Surjan and Salopek, who has been omitted from the team to play Richmond at TIO Stadium on Saturday night, have both been dropped more than once.

Primus met with a small group of senior players on Monday.

It's been reported some of the players used the meeting to express disappointment at the manner in which they had been left out of the team but Primus played down the claims, describing the feedback session as "positive".
 
"It [the meeting] was more about where we're going as a team and how we can improve as a team rather than the fact that players are being in and out of the team," Primus said on Thursday.

"They're our senior group of players. They've got a fair say in how we go about things. They've got a lot of experience and great knowledge of the game, so we'd be crazy not to tap into that.

"It's hard for anyone getting dropped and we've got to support those players as much as we can, but we've made it clear what standards need to be set on a weekly basis and that's why this year we've probably had a few changes in our team.

"Our senior players are crucial to our ongoing success ... and we've got to work hard to get them into some good form."

Salopek will join Surjan and Ebert in the SANFL this weekend.

He will be replaced in the team by either Cam Hitchcock or Jason Davenport, who both made the trip to Darwin on Friday morning.

Ebert was a late withdrawal from the team that lost to Fremantle last weekend for 'tactical reasons', while Salopek played less than half of the game after being named as the substitute.

Primus said both players needed to find form in the local league.

"I had a good chat with Steven pre-season to get him to sign with us for another two years, but he's got some areas of his game that we want him to work on," he said.

"That will happen pretty soon for Sal because he's a pretty determined guy and we see him as part of our future.

"Brett's form has been a little bit patchy over the last month or so. I think we all forget Brett's coming back from a knee reconstruction and nothing runs smoothly with those kinds of guys."

The forecast for Darwin on Saturday is for 30 degrees and 55 per cent relative humidity.

The Power, who will arrive in the Northern Territory a day earlier than usual, will train at TIO Stadium on Thursday night to help the players acclimatise to the conditions.

Players from both teams will be able to spend time in cool rooms during the breaks on Saturday night, and will be permitted to wear sweat bands.

Port Adelaide has an advantage over the Tigers, having played two games at the venue last season, but Primus said it would be a challenge for both teams to cope with the conditions with one fewer player on the interchange bench.

"It will be a bit more draining on the guys for sure, but we know what's coming and what to expect," he said.