WINNING is traditionally habitual at Port Adelaide. And for a new Port Adelaide team wanting to live up to the club's long-standing traditions, this week is about putting another W alongside the first W in AFLW.

Port Adelaide senior coach Lauren Arnell describes the appetite of her team for back-to-back wins with victory against Gold Coast on the road on Sunday afternoon as "huge".

"We see that (win against Sydney) as a platform now; it is not the pinnacle, it is the platform to build from there," Arnell said.

"Four points is one thing. But the way you go about your footy is another. And when you talk about belief, the way we performed defensively and offensively last weekend is the platform for where we want to be.

"Most importantly, (the win against Sydney) was 'reward for effort' for our group. It was a short (three-month) build-up, but for this group - as young as they are - to see what they are capable of at AFLW level is a really important piece. We will look to build on it.

"Every game in a 10-round season is as important as the next, so we are pretty keen to crack in on Sunday on the Gold Coast."

Port Adelaide achieved its highest score in AFLW (10 goals) and conceded its lowest score (no goal) in a game heavily weighted on dominating territory against Sydney at Alberton Oval at the weekend.

Four games might seem a small sample, but each match has delivered a big statement on how they want to be seen as a football team.

"I feel like a broken record now - but I am very happy to keep doing it - the contested part of our game is something we are really proud of," Arnell said at Alberton on Friday.

"We are still the No. 1 tackling team in the competition. Teams that have that ranking in tackling you might assume they don't win their fair share of the footy. But we do both. The Port Adelaide way of being really hard to play against - and the competitive nature that we bring in every game - is something that is the bedrock of what we do.

"It goes back to list management. Our list manager Naomi Maidment has done such an exceptional job of building this group. It is not a random thing that we are a highly contested team. That is something the football club values. We valued that in building our list."

Port Adelaide today has an encouraging mix of the three key battle grounds on a football field.

In attack, where star recruit Gemma Houghton has been lost to ankle surgery, captain Erin Phillips has emerged as a necessity rather than a luxury.

"Erin is doing really well forward, showing her class there," Arnell said. "And it has provided that opportunity - as much as Gemma goes out of the team and people look sideways wondering what is going to happen next - we have real versatility in our team. That is another thing I am really proud of with our list. It is a key part of our list."

In the midfield, two Rising Star nominations have emerged with teenagers Abbey Dowrick and Hannah Ewings.

"To see Hannah Ewings and Abbey Dowrick step forward with more midfield minutes - while Erin controls that forward line - has been a nice little growth for us in the past couple of weeks," Arnell said. "Hannah, as our No. 1 draft pick, is a fantastic talent at 18. One thing I really like is she will not run around to tell you that; she lets her actions do the talking. She will keep getting better. It is early stages for Hannah and it is pleasing she has been able to perform in the way that she has."

In defence, Port Adelaide has players drawing the attention of the All-Australian selectors, in particular Indy Tahau.

"Our defensive group has been fantastic," Arnell said. "And our back line coach Hamish Hartlett has been exceptional with them. When you score as we did against Sydney, we spent 75 per cent of time in front half. So, it is difficult for the defenders to get the acknowledgement they deserve. A lot of the work they are doing off the ball allows us to play in that way."

Beyond finding belief in their own talents, the team - and Arnell - also gained confidence in the team's playbook - as noted in review this week.

"My language for a long time has been, 'Stick to the plan'. We have certain elements of the game that we have to look after - and our group, largely for four quarters (against Sydney), stuck to the plan. I was able to show quite a lot of that - in a really positive way - early in the week."

Selection will be confirmed on the eve of the game at Bond University in south-east Queensland with one change on the cards even if it might seem difficult to change a winning line-up.

"We have a healthy group (from last week) - and we are coming off the back of a pretty strong win. It is a good spot to be in," Arnell said.

"We will look at a potential change with Justine Mules, who did not play last week (personal reasons)."

Port Adelaide has five players - Hannah Dunn, Jacqui Yorston, Kate Surman, Cheyenne Hammond and Britt Perry - looking at facing their old friends at Gold Coast as foes this weekend. And there is the question of how much inside knowledge they carry to Arnell's table.

"You can, to an extent, gain insight (on Gold Coast)," Arnell said. "Even with the tight turnaround from season six to seven, every team has grown and developed and has changes. Gold Coast has had player movement since last season. There is a little bit (to learn), but you approach it like any other game.

"I have been in that position - playing for Carlton and then Brisbane - where you play against your old mates. But you approach every game consistently. I know our group will do that. One of the fun parts of W is playing against your mates. I am sure our girls will go in with that attitude."

Port Adelaide will play its fifth game in a 10-match home-and-away season with the chance to be a 50-50 team (two wins, two losses and a draw) at the halfway mark of W Season 7.

"You have to keep building on the platform we put down, not just in the win against Sydney but also from the first three weeks when we did not get the result we were after but we certainly built (more to the game) every week," Arnell said. "There has been growth each week. We have built on that and we will look to do that again this week.

"(Our target) is to be highly competitive - win every game we play. This young group has seen what we are capable of, particularly offensively, so we will look to keep getting better and hopefully impact the scoreboard as we did last weekend."

The match begins at 12.40pm ACST on Sunday.