PORT ADELAIDE must be 'anti-fragile' with a game plan that stands up and gets better, Ken Hinkley has said on the eve of the Power's season.

Entering his third campaign in charge of Port Adelaide, Hinkley has worked hard to craft a game plan and playing group that can compete in finals - a semi in 2013 and a prelim in 2014.

But for Hinkley, building a team that absorbs the elite pressure of modern AFL and lifts its performance to an even greater level is the key to success in 2015. 

He wants the Power to be the 'anti-fragile' - not content to withstand the high-quality performance of another team, but to use it to motivate and spur his side on to a greater level. 

Consistency of effort and performance is essential in realising that plan, and while there are no guarantees in football, Hinkley is confident his list can do its utmost to control what it can, and produce strong, consistent and exciting results in football. 

"As I say all the time: at the pointy end, it’s the tightest margins that you deal with to improve, so it takes a lot of work to keep getting a shift up," Hinkley told portadelaidefc.com.au.

"When you're at that top end of the ladder, you need to be prepare to be repetitious and that’s what we’ve done over the summer.

"We’ve worked hard over the focus areas of the game style that we want, and have tried to fine-tune them."

Port Adelaide will need to be at its best in 2015 to overcome the competition's best.

The reigning premiers remain the benchmark; Hawthorn is a robust side that withstood the illness-forced absence of their senior coach to win a premiership. 

Sydney too, overcame stunning early-season losses to reach the grand final. 

And Fremantle, this weekend, is a side that has consistently performed season-on-season to reach finals. 

Hinkley wants the Power to work hard and withstand the pressure of the competition when it comes. 

"The Hawthorns, Sydneys and Fremantles do their game style quite consistently and don’t chop and change much; Hawthorn play their possession footy so well that it stands up under pressure," Hinkley said.

"That’s what we need to make sure of – that our footy is so good it stands up under pressure. That hasn’t happened yet."

Hinkley spoke to portadelaidefc.com.au in an in-depth season preview, where he speaks openly about the NAB Challenge, the Power's game plan and the challenges he expects to face in 2015.

Port Adelaide season gets under way on Sunday afternoon against Fremantle at Domain Stadium at 6:10pm (ACST)/4:40pm (AWST).