KEN HINKLEY'S selection meeting for the Port Adelaide 23 to play Saturday night's AFL preliminary final took care of itself: Unchanged, by the encouraging form shown in a convincing qualifying performance a fortnight ago.

But the Port Adelaide match committee planning for a battered Western Bulldogs unit has Hinkley reflecting on how good teams overcome injury hurdles, just as a resilient Port Adelaide did with its squad mentality during the second half of the home-and-away season.

"Systems and styles of play withstand injury; we have done that ourselves a number of times this year when we have won games while a lot of personnel were missing," Hinkley said. "So you don't get lulled into a false sense of security.

"Sometimes it can be the complete opposite - they can come out and play the way the way they need to play. Just like we did in games this year when we had personnel missing but we backed a system and we played to that system.

"If the team sticks to it, you can still be successful."

Hinkley formally declared he is keeping his qualifying final 22 - and the same medical substitute, Sam Powell-Pepper who kicked two goals after replacing Orazio Fantasia for the last term of the qualifying final.

"It was pretty clear, pretty simple for us - we knew what we were going to go with," Hinkley said of selection. "Obviously (young forward) Mitch Georgiades not being ready just confirmed it (that Port Adelaide would be unchanged). It took away any doubt from what was perfect for us."

Georgiades is described by Hinkley as 90 per cent primed - not enough to force a selection change this week. But if Port Adelaide advances to the AFL grand final in Perth on Saturday, September 25, Georgiades will be back on the selection whiteboard.

Meanwhile, the Western Bulldogs have recalled experienced ruckman Stefan Martin to support Tim English against the Port Adelaide tandem built by Scott Lycett and Peter Ladhams.

Also significant is the loss of in-form defender Alex Keath (hamstring) who matched up with Port Adelaide key forward Charlie Dixon in round 23. There also is the question mark on the fitness of Western Bulldogs captain and prime midfielder Marcus Bontempelli (knee).

Hinkley is still seeing an opposition team sheet "with players who will give us a tough contest - regardless of who is out there".

"I look at the quality of the Western Bulldogs over the course of the season and know they have been acknowledged as one of the best teams in the competition," Hinkley said. "They have done it with and without quality players, just like we have this year.

"They have brought in talls with Zaine Cordy and Stefan Martin. They have more height than the week before (in the semi-final against Brisbane) and more height than the last time we played them."

The question of Bontempelli as a midfielder or a forward is a moot point to Hinkley.

"He plays a lot as a forward anyhow," Hinkley said. "He's a high-scoring midfielder. He. is one of those unusual ones who can go play midfield, go forward and you're always planning for that. So we will be planning for that either way.

"Bontempelli is a high-class player; a very good player. The noise around him being injured ... the Bulldogs were confident most of the week that he was going to be okay. He is a star and I can understand why they want him out there and need him out there ... But again, if we can put pressure on their whole side, we will limit the impact of any of those (highly rated) players."

Port Adelaide is considered to have peaked at the right time. Its preparation - at the club's home base at Alberton while the other three preliminary finalists are in Perth - appears ideal.

"We have had the right build up," Hinkley said. "We have earned the right to be where we are. We have worked really hard, trained really well in the past seven to eight days - and the boys are ready to play. So we now have to execute ..."

Port Adelaide enters its second consecutive preliminary final - after a six-point loss to Richmond at home last year - better prepared and wiser for the last step towards the club's first AFL grand final since 2007.

"Even last year, we got most things right - and we lost to the eventual premier by six points in a pretty tough, trying game where we played at a level that was pretty solid," Hinkley said. "Six points ... in the toughest game of the year ... 

"You have to get it all right ... and you need a bit of luck along the way."

Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs have met twice this season - with wins scored on opposition territory. Port Adelaide's two-point win in round 23 at the Docklands Stadium in west Melbourne highlighted Hinkley's point of needing to "execute" a winning game plan.

Port Adelaide's inaccuracy - 1.8 at half-time - ultimately was corrected with 8.4 during the second half in the two-point game under the roof at the Docklands.

"We have to play the game style we know we can play against a high-quality opponent we know has a lot to play for - like us," Hinkley said. 

Port Adelaide is different 11 months on from the heartbreak of the 2020 preliminary final - and noted for being more resilient, as highlighted by a perfect record in six games decided by 13 points or less this season.

"They (players) are a little bit more experienced, that is obvious," says Hinkley of the improvement in his team this season. "They have played more football together; they are quite a young team still. Anytime you can get them together for more games of football together it certainly puts you in a good position.

"They have experienced (last year) the game that they're about to play in. All those things add up a little bit - and what I do know about preliminary finals is all those little bits make a difference," added Hinkley who played in three winning preliminary finals while at Geelong.

"We think (the gameplan is better). But we probably get biased in our judgement sometimes, but I think we're playing good solid footy. We are an improved football team and we're a more challenging football team than we were this time last year. That is our belief."

The final will begin at 7.10pm.