WHEN Port Adelaide's match committee sits down on Wednesday to pick the preliminary squad to play AFL premier Melbourne, the notes will throw up an asterisk about All-Australian and Melbourne premiership captain Max Gawn.

The last time Port Adelaide beat Melbourne - and convincingly by 51 points at the Gabba in round 9, 2020 - there was no long-established ruck battery working against Gawn.

Scott Lycett was missing with a knee injury. Gawn had 40 hit-outs to give Melbourne a 44-13 advantage against Peter Ladhams that translated to just a 30-29 lead on clearances - and Port Adelaide won the critical barometer of contested possessions, 129-117. It also outscored Melbourne, 83-32.

Lycett could return to AFL football this week for his first national league match since injuring a shoulder (and having surgery) in the first half of the previous duel with Gawn and Melbourne at Adelaide Oval in round 4. And Port Adelaide could maintain the Jeremy Finlayson-Charlie Dixon ruck combo for another week to ensure Lycett is match fit to deal with other challenges that loom in a decisive four-week block.

"It will be an interesting call come selection in the next couple of days," said Port Adelaide defence coach Chad Cornes on Monday at Alberton.

"Scott has put himself up for contention (after a successful return in the SANFL) by performing reasonably well at the weekend. He has performed really well over a period of time for us. Ideally Scott would have one more game in the SANFL ... but he did run out the game at the weekend reasonably well.

"Charlie Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson are doing their job and doing it really well - the midfield coaches (Brett Montgomery and Luke Kelly) are really happy with the mix we have with our rucks."

The "luxury" of moving Dixon and Finlayson from attack to share ruck duties also is easier by the presence young forwards Todd Marshall and Mitch Georgiades offer - and will need to maintain if Port Adelaide is to unravel the noted strengths of the Melbourne defence led by Steven May and Jake Lever.

"With Charlie moving into ruck, Todd Marshall has more exposure in the forward line and Mitch Georgiades has more opportunity," Cornes said. "What I have loved is Todd Marshall treating the forward line like his own - the way he has performed over the year has been brilliant."

Port Adelaide's away clash with Melbourne starts a critical month with four consecutive matches against current top-eight sides - Melbourne in Alice Springs on Sunday, followed by league leader Geelong at Adelaide Oval, the in-form Collingwood at the MCG and Richmond at Adelaide Oval.

And it is still about "living in the now" at Alberton.

"One week at a time," said Cornes. "I know it sounds boring ... but it has been one week at a time since the 0-5 start. There have been different focuses throughout those 11 weeks since, but it has been: Review, train hard, prepare well and try to execute on game day. It will be no different this week.

"It is definitely a tough month when you look at the schedule - it is a great challenge for us.

"It is always good to test yourself against the best. We have four of the best teams in the competition."

Cornes has his own dilemmas with selection of the Port Adelaide defence by the anticipated return of Riley Bonner who could wear a helmet to protect the fracture points on an eye socket and cheekbone. The successful debut of father-son pick Jase Burgoyne adds to the debate at match committee.

"It is going to be a bit of a squeeze with Bonner coming back - and a few others (after Steven Motlop and Xavier Duursma played in the SANFL at the weekend)," Cornes said. "It will be an interesting set of (selection) meetings.

"I was pretty happy with the way Riley was going (before he was injured against Gold Coast). His previous two games were solid. He felt his form was building and he was doing the right thing in terms of contests and defending - and we know how damaging he is when he gets the ball in his hands. He had worked hard at his defence, being tougher over the footy and in the air - and we were seeing some great results.

"But with Jase Burgoyne filling the role and performing quite well in his first two games, that makes for another interesting call.

"The way Jase has stood up in the contests as a two-game player who is so slightly built has, I am sure, impressed the Port Adelaide fans. He is exciting when he gets the ball in hand as well.

"He surprises me with what he is doing being that slight. At 65 kilograms, it is really impressive that he does not lose contests. His speed allows him to close gaps and get a timely fist in and his recovery when the ball hits the ground is outstanding.

"It does not surprise his father Peter one bit. Peter is really confident in Jase's ability. The Burgoyne name continues at Port Adelaide - and that is great."

Conceding 3.11 (29) to Greater Western Sydney marks the equal third-lowest score put up against Port Adeaide in AFL action. The 29 follows 20 conceded to Gold Coast in 2017 and 27 to Melbourne in 1997.

"As a (defence) group, I love their mindset," Cornes said of his charges led by captain Tom Jonas. "They work really hard. They train hard. They are very switched on in meetings. They understand footy. I am really impressed with the way they see the game. It has been a solid year for the backs - and our team defence.

"The way we are holding opposition teams and restricting their scores has been pretty impressive across the past couple of months. To keep a team to 29 points - a team that has been attacking well since Mark McVeigh took over (as interim coach) is a great result."

Senior coach Ken Hinkley issued a new directive on defence after the 0-5 start.

"Ken came in with a focus to our backs - and team defence - and gave me key things to work on, in terms of the way we were defending the ground," Cornes recalled. "We got some really quick shifts with that - and Ken has been passionate about it.

"When we defend well, when we defend as a team, we normally get the result. That has been the main shift since 0-5. It has been about making sure we are well connected as a team. The forwards are buying in. The midfielders are doing their job. And that makes the defenders' jobs easier."

The big test for Port Adelaide during this "pseudo September" is showing its best more often and with greater consistency, as prescribed by Hinkley.

"It was evident at the weekend - our best was brilliant as you saw in the first half. And then it became a little bit sloppy and a little but wayward with ball in hand," Cornes said. "We might have switched off a bit during the third quarter.

"I am not sure of the recipe (to greater consistency), but it is about rocking up, treating every contest as important as the last one - and not getting ahead of yourself when you make a strong start as we did in the first half. It is about keeping that ruthless mindset that Port Adelaide has been known for - that is where we dropped off in the third. But we finished strongly in the back half of the last quarter.

 Port Adelaide will play Melbourne at Treager Park in Alice Springs for the fourth time in AFL company - and first time since 2016. The record is 3-0 in Port Adelaide's favour.

"You would rather play Melbourne there than at the MCG where they have all the support, regardless of how much we love playing at the MCG," Cornes said. "We love playing at different venues - and there will be a lot of Port Adelaide supporters there being passionate. So the boys are excited by it.

"Last time we played Melbourne, it was our inability to score (0.5 at half-time) that really cost us. We defended as a team quite well. Now, Melbourne is having its issues scoring as a team ... in the past five weeks they are 15th in scoring," added Cornes with the figures showing Melbourne has averaged 87 points this season but hovered at just 10 goals in four of its past six matches.

"As a team, they defend really well. Their forwards get up to work team defence - and they have brilliant backs."

The game begins at 2.50pm on Sunday.