Port Adelaide star Jason Horne-Francis has been criticised for an indifferent performance in the 12-point loss to Essendon on Thursday night.

Horne-Francis, who was quiet during last week’s demolition of Richmond, started in the middle but failed to a have an impact for much of the night.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Jason Horne-Francis drops an uncontested mark.

The 21-year-old had just one kick in the first half and looked a bit off, highlighted by a calamitous uncontested dropped mark in the third term.

He did manage to lift in the final quarter, including kicking a brilliant goal to put his side up by 11 points, but the Power were overrun by a rampaging Bombers.

Channel 7 commentator Kane Cornes raised the concern at half-time.

“I’m worried about him. I don’t think he’s playing with intensity. I don’t think he’s covering the ground well, physically I’m not sure, he doesn’t look right to me,” he said.

“One kick in a half a footy. They wanted to get him going so they started him on the ball. He’s had a couple of moments and he wins contested footy ... but I want him kicking the footy, I want him kicking it forward of centre and impacting the score.”

There wasn’t much improvement in the third quarter with a fumble costing him the chance of a shot at goal.

“He’s off. I don’t want to keep harping on it, but he has to lift his energy and work rate and keep showing up in the contest and try and influence the game,” Cornes said after the fumble.

But there was worse to come.

The No.1 pick from the 2021 draft was presented with a golden opportunity to have an impact when he found himself in space in the forward 50.

However, he inexplicably dropped an uncontested mark.

“I’ve never seen a player so short on confidence. For a gun of the competition to drop an uncontested mark inside forward 50 and essentially drop his head,” Cornes said.

Frustrated with his own effort, he gave away a free kick in the next stoppage.

“And it’s not good enough. That’s just letting your team down,” Cornes added.

Horne-Francis showed his brilliance with the first goal of the final term as the Power opened up an 11-point lead.

But Port could do nothing to stop the rampaging Bombers from kicking the final four goals to steal the victory.

Horne-Franics had nine touches in the final quarter to finish with a respectable 22 for the game, but it was a strange performance from the explosive playmaker.