Ken Hinkley and Matthew Nicks pictured at Friday's Showdown coaches press conference.

PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is backing his attack to respond in Showdown XLIX - and for Adelaide to ignore the growing gap on the AFL premiership ladder between the fierce derby rivals.

Hinkley is maintaining the Charlie Dixon-Todd Marshall-Mitch Georgiades tandem in the Port Adelaide forward-50 despite this combination delivering no goals in the 49-point loss at the weekend to Brisbane at the Gabba, where his side kicked just five goals.

And as Hinkley enters his 16th Showdown, he maintains the premiership table - where Port Adelaide is placed third and Adelaide is 13th - means nothing in determining how the Showdown ledger will move from its 24-24 deadlock on Saturday night.

20:31

"We know the Showdown is won on the day," said Hinkley while Port Adelaide carries red-hot favoritism for the 49th derby since the on-field rivalry began at Football Park in 1997. 

"Favouritism does not mean a thing. It did not help us last week (against Brisbane). Favouritism in Showdowns does not matter. Ladder positions don't matter. It is the team that wants it the most that matters.

"It is not going to be won on what the ladder shows or what form says (of the two teams that enter the Showdown off losses at the weekend).

"Both of us are coming off a disappointing week last week. So I would expect both team would be fired up ... it is a Showdown.

"We just spoke in our rooms (after training) what a Showdown means to us. It is everything ... we need to win Showdowns. We put a high price on it.

"We educate our players (about the rivalry). We give them an understanding of what it is. We talk about Ramsgate (the 2002 after derby brawl at a western suburbs pub). We all love the stories and the rivalry ... it is real and big.

"We have Mitch Georgiades, a West Australian, ready to play in his first Showdown - and he can't wait. He has heard enough about them. They are as big as you can get. It is a real rivalry - and we love it."

04:08

Hinkley confirmed after the captain's run at Adelaide Oval on Friday morning the return of former captain Travis Boak, who missed last week's loss to Brisbane with a quad injury, and the recall of long-kicking wingman Kane Farrell for his third AFL game this season. The left-footer played the first two AFL games of the season against North Melbourne and Essendon.

Removed from the squad are high half-forward Boyd Woodcock, recently promoted academy graduate Marty Frederick and Sam Mayes who has been the medical substitute for the past three weeks.

As usual, the 23rd medical substitute will be decided on match day - this time amid forecasts of showers leading up to the Showdown start time of 7.10pm.

"(Adelaide captain) Rory Sloane (after a four-week absence with an eye injury from training) is a good in for them and Trav Boak is a real good in for us," Hinkley said. "It makes it pretty even with who is coming in."

Frederick leaves the Port Adelaide defence after two AFL games.

"Marty could end up our sub," Hinkley said. "The reality is you have to make changes ... and Marty's first two games have been pretty exciting. We think he is a pretty exciting part of our future. He is a little unfortunate.

"There is a chance (Miles) Bergman or (Dan) Houston will go back (from the midfield) and someone will have to play more midfield (minutes). Robbie Gray is pretty good in the Showdowns (with five best-afield medals) so he get more midfield time.

"We have great flexibly in our front half with guys who can go on-ball."

Ken Hinkley and Matthew Nicks pictured with the Variety Showdown Shield.

Port Adelaide faces Adelaide after two strong wins - by a combined margin of 123 points - in two pre-season games at Alberton and Noarlunga in late February and early March. But Hinkley is measuring his derby rival by the adjustments Adelaide has made since those one-sides practice matches.

"They have been reasonably consistent since round one (when Adelaide had a surprise home win against 2020 grand finalist Geelong at Adelaide Oval)," Hinkley said of Adelaide that starts the derby at the longest odds (5/1) assigned to a Showdown competitor.

"We understand what they bring. We have seen their pressure and when they are hunting they get a pretty good result. They have played some pretty damaging football to be fair over the course of the first seven rounds. They are a real threat for us.

"We know that ... so we have to be at our best."

Hinkley clarified young midfielder-forward Zak Butters would need six-to-eight weeks to recover from ankle surgery. 

"He has had surgery - he is not going to get back earlier; we would love to get him back earlier because he is an important player," Hinkley said. "(First-year defender) Lachie Jones had the same surgery, a week later. He is a little in front of Zak."

After hosting the lone Showdown of 2020 with tickets restricted to 2400, Port Adelaide will have a near full house at the 53,500-capacity Adelaide Oval on Saturday night - the first full stadium since the COVID protocols were put in place last season.

"It is fantastic for a Showdown," Hinkley said. "We understand the importance of the Showdowns to the fans. It is about them, the community. It is our home game so we expect a big number of Port Adelaide people. It is great for footy having fans back. It is another positive step."