EXPECT the unexpected. A week after working -  and winning - with a diverse gameplan against Sydney, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is foreshadowing anything could unfold against the Western Bulldogs at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

And it is not just the uncertainty posed by weather forecasts of rain that allow Hinkley to put a screen on his intentions for the tantalising battle between two teams looking to break into the top eight with 3-2 win-loss counts.

"We're preparing to play our way of football ...," said Hinkley who last week significantly changed the perception that Port Adelaide must load up the inside-50 count to win.

"Every game is so different. And I have fallen into this trap of expecting the weather to (bring rain) ... and it doesn't. We have great history against the Bulldogs ... this will be a tough, hard game that will go to the wire."

Neither Port Adelaide nor the Western Bulldogs has managed consecutive wins in this match-up since Hinkley's crew won at Ballarat in 2017 and followed up with victory at Adelaide Oval in 2018. Since then, the head-to-head count is 3-3. Four of these six games have been decided by 19 points or less.

At Adelaide Oval, the count is: Port Adelaide 5, Western Bulldogs 4.

Hinkley on Friday made no apology for holding back some of his thoughts, thereby keeping his counterpart Luke Beveridge on notice to expect anything at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

"I am not going to tell you exactly everything that is going to happen for us because we are playing an opposition who want to know a lot about what we are doing," Hinkley said.

"Against the Western Bulldogs we have been challenged plenty of times by plenty of different ways."

Port Adelaide will be led by Ollie Wines in the absence of captain Tom Jonas who will rest to a manage a knee issue.

"Tom has had a bit of a grumbly knee and at this stage of his career that is not unusual," Hinkley said. "It is clear Tom has not been absolutely in his best form but he is our captain and we respect that.

"Tom would never use (injury) as an excuse (for form lapses), but we sometimes need to protect him from himself because he is such a great person for our football club.

"You can push on (playing under duress), but that will not give Tom the chance to play to his best. We want to give him the best chance to be at his absolute best. Tom already has played seven games (including pre-season matches). And this (managing of players) will not be unusual across the league."

The key notes from Hinkley's media conference at Alberton are - 

OLLIE WINES: After left-knee surgery during the pre-season, the Brownlow Medallist has worked to a "managed" training program this week to deal with a calf niggle on the  right leg.

"He has a calf that is a bit sore; that's what is wrong with Ollie - it is not his knee," Hinkley said. "We manage it. There is  lot of football that has been put into these boys already. You manage them every week now - and you don't get everyone absolutely perfect from here on end.

"To say Ollie 'is just going' is unfair. Ollie is not getting 35-40 (possessions), but he is playing a significant role for us - and he is allowing other people around him to play at a level that is really important."

CHARLIE DIXON: Ruckman or key forward? 

"Charlie has been pretty handy as a key forward," Hinkley said closing the debate on moving the 2020 All-Australian from attack to first ruck duties. "It is a handy weapon to go to (with Dixon pinch-hitting in ruck) but he is pretty handy as a key forward. We would miss him as a key forward, but we appreciate he can go into ruck along with (fellow forward) Jeremy Finlayson.

"There are all options for us."

MIDFIELD ROTATIONS: As the baton moves to a new generation of midfielders, Hinkley notes Connor Rozee, Zak Butters, Jason Horne-Francis and Willem Drew under the leadership of Ollie Wines "are getting a lot more minutes ... and that is part of our growth".

"We won't be frightened to do that; we won't be frightened to pull back from that if we need to. We will do what is right for the team," Hinkley said.

OPPO WATCH ... and the well-noted threat of Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli?

"It will not be Marcus versus us; it will be Port Adelaide v the Bulldogs and the team that has control will be the team that will have one or two or three individuals highlighted," Hinkley said. "We will be focussed on us as a team first."

BENCH OR BOX? After the move to the bench at the SCG on Saturday, will Hinkley stay on the deck or return to the grandstands?

"Last week worked out pretty well, but we don't want to be a club that continually has to follow the same pattern," Hinkley said. "We will make a decision (on Saturday) on what is the right thing to do - for me and the team."

CONCEDING FREE KICKS - more than any other AFL team.

"We are at the very bad end of it," Hinkley said. "We have worked really hard on some parts of our game that have been reflected by the free kicks going against us. We are working hard on those things. We are responsible for the free kicks going against us."

The match - a sell out - begins at 7.20pm.