It’s all relative, of course. At least a dozen rivals would love to be in the sort of “slump” that the Power finds itself in. Sunday’s “Showdown” loss to Adelaide was only its third of the season and Port was right in the match until the last five minutes.

It was, however, a second defeat in the past three games, one that  cost Port top spot on the ladder for the first time since round seven. And from enjoying the luxury of a two-game gap on the rest of the competition only three weeks ago, suddenly the Power is fighting to maintain a spot in the top four.

Port has a game and a handy percentage break on fifth-placed Geelong and  a string of three very winnable games to come against Essendon, Richmond and Melbourne, two of them at home.

But its last five games are against  four opponents n the top eight. Collingwood at the MCG is no pushover, nor will be Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium, and particularly not, Sydney or Fremantle.

As coach Ken Hinkley pointed out after Sunday night, a season-high losing margin of just 23 points (the other two were by a total of just 11 points) is hardly a disaster. But his comments about Port being outworked were more significant, because – however slightly – his side’s work ethic has slipped.

Since its round-nine bye, the Power hasn’t been quite as sharp. It staved off an injury-crippled Hawthorn by 14 points, but laboured to beat Melbourne in Alice Springs, turned in pedestrian first halves against both St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs before motoring away, and was outgunned by the Crows in the second half.

The one exceptional performance in that time actually came in defeat, and one of the highest-quality games of the season, against Sydney at the SCG three weeks ago, a sign that perhaps the mid-season has seen some conserving of energy for bigger things ahead.

But Port has to make sure it stays in a position of power - preferably a top-two spot and the guarantee of home finals - come those September challenges, and Hinkley will have identified some key indicators about workrate that need attention sooner than later.

Port conceded 30 more contested possessions to the Crows, easily its worst result all season. The Power ranks  second in the competition for scores from turnovers, averaging 59 points per game, but against Adelaide, managed just 28 points.

Port ranked second for contested ball differentials for the first 10 games. Over the five since, it has ranked only 11th. It led the competition for scores from intercepts over the same early 10-game period and has since ranked sixth.

There’s little doubt that on both a team and individual level, opponents are doing their homework on the Power a lot better now they have become more familiar with the concept of Hinkley’s side as a genuine top team.

Port Adelaide’s midfield remains a deep and potent weapon, but a drop-off by even one of its keys can have a flow-on effect. Such appears to be the case with Jared Polec. The resurrection of the gifted former Brisbane draftee back in his home town has been one of the stories of the season, but Polec’s form of late mirrors that of his team.

The downturn began when he was restricted to a season-low of just 10 disposals by a close-checking Daniel Cross against Melbourne in round 11. Since then, identified by opponents as a key outside runner, Polec hasn’t won more than 18 possessions in a game after having racked up 20 or more in seven of his first nine.

Polec is only one of a strong midfield group, and hasn’t completely lost his way, but when, like Port, you’re a precocious latecomer to the echelons of football power, every little percentage matters.

Port Adelaide has played those percentages superbly in 2014. But it’s going to have to retrieve the even minor recent drop-offs of recent times post-haste if it is to end up doing a wonderful season justice when it really counts.