KARL Amon came to Alberton with few expectations of what his career at Port Adelaide might look like when he was drafted at pick 68. 

Since arriving at the club, the Sandringham Dragons product has been singularly focussed on improving his fitness, skills and ability.

Recruited as a running outside midfielder-cum-forward, Amon's ability to use his speed with the ball has been a trademark of his game at SANFL level this year and was instrumental in his standout performance against North in Round 13.

Amon kicked four goals in a best-on-ground performance against the Roosters in the high point of a disappointing loss for the club.

It was also noteworthy having come against former Power player Marlon Motlop.

As one of the most dynamic players in the SANFL, Motlop would pose a challenge for any 18-year-old fresh from the TAC Cup. 

But Amon carried himself with aplomb and earned the praise of his senior coach Garry Hocking for his improvement in tackle-and-chase when not in possession against the Roosters.

It's an experience - and performance - that will keep Amon in good stead during the final five home-and-away games of the season.

Now, he wants to ensure that performance isn't a one off - his coaches expect consistency.

"Buddha gave me a role to run with Marlon Motlop, because he's really dangerous down back for North - they use him a lot on the rebound - so I had to stay and cover him there and through the midfield," Amon explains.

"It was good to get a few goals early, which got my confidence up and helped me have a good game.

"If you want to get better you've got to play on the best, and Marlon's obviously been in the AFL system before, so it was a good experience."

Unfazed by his late selection in last year's draft, he's instead used it as a motivation to prove his value in the AFL system.

One of his main areas of improvement has been his ability to win contested football - a self-admitted deficiency playing for Sandringham last year.

He feels comfortable with his improvement to date and, while not expecting senior football to come around any time soon, is keen to keep that progress going at SANFL level.

"I came to the club not expecting to play any senior games, but it's been a good development year for me," says Amon.

"In pre-season I just wanted to get my fitness up and put on a bit of weight, and skills-wise I wanted to improve my contested ball work.

"That was one of the criticisms of me during my under-18s year leading up to the draft, and probably the reason I went where I did in the draft.

"So I've been focussed on improving that every game at the Maggies, and also working on the consistency Ken [Hinkley] always talks about.

"I want to keep performing at a consistent level for the rest of the year and play a part in our team."

Young players like Amon have benefited most from Port Adelaide's new-look football program.

Upon their arrival at the club, he and fellow draftees Mitch Harvey, Darcy-Byrne Jones and Sam Russell, have been part of a Magpies lineup playing the same game plan as the Power.

It's that stability and exciting, competitive style that helped the club dominate its opponents early in the season.

But the competition has lifted to meet the Magpies' early form, and now the the likes of Sturt, Woodville-West Torrens and Norwood pose significant challenges. 

"Early on in the year we were playing really good footy and winning by big margins, which I think put a big target on us," Amon says.

"Opponents have come at us in the past few weeks, and we haven't handled it as well as we should.

"When games were on the line, we might have gone into our shells a little bit instead of playing the brand of footy we know helps us to win games."

Port Adelaide hosts the Crows in the second SANFL Showdown on Saturday afternoon; it's the first game to be played between the two clubs at Alberton Oval.

Adelaide will bring its strongest team for the year to Alberton, and that poses a significant threat to the Magpies, and Amon knows it.

But he says a team that plays to its structures and meets its own expectations will give itself the best chance of victory.

It's what's been so important for Port Adelaide's early-season performances. 

"The Crows will be a big challenge - they'll come out firing - but if we can stick to our structures and play well, we'll be able to get a good result," Amon says.

"That's really important - if we meet our own expectations, we should get the result we're after."