Port Adelaide must harden up and deal with being an unreliable, untrustworthy AFL team, coach Ken Hinkley says.
Hinkley says Port can't deny their reputation for inconsistency after tumbling to a 25-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night.
The sapping defeat comes just a week after the Power downed ladder-leaders Geelong.
"It's an inconsistent team. It's unreliable," Hinkley said post-match.
"I know the word is probably untrustworthy - and that is what we are.
"How do you not admit it? ... Grow up, harden up, deal with it."
Since round seven, the Power have been stuck on a rollercoaster sequence of a loss, then a win, then another loss.
"We can't be reliable when we need to be reliable as a football team," Hinkley said.
"That is fact. I'm sure everyone gets annoyed with it that supports Port but we are equally as annoyed about it ourselves.
"It's the reality we face.
"We beat a great side last week and, not discrediting the Bulldogs ... we were in a position where we should come here and play good strong again and back it up.
"And we were unable to do it."
Hinkley said Port have no choice but to own up to their shortcomings.
"You keep coming back and you keep trying to get in that moment again and give yourself another opportunity to prove to yourself, first, that you're capable of changing that narrative that goes around about us," he said.
"We have just got to keep coming back to that spot. And it won't be much fun each time we get there (but) we have just got to keep coming there.
"We have to make most of these moments. And we continually haven't been able to do that, we don't shy away from that."
Port meet arch foes Adelaide next Saturday night, with both clubs seeking to rebound from losses.
"Both teams are going to be pretty prickly," Hinkley said.
