PORT ADELAIDE assistant coach Matthew Lokan has been really impressed by the emergence of the club’s young players and the connection from everyone at the club.

Lokan says the group is really confident heading into the latter stages of the home-and-away season, and he knows the club’s best football will hold them in good stead.

“We feel like we are a really connected group,” Lokan told SEN’s Dwayne’s World on Tuesday afternoon.

“From all of the players to the coaches. Those young guys who have come in have been a breath of fresh air for the coaching department.

“We know we’ve had our ups and downs and our inconsistencies this year, but we feel like we’ve got a really good group.

“It was really good to get the result we were after against Essendon, and we’ve got to just keep chipping away now.

“We’ve got three games to go, and we are really confident if we play our best footy, we will win those games and then we’ll go from there.”

Lokan was pleased with the contribution by players all over the ground against Essendon on Saturday afternoon in the Power’s 59-point victory.

“I thought it was a very even performance,” he said.

“We didn’t have to rely on our more experienced guys to play well. Pete Ladhams came in and played his role. Cam Sutcliffe has only played half a dozen games for us, and played his best game. And those young guys just keep doing what they do.

“If you throw those younger, less experienced guys into a really good game, and then Robbie (Gray) does what he does. Hoff (Westhoff) goes into the backline and played really well.

“We feel like when we can get it right, we can challenge anyone.”

Lokan has first-hand knowledge of the emerging talent at Alberton with his role as SANFL coach, and he is happy with the players coming through.

“That’s been the strength of our younger guys this year, they have put some pressure on the rest of the group,” he said.

“The SANFL program is going really well, we are sitting fourth and if we keep winning, we are going to get a double chance.

“You are seeing guys like Joel Garner, Kane Farrell and Willem Drew all get their opportunity at AFL level, and play well, which is what we want.

“They know if we’re not performing at AFL level there will be someone else to take their spot.”