PORT Adelaide's key quartet of Jay Schulz, Robbie Gray, Jackson Trengove and Alipate Carlile is all fit and available for Sunday's round one clash against Carlton at Etihad Stadium.
Power coach Ken Hinkley said forwards Schulz and Gray had recovered from foot and back issues and would play, but he was less definitive on the chances of Trengove (knee) and Carlile (quad) taking their spots.
The defensive duo hasn't played a game this pre-season and with impressive form from competing tall defenders Tom Clurey and Jack Hombsch, Hinkley said season 2014 would begin with a selection headache.
"'Bobby' (Carlile) and 'Jacko' (Trengove) are the two that we have to make a real decision on because Schulzy and Robbie are no-brainers, they missed one week – they're going to play, there's no problems there," Hinkley said.
"I've got more of a problem with how many (tall defenders) we should and shouldn't take into the game in round one.
"It's just more management about what the team's going to look like and how we want it to look."
Hinkley described the Power as a club "on its knees" in the lead up to its round one game last year against Melbourne, having struggled through two dismal seasons, seen the departure of a coach and the death of a much-loved player.
The side went on to surprise every football fan in the country as it surged to a top-eight finish before upsetting Collingwood in an elimination final.
The club finds itself in a much better position both on-field and off it this year, but Hinkley said his message to his players wouldn't change.
"Expectation and all those things change slightly, but for us, what we expect of each other doesn't change at all," he said.
"We're probably a little bit better prepared, if I'm being totally honest, in far as we understand more about what we're trying to do.
"We'll be no different going into round one, we'll be going in there with a pretty strong desire to perform well and compete really hard, and hopefully at the end of the day the result will be where we want it."
