PORT ADELAIDE has taken some heavy body blows in the lead-up to Saturday night's home semi-final against Greater Western Sydney, but the mind is still strong.

"We know we are still a very good team," says senior coach Ken Hinkley as Port Adelaide seeks to rebound at Adelaide Oval against one of the AFL's supercharged contenders.

After taking harsh physical hits during the 48-point loss to second-ranked Brisbane at the Gabba on Saturday night, Port Adelaide has delved into the confidence well from its 17-win season that includes beating GWS at the last encounter a month ago.

"We know we have been a really strong side all year," Hinkley said. "Last week, at times (against Brisbane), we could have been in a stronger position, particularly at half-time. Things can get away really quick in these finals ....

"But we are still a very good team."

While GWS has prepared without major injury issues, Port Adelaide has spent the week with question marks on key players. At selection, only one player - defender Dylan Williams - from the qualifying final 23 has been lost to injury concerns.

Port Adelaide has restocked its attack with the return of key forward Charlie Dixon at the expense of Jeremy Finlayson - and held faith in Todd Marshall with Hinkley dismissing any concerns on his hip-groin issues.

"We will be as selected," Hinkley said. "We have picked the team that we expect will take the field.

"We would not pick Todd if we did not think he could play. He should have kicked four, maybe five, goals last week. There has been a bit made about a couple of misses; everyone misses in this game. The best players in the game over history have missed shots at goal.

"Todd is a really reliable shot at goal - and we are really confident and comfortable that Todd will do his best (on Saturday night).

"It is no secret that Todd has not been at his best physically. But the last thing he wants to do is to be seen letting the team down. 

"There is nothing to do with his misses and him being sore."

Defence will retain key backman Trent McKenzie who has recovered from the rolled ankle suffered in the spill from a marking contest with Brisbane rival Cam Rayner.

"Trent has remarkable recovery powers," Hinkley said. "He has rolled his ankle two or three times and we were really confident after the game that his ankle would come up okay."

Finlayson falls out of the line-up after not scoring in his previous two matches. 

"We have Charlie back; Jeremy has given us all that he has got all year," Hinkley said. "Unfortunately, the numbers were against him a little bit. Charlie coming back also was significant."

TACTICAL SUBSTITUTE: Former captain Travis Boak was the 23rd man against Brisbane. This time the contenders are Finlayson, forward Francis Evans, ruckman Sam Hayes and defender Dylan Williams.

"We will wait until we get to the game," said Hinkley who has not dismissed Williams. "We will pick the player who makes us better on the day."

BOAK: After a week of speculation on the veteran midfielder's future, Hinkley has kept the question of Boak's presence at Alberton next season to his former captain.

"I expect Travis to play really well in this game - and outside that, those are decisions to talk about later on," Hinkley said. 

DIXON: "King Charles" resumes after a six-week break to recover from a foot injury with no limits.

"I have never been able to manage Charlie yet; he will play regular minutes (in attack and in the ruck battery)," Hinkley said. "He will be rotated like everyone of our players. It is a final. We are going in with people we know can play the game we need to play."

FORWARD SORTIES: Port Adelaide has surprisingly lost the inside-50 count in recent weeks - a theme noted in the qualifying final loss to Brisbane.

"We need to make sure we win the battle around the midfield," Hinkley said. "That is where you get your first looks. We have been a bit shallow with some of those (forward plays); we need to get the ball deeper from our midfield wins. 

"The team we are playing have a real need to get going quick. They want to take the game on quick. Last time, we had 25 front-of-centre (wins) in the first half. If we get that game going, we will put ourselves in a good spot."

DEFENCE: Port Adelaide had 123 points scored by Brisbane last week - the heaviest toll on the defence since the round 2 loss to Collingwood at the MCG (135 points).

"We don't want to concede as much scoring as we did; we played a high-scoring team last week and we have been disrupted a bit with availability (of players) behind the ball," Hinkley said. "But we have good defensive behaviours and habits. We have not demonstrated them well enough. But I am confident that we can as a team. Our buy-in once we get on the job is usually pretty strong.

"We are again playing a high-scoring team ... one that likes to go at you. They will get some score. We will have our challenges."

SPEED BUMPS: Port Adelaide will find a rival keen to match it for speed.

"GWS will definitely come at us with speed," Hinkley said. "Both teams have a passion for speed. Both teams have a passion for defence too.

"And if we don't get (speed and defence) at the level tomorrow night ..."

Greater Western Sydney enters the semi-final with a fit squad that has won 10 of its past 12 matches. One of the two losses is to Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on August 13 by 51 points.

"GWS is marching with a bit of belief in their own game ... but they do need to remember they came here last time and got beaten by 51 points," Hinkley said. 

Port Adelaide will be seeking its third AFL preliminary final appearance in four seasons - and eighth since rising to the national league in 1997 (with other preliminary finals in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2014).

The semi-final winner will play Collingwood at the MCG with a time still undetermined for the preliminary final.

"It will be - I assume - Friday or Saturday night," said Hinkley. "I am okay to be at a preliminary final (even on a six-day break with a Friday final)."

The semi-final begins at 7.10pm. 

"It is incredibly important (to fill Adelaide Oval)," Hinkley said. "Our fans will get there and they will be loud and proud and strong. We need them there. We know GWS is not a big-drawing team. We need all the Port Adelaide people to represent their side and be really proud of who they are."

Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps was at Alberton on Friday ahead of a busy AFL trade period opening on October 9 with commitments from three players at rival teams wanting to move to the club.

"If we have people wanting to play for us, we are doing something okay," Hinkley said. "But on Saturday night, we need to do something better than okay."