PORT Adelaide coach Matthew Primus said his team would focus on the positives from its seven-point loss to Essendon at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, rather than dwelling on what went wrong.

Match Report: Dons Come Back to Win

The Power, belted by 138, 165 and 60 points in the past three weeks, looked set to cause a huge boilover when they led by 34 points midway through the final quarter.

But the Bombers stormed home, kicking the last seven goals of the match to consign Primus' team to its 11th straight defeat.

"We've had a pretty tough last month, so to come out here and play against a team having its last hit-out before finals and to be up for a while, yeah it's disappointing to lose from that margin (in front), but we knew they'd come at us and they had a fair bit riding on it," Primus said post-match.

"Unfortunately we weren't good enough in the end, and that's disappointing, but we showed what we are capable of doing."

Port broke even with Essendon in the clinches over the first three quarters, but lost control in the final term.

Bombers skipper Jobe Watson was instrumental as the Bombers won the fourth quarter clearance count 14-6, a statistic that Primus said was telling in the turnaround.

"They just totally dominated us at the stoppages," he said.

"We just stopped winning the ball inside and then we got totally exposed outside.

"The last 15 minutes they were able to overrun us (with) their handball receives, their run and carry.

"We weren't able to generate any ball going forward, and that's what in the end got on top of us."

The Power must now defeat Melbourne at Adelaide Oval next week and rely on Hawthorn beating Gold Coast to avoid claiming their first wooden spoon since joining the AFL in 1997.

Primus said a win would provide some positivity approaching the 2012 pre-season.

"We're obviously at Adelaide Oval, it's our last game at home, and hopefully we'll get (retiring ruckman Dean Brogan) up forward for his farewell game," he said.

"But I want to see the competitive spirit and the effort that we brought today.

"There's a fair bit of tactics goes on in footy, but it's a pretty basic game in the end.

"If you bring that (the effort), you're going to be in games and give yourself a chance to win. Today we showed that.

"So we've just got to make sure we come prepared to bring that again."

Primus said he hoped to have good news on new contracts for unsigned youngsters John Butcher, Alipate Carlile and Matthew Lobbe in the next week.

"That's still work in progress, but they're important to our future," he said.