Port Adelaide's players were sentenced to 100 laps of the Alberton training pool on Monday morning after captain Domenic Cassisi lost all patience with his on-again, off-again teammates.

The Power's first-term surrender to Sydney, which at times appeared to allow the Swans free passage to all parts of the SCG, was the latest episode in a saga of inconsistency that is starting to form as the major storyline of Port's AFL season.

It riled Cassisi enough to order the players into headquarters at 7am - about an hour earlier than usual - for the extended pool session, which was accompanied by some frank discussion of the Sydney result.

Port assistant coach Matthew Primus said the club's coaching staff and players were equally clueless as to how they would stop the yo-yo.

"No idea, we're reviewing it," Primus said when asked what it could be.

"After halfway through the first quarter we matched them in hardball gets and clearances, it was just that first 15 and scoreboard-wise it was game over then.

"We're not sure, Sydney just came out and played at a better level than us."

The amount of space the Swans were able to find early - on the AFL's smallest ground - was hard to fathom.

Primus said the players upfield had failed to run to support their bedraggled defence when it mattered.

"Stoppage-wise early we were a little bit down and we weren't able to get back and help our backs out quite enough in the first seven or eight minutes," Primus said.

"That cost us probably four goals, so that was an issue but after that we got on top of it pretty well limiting (Barry) Hall and (Michael) O'Loughlin."

Numerous pundits, including former centreman Josh Francou, were unrelenting in their criticism of Port, labelling them pretenders, a criticism Primus thought unwarranted.

"No I can't (understand that criticism)," Primus said.

"I can understand that certain former players have agendas to run and have got to say things to keep their job and it's very easy to forget.

"I've been involved in games when we've been smashed and those players have been involved in games when they've played soft and got beaten easily, so it happens to every player during their career.

"We accept the criticism, take it on board and we're striving to get better, I can guarantee that.

"I can guarantee the players are hurting.

"They're not a happy bunch in there at the moment, and they're probably wishing they could play Collingwood on Wednesday instead of Sunday night."

Aside from the mental scars, Port have the one physical injury concern from Sunday, with Troy Chaplin needing to shrug off a sore hip to play against the Magpies.

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