Port Adelaide need to produce sustained consistency to be considered the real deal, assistant coach Nathan Bassett says.

The Power last week downed ladder leaders Geelong and are one of few sides to defeat reigning premiers West Coast in Perth this season.

But Bassett believes only a continued stretch of consistent performances will convince doubters of Port’s finals credentials.

“We are building towards consistency,” he told reporters on Friday ahead of Port’s home game against Western Bulldogs on Saturday night.

“We probably haven’t shown it for a little while which isn’t unusual in the AFL, it’s a tough competition – you have got to be at your best each and every week if you want to win more of your games than you lose.

“It’s a good challenge for us tomorrow to bring the same effort and intensity that we brought last week.”

Bassett said the win against the Cats was valuable for the spirit of the seventh-placed Power.

“It certainly gives us some belief that our best is good enough to challenge the best teams in the competition,” he said.

“But we need to do it week in week out and if we see it three or four weeks in a row then we will start to believe that this who we are.”

The 15th-placed Bulldogs named an unchanged side while Port made two forced changes for the Adelaide Oval encounter with Karl Amon and Dougal Howard both suspended.

Utility Willem Drew was summoned along with 202cm-tall ruck-forward Peter Ladhams, who will play just his second AFL game.

“Peter, he has been in outstanding form in the SANFL,” Bassett said.

“He has got great movement … and he has been very combative for the four quarters each week so we’re pretty excited to pick Peter.

“He has certainly been knocking the door down for a while and he has earnt his opportunity.

“Peter is capable of some things that not many people his height are able to do so hopefully he gets the opportunity to show them tomorrow.”