Port Adelaide coach Matthew Primus says the pain of a wooden spoon won't drive him for the rest of what has been a dismal AFL season.

His Power crashed to last on the ladder on Saturday night when beaten by Melbourne by 21 points in Darwin.

Primus won five of seven games in his caretaker coach audition late last year when Mark Williams left.

Since given the full-time gig, he has claimed just two victories as Port head inevitably towards their worst season.

But Primus said the threat of the wooden spoon won't be a factor in the remainder of Port's year.

"We're going to approach it, not by being motivated by that (the wooden spoon)," he said.

"We are going to approach it by continuing to practise our game plan."

Primus has overseen 14 losses from 16 starts this season but remains committed to his rebuilding cause.

"We will keep working hard," he said.

"We know our good footy is good enough. But we have too many poor moments in between.

"We have got a keen eye on where we're going and who is going to take us there."

Veteran Chad Cornes kicked three goals in the defeat to the Demons, while captain Dom Cassisi and experienced workhorse Matt Thomas were valiant.

But Port's young underbelly was again exposed as the they fell to the bottom of the ladder, after Gold Coast's upset win over Richmond.

Primus maintains Port has no other course but to keep the faith in his club's inexperienced brigade, who have some respite in a bye before clashing with arch-rival Adelaide in a fortnight.

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