PORT Adelaide skipper Domenic Cassisi says he expects tough onballer Josh Carr to stay within the rules of the game in his attack on the ball and the man in his AFL swansong against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.

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Carr has earned a reputation for his ability to get under the opposition’s skin during his 206-game career and has already declared that he’ll hold nothing back in his last-ever appearance for the Power.

Carr, who has never played in a losing showdown, has also developed the tag of ‘Showdown specialist’ - both on and off the field.
 
He made headlines for his scuffle with former Crows captain Mark Ricciuto outside the Ramsgate Hotel in 2002, but Cassisi said the premiership hero was intent on finishing his career with his integrity intact.

“Carry’s always been a pretty clean player. He’s gone hard at the footy and I expect nothing different this weekend,” Cassisi said on Tuesday.

“He’s got a fair sense of pride and he’d want to go out with a bit of integrity. I think he’s going to play a tough game, but it’s going to be at the football and I don’t expect anything Alastair Lynch-like [in the 2004 grand final] on Sunday.”

The Power are likely to recall several key players for the showdown, including midfielder Travis Boak, full-back Alipate Carlile and running defender Nathan Krakouer, while Matt Thomas will face a fitness test on his corked quad.

Forward Daniel Motlop will miss the clash, after accepting a two-match ban for engaging in rough conduct against Western Bulldogs onballer Shaun Higgins.

But the biggest question mark hangs over out-of-form veteran Chad Cornes.

Cornes was dropped for brother Kane’s 200th game last weekend but is a proven showdown performer and Cassisi said the utility had already expressed a desire to play in Carr’s last game.

“Chad provides a lot of experience out there and he’s a great mate of Carr’s as well,” Cassisi said.

“Chad gets pretty fired up emotionally for the showdowns, so it’s great to have him out there and if he does get the opportunity this week he’ll definitely be looking forward to it.”

Port Adelaide blitzed the Dogs with a five-goal first term in Darwin on Saturday night, but was held goalless after half time.

Cassisi denied fitness would be a factor for his side coming back from the oppressive weather in Darwin and said that consistency across four quarters would be a big focus this week.

“In the last two weeks our first quarters have been outstanding against great opposition,” he said.

“We really want to try and focus on being involved in the game continually quarter-by-quarter and not having the five or six minutes in quarters where us as players go missing.

“The weather was nowhere near as tough as it was earlier in the year. It was 29 or 30 degrees, but the humidity wasn’t a factor. Compared to last time we feel great at this stage of the week and we’ve got a long break…so there’s definitely no excuse.”