SQUADS win premierships ... even if Australian football, unlike many other sports, still only recognises the 23 in the successful grand final team with gold medals.

It has taken the full power of Port Adelaide's 44-man AFL squad - in particular with the ruck battery - to navigate the challenges of the past six weeks and on Sunday put a lock on a top-four berth to September's eight-club finals series.

From the round 17 win against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval - where Port Adelaide stretched its AFL club-record wining streak to 13 - to the return to the winner's circle on Sunday at home against Greater Western Sydney, the squad theme has ruled supreme.

Port Adelaide has across the past six games:

WORKED 31 players, including three ruckmen - Scott Lycett (twice), Dante Visentini (twice) and Sam Hayes (twice) while each ruckman has battled injury: Lycett (knee, first noticed in a warm up before a game in Melbourne), Hayes (shoulder, in training before the second Showdown) and Visentini (quad muscle in training on Thursday).

MADE significant changes on the team sheet week after week either by injury, illness, suspension or personal reasons. There were six changes before the loss to Carlton, five for the epic home contest with league leader Collingwood, two with the Showdown, six on the road trip to Geelong and again for Sunday's twilight romp against the finals-aspiring Greater Western Sydney.

KEPT just 10 players in the match 23 week after week - defenders Ryan Burton and Dylan Williams, defensive forward Jed McEntee and fellow forwards Todd Marshall and Sam Powell-Pepper, the versatile Dan Houston and, most critically, the dynamic midfield strength of Brownlow Medallist Ollie Wines, the energetic Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Willem Drew.

"That is not just good for today," says Port Adelaide senior coach Ken Hinkley of the confirmation - after his season-opening headline quote of having his "best-ever list" at Alberton - that the current squad has secure depth. 

"But it also is encouraging for the future."

Back to the present ... 

Week after week, the magnets flew on and off the Port Adelaide team board - and the form line inevitably wavered during the four consecutive losses with assertive form against Collingwood and Geelong and disappointing lapses against Carlton and in the derby.

But on Sunday - even after six changes at selection, uncertainty by illness (that kept three players on hold in case others followed former captain Travis Boak to the sick bay) and the need to recall Sam Hayes while he nursed his shoulder injury - Port Adelaide:

MADE its best start (7.3) to a game since the 57-point opening against Hawthorn in round 12. The explosive start was underlined by an assertive count of 20 inside-50 entries (while conceding just eight in a terrority battle controlled by Port Adelaide)

SCORED its highest total (136 points) since the 151 from 10 weeks ago, again in the victory against Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval on June 3

LOCKED in a top-four finish to the league's longest-ever home-and-away season.

And in the past six weeks with a 2-4 win-loss count, Port Adelaide might just have learned more about itself than during that heady 13-week run of repetitive victories. The wild swings at selection - always forced by the unexpected and uncontrollable - did force Port Adelaide to review harder and to adjust quicker than at any other time this season, even after the 1-2 start to this year's campaign.

"During those first few weeks (with the roller-coaster form shown against Carlton, Collingwood and in Showdown LIV)," says Houston, one of the 10 to dig through every stage of the tunnel, "we lost our way a little bit in the manner we played. We lost players who we had not seen out of the team before. 

"And we once again have built up our game to see it all click together (against Greater Western Sydney for a significant 51-point win).

"We have a majority of the 'best 22' back in the team. And our game style is stronger - our offence was explosive; our defence was strong. It all reflected on the scoreboard to show we have come out of 'that space'.

"During the past month, we have defended hard. But when we have won the ball back, we have not been able to take it to the opposition to force them to work hard in defence. 

"Against Geelong (at the skinny Kardinia Park) we made the ground look big. We took it at them. And on the bigger ground (of Adelaide Oval) we worked it to have one-on-ones everywhere. It worked of us.

"The stand-out," adds Houston of the six-week period that tested Port Adelaide, "is our young group - Zak Butters, Connor Rozee, Todd Marshall, Kane Farrell has been awesome ... and while our team leaders have been in and out of the side, that young group has led the way and lifted our standards. It forces us senior players to get better."

Traditionally, AFL powerhouses have been built on stable line-ups with the concept the club that worked the fewest number of players in any season was blessed with a settled team and had the "best-connected" group to chase the premierships.

But the extra-long marathon to the 2023 AFL flag is demanding a squad concept - and challenging every club to find ways to better connect while working ever-changing line-ups.

Port Adelaide certainly has been tested to the limit during the past six weeks.

"Our connection is strong among 44 - not just the 23 who take to the field each week," Houston said. "There will be uncertainty when you have a team-mate who has not been there before or has not been there for some time. But that should not become an excuse. We all know the system we want to play. We all know the structure - we learn all that as 44 not 23.

"It has been good through this period to expose players who have not had much AFL football (such as Visentini)," added Houston, emphasising the benefits that could unfold in September should Port Adelaide need to make bold calls at selection. "Knowing they are capable of pushing for selection puts the team in a good space to deal with anything from here."

After 21 games with a 15-6 win-loss count, Port Adelaide is eyeing a 17-win home-and-away season and the spoils of a home qualifying final. This prize remains even after the four consecutive losses.

"We are at that time of the year when you want to play your best footy," Houston said. "And there is no point in having this sort of win (against Greater Western Sydney) if we don't back it up next week (against Fremantle in Perth).

"Now we have to finish off the (home-and-away) season to create our best opportunity in finals."

However the next six or seven weeks play out for Port Adelaide, the previous six will leave lessons and notes that will gain greater merit in time ... and reinforce the power of a squad. It might also be the moment that forces a rethink on an old football tradition to finally recognise how a premiership is won by more than 23.

ON REVIEW: Technology moves faster and with greater power than Jason Horne-Francis on a break from a contest with the goalfront in his sights.

In the FIFA women's World Cup, technology has determined to a millimetre whether a penalty was scored in a shoot-out. In the Ashes Test series in England, technology could isolate frame by frame on the most controversial run-out that brought into question the spirit of the gentleman's game.

But in Australian football we still struggle with goal-line technology, as highlighted at both the MCG and at Adelaide Oval at the weekend when needing to answer a goal umpire's query on a goal being touched to become a behind.

The much-wanted comfort of score review has become uncomfortable to watch.

ON (P)REVIEW: Retro themes continue. 

Port Adelaide will face Fremantle in Perth in the closing fortnight of a home-and-away series, just as it did at the start of the Ken Hinkley era in 2013 and again in 2014.

The home-and-away finish against Fremantle (Perth Stadium) and Richmond (Adelaide Oval) presents the chance to finish in the top two - with the reward of a home qualifying final and the double chance - for the third time in the past four years.

This would make a resounding confirmation of the strong and sound status of the Port Adelaide football program when the club speaks of achieving sustained success.

By Sunday night, Port Adelaide (currently third) could be second ... or fourth.

By Sunday week, Port Adelaide could finish the qualifying series second ... or fourth.