WELCOME to the future. Port Adelaide's attack - and midfield - against Greater Western Sydney on Sunday will offer an insight into the long-term vision at Alberton.

In attack, Ollie Lord returns for his first AFL game of the season to partner Mitch Georgiades and Todd Marshall.

In the midfield, captain Connor Rozee resumes from injury to lead an on-ball group that very much reflects transition at Alberton.

Lord replaces Charlie Dixon at the goalfront in a clearly defined succession plan.

"This is the first time we get to see the younger tall forwards go at it together this year," senior coach Ken Hinkley said at Alberton on Friday. 

"Ollie is part of our plans going forward and we like to think he will be very good as a key position forward," Hinkley added. "He is absolutely in the future - not today - Charlie's clear replacement. He plays very similar. He is very strong and very combative at the footy."

Lord was due to continue his AFL apprenticeship - after an exciting finals series last year - in round one.

"Ollie would have been in the round one team, only he was hurt (knee) last training run on a Saturday before round one," Hinkley said. "He was part of our round one team. He had done all of the pre-season. He has missed a bit of footy, but he has a lot of background stuff done that puts him in a pretty good spot. He has had a good month of playing (in the SANFL).

"Is he going to be perfect? Probably not. But he is part of the future and he will bring great energy."

ENGINE POWER: Rozee, Zak Butters, Jason Horne-Francis, Willem Drew working to the ruck work of Ivan Soldo against the Greater Western Sydney midfield is the highlight of this top-eight shaping clash.

It also is Port Adelaide's future.

"Our captain is back ... and I am looking forward to our midfield getting the chance to be together now for a period of time," Hinkley said. "For the past six to seven weeks there has been interruption and disruption. It has not had time to gel together and play as well as it can. And that includes Ivan Soldo not being there. Connor has been in and out for six weeks. 

"It is a good chance from here for us to get better around the ball. And that is exciting for us."

WHO RUCKS: Without Dixon and Jeremy Finlayson to support Soldo in ruck, the back-up options vary at every point of the ground.

"We have Ollie Wines, we have Ollie Lord as a back-up ruck and we have tall backs who can ruck if they put a tall forward in ruck," Hinkley said. "We have people who can do it. We will be flexible with that."

Of Finlayson and Dixon, Hinkley is looking for confidence and form-boosting work-outs in the SANFL against West Adelaide at Alberton on Saturday.

"You need to have an appetite to get back (to AFL)," Hinkley said. "There is no question in my mind that Charlie has a great appetite and wants to play good footy and wants to contribute strongly for us at AFL level in the remaining part of this year. 

"Sometimes you have to get your form back - and that is where he is at. I could not be more impressed with the way Charlie has handled this. He is up for the fight. I know he won't give up.

"Jeremy is in a reasonably good spot emotionally. It is just his form."

AFTER THE BREAK: Port Adelaide used the mid-season break for a strong review of its playbook and preparation for the second stretch of the marathon to September.

"What we have done is got great clarity around where we are and what we are doing," Hinkley said. "And where we need to improve.

"We think there is not every area of our game that needs to improve, but there is some that we would certainly like to get stronger and better. The break - and a decent length of break - has given us the opportunity to dig deep and have a good look as coaches and players together.

"We have come up with some real clear parts of our game that we would like to see improve. There also are parts of our game we think are in a really healthy position. At 8-4, it says you are going okay. And you need to get better if you are going to challenge. That is what we need to do."

NEW FACE: Part of the future, Port Adelaide has named in its squad for the first time 2023 No.57 draftee, 19-year-old midfielder Will Lorenz.

"He has been really good for a first-year player," Hinkley said. "He has played around the ball at SANFL level in a pretty tough environment while the team has been decimated. He has had to step up around the ball. 

"He has shown he can handle that. Will is quite a promising young player. He is great in traffic. He is calm and has composure that we like. He tends to use the ball pretty well."

OPPO WATCH: With one win from its past five matches, Greater Western Sydney has put itself in a scrap at the bottom end of the top eight.

"They are like us ... they sit exactly where we sit - in that pack of teams that are trying to sort things out at the moment," Hinkley said. "You can't overreact. You need to be clear in what you have to do. We are clear on what we need to do. We need to do it consistently."

Greater Western Sydney closed Port Adelaide's season last year with a semi-final win at Adelaide Oval.

"I understand the (revenge) narrative but the reality is we have to win this week; we can't turn around what happened last year," Hinkley said.

VENUE: Port Adelaide plays at the Sydney Showgrounds for the first time since 2013.

"We won that game ... (so) it is one of our favourite grounds," Hinkley said.