PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley admits the Power are carrying too many players in big games after his side butchered another opportunity against a premiership contender on Thursday night.
Despite recording more forward-50 entries (48-45), the Power played into the hands of Melbourne's intercepting defenders and succumbed to the Demons' pressure around the ball to lose by 31 points and fall to fifth spot.
The Power's fifth loss of the season – and fourth against the current top four – only intensifies question marks on their ability to compete against the best.
"We've had a few people who haven't been at their best form or their most consistent form," Hinkley said post-game.
"Clearly we've been OK at times because we're fifth, we've won enough games to put ourselves in a position, but to beat the best teams you've got to have more numbers in your favour than against.
"At the moment we're probably leaving it to a few too (many players)."
POWER v DEMONS Full match coverage and stats
The Demons recorded 19 inside-50 tackles to the Power's nine with the home side losing pressure gun Zak Butters to a right knee injury in the third term in his first game back from left knee and ankle setbacks.
"He's given his knee a bit of a sprain, maybe his medial (ligament) a little bit," Hinkley said.
"We'll wait and see but we won't make any calls on it until we actually get some information back."
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin provided an insight into his mid-week focus that allowed the Demons to bounce back from a shock loss to Greater Western Sydney with a vengeance.
"In the last six weeks we've had periods of games and whole games where we've lost our ability to pressure the ball carrier a little bit, so it's been a bit of a theme for us … to be more aggressive and get some more heat on the ball," Goodwin said.
"Defensively we were sound again against a very good team. Clearly tonight we were able to impact the scoreboard more, we were more efficient with our entries, something we worked on during the week."
Recruit Ben Brown returned for the first time in eight weeks and despite finishing goalless, gave Goodwin plenty to smile about in tandem with Tom McDonald (three goals).
"I was really happy with all our talls," Goodwin said. "Tom McDonald was dominant, Browny's ability to impact in the air and get the ball to ground gave our smaller forwards some great opportunities and great looks inside 50.
"I thought he helped our structure ahead of the footy and on the night where it was a bit of a contest game with quick kicks coming forward, I thought he competed really strongly."