PORT ADELAIDE senior coach Ken Hinkley says it is always a very special moment to tell a player they will be making their AFL debut.

On Thursday afternoon, Hinkley broke the news that Peter Ladhams would be lining up against Hawthorn in Launceston, which was met with jubilation from the playing group.

“It’s like every first-game player - the reaction from his teammates is pretty special,” Hinkley said at Adelaide Airport on Friday morning.

“It’s the best part of the job when you get to bring an AFL player into his career for the first time.

“It’s really exciting, and for his teammates it’s equally as exciting.

“There’s no better moment in football, in football clubs, other than winning together at the end of the game.”

Ladhams has come into the side to replace injured ruckman Scott Lycett, who will miss the clash with Hawthorn due to a sore adductor.

“Scotty - we were mindful of,” Hinkley said.

“We didn’t want to wear him into the ground. There is still a long way to go in the season, and he wasn’t quite where he needed to be.

“Pete has been in fantastic SANFL form - irresistible form to be honest.

“He needed to get an opportunity and he’s got a little bit of a lucky break.”

The senior coach said with the inclusions of co-captain Tom Jonas and star forward Robbie Gray, there would be unlucky players to miss out on selection, but unfortunately that is part of the game.

“Joel Garner will come over as the travelling emergency,” he said.

“He’s unlucky but Tom Jonas came back in. It’s a really hard one.

“I look at Joe Atley the same but Robbie Gray came back in. We’ve been down a couple.

“It’s good to get them back but the flipside of that, is some young people who have played some pretty solid football last week miss out, that’s a little unfortunate.”

Port Adelaide has always placed significant importance on Indigenous culture, and Hinkley said the lead-up to Sir Doug Nicholls Round has been really special.

“We are really, really passionate about our Indigenous players, and our Indigenous history of players,” he said.

“It is so strong and so great at Port Adelaide. We want to honour the boys.

“We did a little bit of work the other day at the club, which was just so much fun for us as people to get involved with some different culture.

“This round is so important to us as a football club.”

Port Adelaide faces Hawthorn at University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston on Saturday afternoon, with the first bounce commencing at 1.15pm ACST.