Port Adelaide is running hot - eight wins from nine games since the mid-season bye making Ken Hinkley's top-four team the best performed in the AFL since round 13.

And this momentum - built while managing a testing injury list - will not be stopped by the pre-finals bye introduced to the AFL competition in 2016.

Port Adelaide midfield coach Jarrad Schofield is not fussed by another COVID-forced change to the AFL calendar.

"It has pros and cons," Schofield said of the AFL decision to potentially leave the bye to the weekend before the grand final on Saturday, September 25. "Momentum is a good thing for us at the moment. We have had some players come back from time out (with injury), so either way ... (the pre-finals bye) might benefit other sides but for us we will just keep focusing on week to week.

"No pre-finals bye, we will just move forward and go with it.

"For us, as cliche as it sounds, we have this week to get through first with the Bulldogs ..."

Port Adelaide expects to play fourth-ranked Western Bulldogs in Friday Night Football at Marvel Stadium in west Melbourne in the final round of the home-and-away series with destiny in its hands.

Victory puts Port Adelaide in the frame for a top-two finish and with the rights to host a qualifying final at Adelaide Oval for the second consecutive season. A loss would leave Port Adelaide in the top-four bracket for a qualifying final start to September, but with questions on its finals credibility considering it has no win this season against fellow pacesetters Melbourne, Geelong, the Western Bulldogs and Brisbane.

"Internally, (this game) is another great challenge for our group, to test ourselves against a side that is going to be thereabouts and there is no better opportunity to prep ourselves for the finals than by playing the Bulldogs," Schofield said. 

"Externally, people can have the question marks. But internally we have to make sure we take care of our own business. We will get through this week first and we are always looking to win.

"As for the external noise, it will not distract us from what we are about internally.

"Every win gives your belief. And when you are playing the top sides (those wins) are beneficial. We are playing a side that is looking to secure a top-four finish; we are looking to go even higher. It is a great opportunity for us.

"If we get the win, obviously it is going to give us belief. Regardless of the opponent being in the top eight or bottom 10, when you are playing teams that take you to finding a way to win as it was in the Showdown, these wins install resilience in the playing group ... finding a way to win does that and playing top sides forces you to go that extra yard. 

"We have shown this year that our best football is good enough.

"This group has that belief - and not just the 22 who play; we have spoken about squad mentality this season. We have had to play a lot of numbers (35 players) through injury. We have a great belief within this playing group."

Port Adelaide closed its home stand at Adelaide Oval on Saturday with lead ruckman Scott Lycett subbed at the end of the third term after taking a knock to his right knee in a centre-ruck duel during the second term.

"He pulled up sore with a knee knock; our medical staff will assess him (Monday afternoon) and assess him throughout the week," Schofield said at Alberton on Monday.

"Peter Ladhams showed in the last quarter that he can really step up. There is that growth in Peter's game (this season)."

Port Adelaide has no other injury concern from the AFL match and has key defender Trent McKenzie (hamstring tightness) and forward-midfielder Steven Motlop back in contention after his successful return through the SANFL from ankle surgery.

"From all reports (Motlop) got through well and got a bit of the football and played the position we wanted him to play," Schofield said. "Sam Powell-Pepper did well, as did Jarrod Lienert. So the guys are really keeping the pressure on those playing (AFL) at the moment. 

"It was pleasing for (Motlop) to get through after being out for four weeks."

Such depth on the match committee whiteboard has Port Adelaide sensing it is in a better position leading into the finals than last season when it won the minor premiership from a shortened 17-game home-and-away series.

"I do believe we are better placed," Schofield said. "We have had to really dig deep this year through a squad mentality. When we lost four games to the halfway mark of the season, people were jumping on us ...

"We are now looking at how we have lost just one game (since the break) and have got time into players who did not get many games last year. So the depth in our squad is greater and we have had to work hard to get to this position where we are now.

"We are in a far better place than where we were last year."

The other notable game note from the 95-point win against Carlton on Saturday was a difficult start in conceding eight shots on goal that were wasted with a 2.6 quarter-time score from the also-ran Blues.

"We'd all like to get out of the blocks - any team would," Schofield said. "But it is how we finish games. We finish games with wins.

"We have been challenged by sides. But we are no different to any other side in the competition. We acknowledge we have not started the way we would like in the past few weeks. But we are super impressed with how we have finished the games as we have."

Port Adelaide's midfield group was challenged at quarter-time on Saturday to change the time of the game with vice-captain Ollie Wines and novice Willem Drew leaving their mark with strong results in delivering wins at clearances and in contested duels.

"Once again," said Schofield, "we have our challenges. We come up against some midfield groups that might not have the 'names' as such but they play a certain way.

"We have a strong midfield that runs deep. We have been able to introduce Xavier Duursma, Zak Butters and Connor Rozee back into that midfield and gaining match fitness from them is highly important moving forward."

Port Adelaide's long-standing want for a strong connection from midfield to attack delivered the team's highest score of the season on Saturday.

"We are improving from week to week," Schofield said. "We kicked 21 goals at the weekend. There is probably another handful of goals that could have come with better execution. But definitely our connection is much improved."