Port Adelaide captain Travis Boak says his AFL club is on the verge of something special after stunning arch rivals Adelaide with a gallant comeback victory on Sunday.

Port came from 31 points down in the third quarter to win 17.16 (118) to 16.13 (109), prompting Crows coach Brenton Sanderson to admit he needs to improve.

“It starts with the senior coach. I have got to identify ways that we need to improve, and get better at coaching,” Sanderson said.

“You shouldn’t lose a game when you’re 31 points up.”

Adelaide held that lead when Taylor Walker kicked his third goal in the 11th minute of the third quarter.

But the Power, sparked by Justin Westhoff, booted nine of the last 12 goals for a stirring victory before 40,707 spectators at AAMI Stadium.

Westhoff collected 24 disposals, took eight marks, laid six tackles and kicked 4.4.

Emerging goalsneak Chad Wingard booted three goals while his skipper Boak kicked three majors in his superb 30-possession display.

“The culture is really starting. We’re really forming something special,” Boak said.

Port, after enduring five lean years near the foot of the ladder, are unbeaten after three rounds under new coach Ken Hinkley.

“The boys have started to get some belief,” Hinkley said.

“But they know why they have got those results. It’s because of the structures, it’s because of the effort they have put in.”

The unfancied Power dominated Adelaide in key areas – they had more disposals, more contested possessions, more clearances, more entries into their attacking 50 metre arc.

But more goals eluded them for much of the game, kicking 1.7 in a wasteful second term which threatened to cruel their efforts.

“We had a really positive first half except on the scoreboard,” Hinkley said.

“But credit to the boys … they knew they could keep coming.”

Hinkley was pitted in the coaching box against his close mate Sanderson, whose wobbly Crows have one win from three starts.

“If you’re proud about your performance, you won’t play like that next week. You won’t need your senior coach to tell you that you’re playing poorly,” Sanderson said of his players.

One Crow unlikely to get a chance to redeem himself next week is Bernie Vince, facing suspension after being reported for charging Wingard.

And uncertainty surrounds Adelaide captain Nathan van Berlo’s knee injury, which forced him to be substituted in the third quarter.