Defender Jackson Trengove admits Port Adelaide were boring and hard to watch a couple of AFL seasons ago.

Now, they’re ladder-leaders and crowd-pleasers – but far from their peak, he says.

“We’re really improving but have probably still been a little bit up and down this season,” Trengove told reporters in Adelaide on Wednesday.

“We have had some really strong games. And some games where we wanted to play better.

“Even though we’re winning, the honest feedback of (coach) Ken (Hinkley) and the coaching staff … is going to go a long way to actually keep improving.”

Trengove made his debut for Port in 2010, the middle of a dark five-year stretch when the club were easybeats and non-finalists on the field, and relying on AFL handouts off the field.

The 23-year-old says Port’s “upstairs” – club hierarchy and marketing department – found the dark days just as hard as the players.

“Upstairs really battled as well with the off-field side of stuff,” he said.

“And on-field, our football was boring and hard to watch a couple of years ago. We weren’t able to win games – that is the facts.

“Now, we’re producing football that people want to watch.

“But we’re going to have to work hard on what we do … we are nowhere near where we want to be at the moment, we have got a long way to go.”

Port on Saturday host strugglers St Kilda, coached by Alan Richardson – who left the Power last year to take up the role.

“He knows everything about us, he will be telling them absolutely everything about our game plan,” Trengove said.

“If we can go out there and perform to Ken’s standards and what Ken wants and asks of us, I think it will go a long way for us to getting that win.”