New Port Adelaide coach Josh Carr has put his hand up, admitting fault in his role in the Power's poor Round 1 showing against the Kangaroos.
Port lowered its colours at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, losing to North Melbourne by 46 points.
After reflecting on the team's performance and his own, Carr said he let his side down.
"I spoke about it," Carr told the media on Thursday.
"And it started from me. It started from what I felt; in some ways, I may have led the players down that path.
"We talk about the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition team.
"And in the end, in hindsight and reflection, you go, 'Well, did we get it right, did we get it wrong?'.
"I look at myself and go, 'I probably got a couple things wrong in the way I spoke to the players about North Melbourne and about what to expect'.
"I just thought I could have been better."
Carr's admission comes soon after Port's Jase Burgoyne told SEN SA Breakfast the Power underestimated the Kangaroos.
“Just pay a bit more respect to the teams that you probably don't think you're likely to lose to. We just need to do a bit better at respecting any team," Burgoyne said.
“Going into the game, we showed them a little bit of respect, but we probably didn't think they were going to come out and play how they did."
Carr referenced Burgoyne's comments at his press conference.
"I saw Jase Burgoyne's comments as well about underestimating the opposition; I think we're not the only ones... that happens," Carr said.
"And I think that's the sign of maybe an immature team at times.
"The best teams in the competition, they play the same way every week. They have got a standard that they set, and they play to that standard, and that's what we're chasing.
"We're chasing consistency, week-in, week-out, and right through the game.
"And I feel like obviously we didn't do that in this game. But it's a great lesson to come out of it."
Carr also responded to comments made by Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge about Port star Zak Butters, who is the hottest free agent in the game.
Beveridge said: "I think every club who is interested in Zak has either spoken to him and connected with him personally in the off-season if he and his management have allowed them to. He's got a big decision to make as the year goes on, and I need to make sure I don't hound him."
Carr said he wasn't surprised by Beveridge's comments, before insisting Butters remains invested.
"My reaction is Luke Beveridge wants a really good player to come to his football club, and there's not a team in Australia that wouldn't have Zak," Carr said.
"He's out of contract at the end of the year, and I'm sure there are a lot of teams that would like to get their hands on him.
"He's ours right now, and we're doing everything we can to keep Zak, and more importantly, I know how invested he is in our football club."
