third quarter was a lot and we couldn't score, but I just knew and remained confident that the players would pull through."

Port Adelaide battles with South Adelaide, which is battling to hold its top five spot, on Saturday 22 August at 2.10pm.