PORT ADELAIDE coach Ken Hinkley says winning the minor premiership will be a just reward for his side after being top of the ladder all season, but has warned it cannot afford to be distracted by anything other than beating Collingwood on Monday.

Port will seal its first McClelland Trophy since 2004 and it’s fourth since 2000 if it beats the Pies at the Gabba in Brisbane in the final game of the AFL Home and Away Season.

Hinkley’s men have been top of the ladder since beating Gold Coast in Round 1 and the coach said he would like to finish there.

“Clearly, it’s part of what we’ve done all year but that’s come about because of the way we’ve played and the process that we’ve delivered on, and that’s what we’ve got to do again this week,” he said at a press conference on Sunday afternoon.

“At the end of the day, we’re coming up a really good team who are really desperate to play well as well and both sides want to play well going into the finals, that’s the clear message.

“It’d be nice to complete what we’ve done all the way through the season but it’s not the be all and end all.

“If you ask me if I want it, yes I do want the team to get some recognition for being able to do that, it’s a pretty big honour when you consider how many teams have been able to do it throughout the journey but there’s bigger stuff to get on with after this week.”

More than anything, Hinkley said, it would be ideal to take good form into finals, knowing Port will have two in Adelaide.

“It’s been a remarkable season for the AFL and it’s been a remarkable season for us,” he explained.

“So it’d be nice to get to the end of the home and away season in good shape and on top of the ladder but we’re one two regardless, we’ve got an idea of what’s coming so we just have to play well so we’re ready for what’s next.

“If we get distracted by anything other than Collingwood, we’ll get in trouble.”

Just days after veteran Justin Westhoff announced he would retire at the end of the season, Hinkley said the 33-year-old would be on the plane to Brisbane but only as an emergency.

The Port coach confirmed Jarrod Lienert would replace the injured Tom Clurey in the backline and young forward Boyd Woodcock would get another opportunity at AFL level, replacing Kane Farrell who has been omitted.

“(Justin)’s in the travelling party,” Hinkley said.

“He’s going so he’s not far away at all but the areas we’re looking for is a small forward – Westy’s not that – and to be fair to Jarrod Lienert, when he’s played in the backline he’s been very good and deserves first crack at the backline.”

Playing Collingwood at the Gabba will be an ideal pre-finals test, at the venue where the Grand Final will be played.

There were reports the Pies trained with balls dipped in soapy water to help them get used to the slippery conditions being experienced in night games in Brisbane at the moment.

But Hinkley said his side had not tried anything like that.

“The ground has been wet a few times (at training) and we’ve done that deliberately but other than that,” he said.

“We’ve been there and played ten games up in Queensland this year, we’ve only played seven in Adelaide, so we’re used to the conditions.

“I think we’ve been a good side across the season in most conditions.

“I think we’ve played some solid games in wet weather. Last week was a great example of when the rain came, we got going in the second quarter.

“We’re prepared to play in whatever conditions are and we know we can handle both conditions.”