PORT Adelaide will rely on part-time ruckmen Justin Westhoff, Jackson Trengove and Charlie Dixon with the ultimate hope of breaking even with gun Brisbane Lion Stefan Martin.
Second-year ruckman Dougal Howard was omitted from the Power's squad, despite coach Ken Hinkley insisting he was a huge fan of the youngster's effort and work.
The Port coach admitted the lack of a genuine ruckman was a "significant disadvantage" and although he said he'd back his trio in, his expectations of their output were realistic.
"From them it's to break even; [breaking even] is a point where we'd love to be able to get to," Hinkley said.
"Last week we were [64] to [24] in hit-outs – that's a significant disadvantage to any team.
"We won't let [not having a dominant ruckman] stop us, we'll make sure we challenge what that looks like conventionally and we'll go about doing it slightly differently."
Dixon was told upon his arrival at Alberton late last year that he wouldn't have to worry about playing as a ruckman.
While Hinkley maintained the Power were a far better outfit with the key forward playing as exactly that, he also said Dixon wasn't afraid to venture into the middle of the ground.
Dixon, too, favours playing in attack but Hinkley was adamant the 25-year-old was happy to play whatever role the team needed of him.
"The good thing about Charlie Dixon is he'll give me the effort wherever he goes and he doesn't mind where that is," he said.
"Charlie's the first one to say 'Mate, if you need me in the ruck, don't not put me in the ruck'.
"I'm sitting here right now saying I still want Charlie to predominantly be a forward."
The reality of playing three part-time ruckmen means the Power's midfielders are highly unlikely to have the ball delivered to them by a teammate on Sunday evening.
With that in mind, Hinkley said the Power would change its midfield structure to shark the Lions' hit-outs as best they could.
"You have to [change the structure]…you're not first to react, to a point," he said.
"We would have to make some sort of tinkering to our structure at ground level.
"We understand where they go and what they do…certainly we're very aware of their hit zones."
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