MELBOURNE coach Simon Goodwin says his team has shown it can perform on the big stage despite surrendering a three-quarter time lead and going goalless in the final term against Port Adelaide.

After the Queen’s Birthday disappointment against Collingwood, the match against the Power was touted as another test of the Demons' credentials against quality opposition.

PORT'S POWERFUL FINISH Full match coverage and stats

While they didn’t take the points, Goodwin said it was a strong performance in a "hostile environment against a really good footy club".

"We are a behaviours-based club and I thought our behaviours tonight were outstanding. We play a game of small margins, that game could’ve gone either way," he said.

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Melbourne had 23 shots on goal from 68 inside 50s while Port managed one more attempt from 29 less entries.

Goodwin said it was a telling statistic.

"Our efficiency inside 50 probably wasn’t at our best … it’s been an area we’ve been relatively strong for most of the year," he said.

"I thought Port’s defenders did a great job. They won and neutralised a lot of contests so it’s something if you get supply you’d like to score more, so that was a pretty defining factor in the game.

"But first and foremost the way we wanted the game set up in terms of getting that supply I thought we were outstanding."

WATCH Simon Goodwin's full post-match media conference

It was a bruising encounter with Tom McDonald and Neville Jetta spending time on the sidelines before playing out the game.

McDonald will have precautionary scans on a sore chest while Jetta rolled an ankle and copped a head knock but the club expects both will be fine to play next week.

Goodwin said Jetta’s job on Robbie Gray was admirable.

"He’s unheralded, Nev. He does his job every week, he’s one of the great one-on-one small defenders that can lock away an opponent and he did that again tonight," he said.

"Enormous courage the way he played - he was pretty bruised and battered by the end of the game."