Port Adelaide midfielder Karl Amon says the playing group is determined to bring the energy it lacked against Geelong when they face Hawthorn this Saturday afternoon.

PORT ADELAIDE players were not proud of their performance against Geelong and are planning on bringing more energy against Hawthorn on Saturday, according to midfielder Karl Amon.

Amon was one of the better performers in the disappointing 60-point result but identified being beaten in the contest as a key to the outcome.

At a press conference, Amon, who was celebrating his 25th birthday on Wednesday, said the poor showing had been discussed by the group.

“We’ve faced a lot of hard times throughout the year and it’s just a performance that we weren’t proud of as players,” he said.

“We’ve been pretty consistent in our performances all year so to have a performance like that was disappointing.

“I think it just comes back to us to bring that energy around the contest and around the game and certainly we didn’t bring that on Friday night.

“I think throughout the night they were better around the contest and had a lot more energy than us so we’ve definitely got to turn that around this week against the Hawks.”

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Karl Amon press conference - 19 August 2020 | PTV

Karl Amon speaks to the media.

Port will face an undermanned Hawthorn outfit on Saturday afternoon at Adelaide Oval.

The Hawks have won just one of their last seven games this season, but Amon said the team could not afford to take them lightly.

“They’ve obviously got Clarko (Alastair Clarkson) over there and they’ve got a good structure,” he said.

“We can’t take them lightly and we’ve got to expect they’ll play their best football.

“When they do play their best football, they’re a very good team so we’ve just got to focus on ourselves and what we bring and hopefully we’ll get the win.”

It is a significant week for Amon and his fellow Indigenous players as the AFL celebrates the Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Port will wear a specially designed guernsey which lists the names of all 62 Indigenous players to have represented the club at league level since Harry Hewitt was the first in 1891.

Players even trained in the guernsey on Wednesday.

Port Adelaide's players took to the training track in the club's Indigenous guernsey on Wednesday morning.

Amon took some time to find his feet at the level, but now feels proud and comfortable to be among those to have represented the club.

“I think I always knew I had it in me, it was just sort of getting it out and having that consistent performance each week,” he said.

“12 months ago I was at that stage of my career where I didn’t have a contract at the end of the year and I was at that 50 game mark where I started to believe that I belonged at AFL level and could have an impact on a game, as I showed last year.

“It sort of came back to that self belief when I started to have a few performances and find that confidence in myself.”

Late in 2018, Amon considered seeking a move to a club in his home state of Victoria.

Having played just six games for the season and struggling to overcome a knee injury, an honest conversation with coach Ken Hinkley saw him considering his options.

But he chose to stay and with the support of Senior Assistant coach Michael Voss and midfield coach Jarrad Schofield, he has become one of the first picked each week and a key contributor.

“I’d say it was close (that I was going to leave), in the trade week it was going to come down to the last couple of days but nothing happened and I came back to see out my contract with nothing to lose,” Amon explained.

“That was a moment that could have gone either way and I’m very happy that I’m still here in Adelaide and everything has worked out as it has.”