WHEN the Sydney Swans defend as well as they did at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley believes they're invincible.
The Swans' pressure was relentless and forced turnovers in dangerous areas.
It led to the Power’s lowest total (44 points) under Hinkley and the lowest since round 20, 2011 when they managed just 21 points against Collingwood.
When Port did press inside 50 the ball was often quickly rebounded.
WATCH: Ken Hinkley's full media conference
Although Port turned it over less than the Swans (70-73), it scored just 23 points from those opportunities to 52.
"You're going to lose if they're able to defend like they did tonight and don't forget they've got some power at the other end," Hinkley said.
"They just played their style of football that they wanted to play tonight so well and I give credit to them.
"It's the biggest sapper of confidence you can get, when you continually push it into your forward 50 and you don't hit the scoreboard.
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"I'm a bit believer that you have to continue to get the score going a bit to keep growing all the other parts of your game.
"Once that dries up you feel like everything's just so hard to do."
It's also the first time under Hinkley the Power have started the season with consecutive losses.
They won the first five games of the 2013 season and last year a loss to North Melbourne in round three was their only defeat until round 13.
Hinkley said his side had dealt with form slumps during his time – their five opening wins of 2013 were followed by five losses and they lost five of six games late last season.
Five talking points: Port Adelaide v Sydney Swans
But both those slumps came when Port already had wins on the board.
"We were way off our best tonight and that's why we got the result we got," he said.
"We've faced these slumps before but you're right, the real pressure comes at the start of the year when you haven't got the cushion, the buffer."
In what was a bruising encounter, small defender Jarman Impey appears set for a stint on the sidelines after injuring his hamstring.
Impey was subbed out of the game in the second term.
Matthew Broadbent (hip) and Robbie Gray (ankle) also played through pain but Hinkley said they would both be fit to play North Melbourne next week.
