PORT Adelaide captain Dom Cassisi says the Power don't need dominant ruckmen to win the ball out of the centre in 2012.
The newly re-signed captain says structures developed by coaches including Josh Carr and Shaun Rehn are more significant.
If recruit Brent Renouf fails a fitness test this week, the ruck duties in Sunday's season opener against St Kilda at AAMI Stadium will fall on young Jarrad Redden and Daniel Stewart.
While neither proved dominant in the ruck during the NAB Cup, Cassisi said his side had the setups in place to be competitive.
"We think our structures, whether we're winning the hit-outs or not, should hold us in good stead," he said.
"Thinking back to Freo a few years ago, (Aaron) Sandilands used to always win the hit-outs but they didn't always win clearance.
"So our structures will be more important than the actual ruckmen getting their hands on the ball."
Although untried in premiership matchess, Redden had shown enough over the pre-season to suggest he could handle himself.
"He's been more than competitive for us and that's what we ask from him," Cassisi said.
"He's a big boy, his fitness has improved and he knows how to play football - he's a natural footballer and that'll hold him in good stead."
Cassisi also praised Stewart's pre-season and said he was a valuable asset to the side away from the centre circle.
"What he can do around the ground not many ruckmen can do," he said.
"We'd be more than happy and more than competitive with those two guys in there."
It was revealed on Monday that 29-year-old Cassisi had re-signed with the Power, ensuring he will remain a one-club player.
He's the latest star to pen a new deal with the Power, a further sign of the refreshed faith the playing group has in the club.
"Jackson (Trengove) and Alipate (Carlile)… Butch (John Butcher) probably started that unity last year with re-signing with the club after a tough year," he said
"I think signing the younger guys is probably a bit more of a priority than getting guys like me stitched up.
"Every year there's going to be players coming out of contract and I'm confident the club's got the wheels in motion trying to sign these key youngsters for us."
Cassisi said the side had gone back to basics after coach Matthew Primus demanded a renewed fighting spirit.
"We've had a good summer but we understand that it's all about to begin now," he said.
"We can't rest on our form we had in the NAB Cup, we need to look to continually improve because it does go up another notch come Sunday.
"If you can get some confidence going early in the year then it can often continue on to be a good year."
