Port Adelaide assistant Matthew Primus is standing by his embattled senior coach Mark Williams, at least in part because he does not yet think he is ready to take the job.

Williams and the Power are counting down the days until the notional June 30 deadline, when Williams is free to look for other jobs if he and the club have not yet reached an agreement.

With Port's fortunes presently on the downturn - and unlikely to improve this week given they face a trip to Geelong to play the high-flying Cats - Williams' chances of re-appointment are very much up in the air.

Primus, though, does not see himself as senior coach material just yet and stammered noticeably when asked whether he saw himself as a caretaker in the role.

"Caretaker role? Haven't thought about that, I'll get back to you," Primus said with a forced smile on Monday.

"I'm still learning the caper at the moment, but down the track, yeah.

"I'm not quite sure (when I'll be ready), a couple of years, probably.

"I'm just worried about my job here at the moment and working with the midfield group here."

The Power's coaching staff, including Williams, Primus, Tony McGuinness, Adam Kingsley and Jason Cripps, have seldom received rave reviews since being thrown together at the start of last season as the departures of a raft of senior lieutenants took their toll.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey and West Coast assistant Phil Walsh were the two most significant losses, leaving Port's coaching group short of mentoring experience apart from Williams' own long and decorated CV.

Primus said the club was not yet feeling the weight of speculation about Williams' future beyond 2009, though it would be if the matter was not resolved in the next two weeks.

"We hope Mark stays here, we're fully aware of how well credentialled he is in taking this club to what they've been able to achieve so far as senior coach," Primus said.

"He's still got the attributes to be able to take the list further.

"Obviously in the next couple of weeks that'll be decided, but as assistant coaches, fitness and support staff, we're behind him as much as the players are.

"We've been kept well aware by the board of when it's going to happen, they've kept the playing group and the coaches all aware.

"It hasn't had an impact as yet, if it drags on for 3-4 months it will, but let's hope it sorts itself out in the next couple of weeks."

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