I'll never forget the balmy September afternoon in 2004 when Mark Williams stood on the MCG dais and declared, ‘Allan Scott, you were wrong!' It exemplified ‘Choco'. Even in the moment of ultimate personal triumph, he couldn't allow bygones to be bygones. He needed to have the final say.

The reason Williams was allowed to remain at the helm for 11 years - and the reason he was controversially re-appointed in 2009 - was because he was a salesman. He adhered to the age-old philosophy that all publicity is good publicity. I loved watching a good Mark Williams tantrum, especially after his side had been resoundingly defeated.

Love him or loathe him, every pundit would have to admit that Williams generated great hype around his club. We shared all of his joy when he laughed. We suffered all of his anguish when he cried. I could easily imagine ‘Choco' knocking on my door in the afternoon and fervently attempting to sell me a vacuum cleaner.

At present the Power stand for nothing. In the past two matches they have been defeated by a combined total of 303 points. They have managed a meagre 13 scoring shots in two weeks, whereas their opponents have amassed 86. Those are junior footy numbers. How could any coach be expected to defend, or sell, such a performance?

A notorious player agent recently remarked, ‘There is no way I would, or could, recommend any of my players moving to Port Adelaide, no matter how much they were offered. No self-respecting manager could do it.' This gives a clear indication of the perception of the Power within football circles.

In light of such comments, the club now faces an uphill battle to retain several of their most talented players at the end of the 2011 season.

How on earth did it come to this? Four years ago Port Adelaide played off in a Grand Final. In hindsight, it might have been the worst imaginable outcome. The Power finished 12th in 2006. They were still seemingly in the process of rebuilding after their 2004 triumph. By exceeding the parameters of their development cycle, they might have inadvertently set themselves back the best part of a decade.

Aside from Geelong, there simply weren't any genuine contenders in 2007. North Melbourne made a preliminary final, yet they lost two of their finals by a combined tally of 193 points. Collingwood acquitted themselves admirably throughout the finals, but they were a shadow of the team they are today. Hawthorn was young and erratic. West Coast was in decline. And the Saints were learning the Ross Lyon way.

Mark Williams was aware of the gulf in class between the respective sides. In the lead-up to the match he attempted to lure his Geelong counterpart into several slanging matches in the media. Yet Mark Thompson failed to take the bait. The match itself was brutal. Geelong demolished the Power by 119 points, the biggest loss ever in a Grand Final. In many ways it reminded me of Port's match last week against the Hawks.

In the wake of the past fortnight, Matthew Primus is under immense pressure. He must start determining what he stands for as a coach. He still has time on his side. There are plenty of opportunities to prove that the Power's board didn't err in appointing him ahead of Chris Scott at the end of last season.

The problem for Primus is that fledgling clubs often require a salesman, which is something that doesn't come naturally to him. Why have Greater Western Sydney had Kevin Sheedy at the helm for the past two years? Did anyone really believe that he wasn't aware of Phil Davis' capture?

Primus has already tried the oldest trick in the book, dropping senior players such as Danyle Pearce, Steven Salopek, Daniel Motlop and Kane Cornes (who, according to a report in The Age, was axed by the club today - a suggestion Primus later refuted.)

It is perfectly understandable that a new coach should seek to upset the established order. But it has to serve a purpose. Knee-jerk reactions to poor performances won't suffice at AFL level. Last week, following the 138-point defeat to Collingwood, the Power made eight changes. Should they make another eight this week?

Primus apologised to the club's supporters following their capitulation against the Gold Coast in round five. I've never liked it when a coach resorts to this measure. It's like dropping a catch on a cricket field. Don't apologise, just don't let it happen again!

Not everyone is born to be a salesman. Usually being a salesman involves duplicity and a deep-seated understanding of the furrows on a bartender's brow. Fortunately for Primus, there is always room for a thinker in a coaching box. It helps if a coach sees Martians or passes around imaginary peace pipes.

All coaches face the music sooner or later. The tribulations will make it all the more satisfying if they ever get to mount the dais. As far as the Power is concerned, it is a monumental ‘if'.