Port Adelaide is on the doorstep of a new AFL premiership season - and senior coach Ken Hinkley is not wanting his re-focussed team to trip over by carrying any baggage from 2021. 

"We are in 2022; if we keep reflecting back (to last year) we will never go forward," Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said at Alberton on Friday.

The pre-season closes on Saturday with the team's lone AAMI Community Series clash with Adelaide at Richmond Oval (3.40pm start). And the fresh agenda is honing preparations for the 2022 AFL premiership-season opener against Brisbane in a fortnight rather than still raking over the ashes of a 2021 campaign that ended in disappointment in a home preliminary final. 

"My job is to stay in 'today'," Hinkley said. "And that is about dealing with last week's game (against Gold Coast) that was not where we needed it to be. And today we need an attitude, a want and a hunt to play the game we need to play.

"These (players) are fiercely competitive people. They hold themselves accountable to their performance - and I hold them accountable to their performance. 

"Our accountability is on."

The line-up on Saturday will work as close as possible to home-and-away needs - the regulation 23 players with a small group on standby in case there is a need to "manage" a player with a no-risk policy as noted last week at the Gold Coast with Connor Rozee.

Lead ruckman Scott Lycett (ankle) will play, but midfielder-forward Sam Powell-Pepper (corked and slightly strained hamstring) will rest while remaining in contention for the premiership-season opener against Brisbane at the Gabba on March 19.

"This week is - as much as we possibly can - a full dress rehearsal," Hinkley said. "Players, numbers ... and attitudes.

"What we want in round one, we have to make sure we are (on Saturday) close to our round one attitude and the performance (expected against top-four contender Brisbane).

"We will hopefully play 23. There will be one or two others just in case for minor injuries that you won't take a risk with - we just don't need to do that (in a practice game)."

Missing from the coaching staff will be new defence coach Chad Cornes, who is in isolation under the AFL’s health and safety protocols. The defenders will be under the watch of Tyson Goldsack.

"We get other coaches to step up and make sure it does not disrupt everything else we are doing," Hinkley said. "We are all over the program. It is not that there is one person who needs to be here; if we have a good program, it will operate with or without you. Ideally, everyone is here all the time. But we know we are not going to have that (with COVID protocols)."

Port Adelaide's attitude - that led to a poor start against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium last Friday - was highlighted during the week by midfielder-defender Dan Houston noting the players have a mindset to correct. Such a false start was more surprising considering the questions that linger externally from last season's home preliminary final loss to the Western Bulldogs.

"It is nothing to do with last year," Hinkley said of the players' preparation for matches this season. "It is all about getting prepared for this year. Last week's performance was off the mark for what we would like it to be. We are chasing a much better and stronger performance.

"We are on edge ... we are not far from round one. We are really close to the start of the season and we need to perform much closer to what our best is."

Hinkley expects the "full dress rehearsal" - with a smaller squad and even less numbers in the change rooms at Richmond Oval - to be less disruptive.

"We get it back to proper preparation, just simple things - like how many are in the rooms before a game - allows the players to get to a mindset that allows them to perform closer to their best," Hinkley said.

Port Adelaide's barometer - contested ball - will be watched keenly on Saturday against an Adelaide line-up that is striving to be an "in your face" team harassing rivals at stoppages. Gold Coast last week on the rain-soaked Metricon Stadium used handball effectively to create damaging space - that often put Port Adelaide on the back foot - at contests.

"We didn't win enough of those contests (against Gold Coast); we had our opportunities ... we had plenty of possession of the football, but we did not move the ball the way we'd like to or handle the ball as cleanly as we would like," Hinkley said. "We have trained really well for those things. It is not as if we have not had good preparation going in, but we did not execute last Friday.

"(Winning contested ball is the test) for 18 teams in the competition. It is very relevant for 18 teams - if you don't do any well at the contest, you are in trouble. And yes, we are one of those teams - and we are definitely working really hard in improving our method in and around and away from contest." 

The heat generated for a Showdown - even a summer Showdown - will ensure Port Adelaide players will be tested by the new edict on umpire dissent. Hinkley is endorsing the AFL's stronger stand.

"We understand umpire respect is at the top of the AFL agenda," Hinkley said. "And it should be. The game needs this.

"I am really clear on what to expect - the memos and updates (from the AFL) have been going out regularly. It will take some adjustment because people will make mistakes. Players are human; they are emotional and they get fired up to play this game.

"If they step over the line, they will pay the price (with a 50-metre penalty). Deal with it."

Port Adelaide saw plenty of SANFL club champion Sam Hayes and Greater Western Sydney recruit Jeremy Finlayson in ruck roles last week when Lycett was benched with his ankle concern. Which of the two becomes Lycett's support during the premiership season remains an open question.

"We have flexibility with our second ruck," Hinkley said. "We are not locked into one way or the other. And we won't be. There will be games when we play two rucks. There will be games when we play one (with Finlayson as a forward and back-up ruckman). And there will be games - and within games - when we will be challenged to do it slightly different again.

"It is really hard to say we are going to do it this way all the way through."

On the injury front, the progress of key forward Charlie Dixon after ankle surgery continues to progress favourably.

"Charlie is running this week, with a third run potentially tomorrow (Friday)," Hinkley said. "He is going to push really strongly for round one. But it will be without risk.

"Sam Powell-Pepper ran yesterday. If we were playing next Saturday, I think he would be able to play."