IT'S STILL too early to declare that Port Adelaide is 'back' - Saturday's 61-point win over Melbourne was merely a step in the right direction, Justin Westhoff says.
Port again looked sluggish early in Alice Springs to trail the Demons by 24 points but a stellar six-goal run in the second term turned the game.
The victory broke a three-match losing streak and showcased some of the run seemingly missing from the Power's game in recent weeks.
But Westhoff insisted the playing group had remained grounded and that it would have to work hard to replicate the effort against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night.
"We’ve still got a lot of improvement to do - it's good to get a win the way we did on the weekend but we've just got a lot more improvement we have to work through," he said.
"We face a big task this weekend against the Bulldogs, they're in some pretty good form and we just need to continue to chip away.
"But our hard work is starting to pay off a little bit.
"We're starting to win games off our defensive effort."
Westhoff has long been a barometer for Port Adelaide and he was again against Melbourne.
The versatile swingman has been crucial to the Power's resurgence since the start of 2013, providing a target in attack as well as a body in defence when required.
He averaged almost 19 possessions and more than a goal a game last year but has been below his best so far this season.
His 17-disposal, two-goal effort against the Demons was reflective of the Power's turn in form.
Like his teammates, Westhoff believed his own improvement was due to continual work at training.
"I still feel like I'm working harder than ever but some things just don't go your way some times, you've just got to work through them," he said.
"It hurts [your form] when the whole team's not playing well, [especially when] you find yourself playing forward it might be a little bit harder, but that's just the way it goes.
"You've just got to work through them as a team and continue to work hard and things will turn for yourself."
Ruckman Patrick Ryder is considered a small chance to take on the Bulldogs after missing the weekend's win with an Achilles injury.
The Power's high performance manager Darren Burgess said his selection would be completely dependent on how he was able to train this week, but coach Ken Hinkley was adamant no risk would be taken.
