[ Related: NAB Cup Round 3 at Victor Harbor ]
Skipper Dom Cassisi and his vice Travis Boak will return, along with fellow midfielder Brad Ebert and Robbie Gray, while ruckman Brent Renouf is likely to play his first game in Port Adelaide colours.
Renouf and eight senior Port Adelaide players are in a 29-man squad to meet Fremantle from 3.40pm at Encounter Bay Oval.
Renouf - who was snapped up from Hawthorn in the trade period following the 2011 season - is set to debut for the Power after recovering from a knee complaint and building fitness over Summer.
Also into the squad are a host of experienced hands who last week made way for young players who performed admirably in a five-point loss to West Coast in Mandurah, WA.
Added to the list are are captain Dom Cassisi, Danyle Pearce, Jacob Surjan, Travis Boak, Jackson Trengove, Robbie Gray, Kane Cornes and Jay Schulz.
Port Adelaide general manager football Peter Rohde said the Power may not play all 29 as it seeks to refine its team for the premiership season opener against St Kilda on 1 April.
“We’ve got selection committee to come and we have the option of rotating players for the second half so we’ll balance that,” Rohde said.
“It might be that we get more time into our senior players or give a bit more to some of the younger guys who are pushing after playing well in the last two weeks.”
Troy Chaplin and Justin Westhoff have a week off after playing extensive game time in the opening three games. Also out of last week’s squad are Mitch Banner, Andrew Moore, Ben Newton, Brendon Ah Chee and Jarrad Irons.
David Rodan - who was among the experienced group who didn’t play last week - has not been recalled after straining his back slightly.
“David hurt himself a bit in the gym while he was doing his program around his week off, but it’s not serious and it’s really only a precautionary measure to keep him out,” Rohde said.
Trengove said the young team’s performance against the Eagles last Saturday highlighted the selection pressure being exerted by developing and new players at Alberton, thanks to recruiting and commitment during the pre-season.
“They went well on the weekend against quality opposition … so to only go down by five points shows that these blokes mean business and they want to actually play in the number one side,” Trengove said.
“That’s how our club’s looking at the moment. It’s very competitive for spots and the boys have to fight to get in … the boys that are in there don’t want to come out of the side, so it’s good signs for the football club.
“It’s exciting for players like myself and a lot of the older players with these young boys who are coming in and not just coming to make up numbers. They’re coming in to compete and do really well for the footy club.”
Trengove said the team was determined to maintain its improved performances, following narrow losses to the Eagles and Adelaide, and a victory over Carlton.
“It’s only the NAB Cup and we’re not getting ahead of ourselves,” Trengove said.
“We know what we’re up against and what we did last year which was really disappointing with what we wanted and what the club expects.
“We’ve worked really hard over the off season, but we’ve got a long way to go. We haven’t even played an AFL game yet. We just want to play competitive footy and if we can do that with the players we’ve got we think we can go really well.”
Trengove welcomed comments from vice-captain Boak, indicating his desire to continue his career at Alberton when his contract expires at the end of 2012.
“It shows where the football club is,” Trengove said.
“Everyone says we’re in dire straits and we’re battling, but this club has got a massive future ahead of it.
“We know we have got a lot of hard work to do and we’ll continue to build on that, but with Matty and the coaches I think we can get there eventually.”
Port Adelaide takes on Fremantle at Encounter Bay Oval from 3.40pm on Saturday.
Children under 15 can get free entry if their tickets are obtained from ticketmaster.com.au before 5pm Friday.
Tickets will also be available at the gates, which open at 12.30pm ahead of a curtain raiser between Victor Harbor and Willunga.
NAB Cup Round 3 Squad
1 - Dom Cassisi
3 - Steven Salopek
4 - Brent Renouf
5 - Matthew Broadbent
6 - Danyle Pearce
7 - Brad Ebert
8 - Hamish Hartlett
9 - Jacob Surjan
10 - Travis Boak
12 - Jackson Trengove
13 - Cameron O'Shea
14 - Paul Stewart
16 - Ben Jacobs
17 - Robbie Gray
18 - Kane Cornes
19 - Nick Salter
20 - Chad Wingard
22 - Simon Phillips
24 - Nathan Blee
27 - Alipate Carlile
28 - Jay Schulz
31 - Darren Pfeiffer
32 - John Butcher
34 - Jarrad Redden
35 - John McCarthy
40 - Aaron Young
42 - Thomas Jonas
43 - Daniel Stewart
44 - Tom Logan
