IT'S back to football at Alberton - with no COVID-related distraction to the pressing need to find stronger form to underwrite Port Adelaide's push for a top-four ranking in a highly competitive AFL race.

And for Port Adelaide midfielder Karl Amon that means full focus on Sunday's home clash with Fremantle in a round of major celebration of Indigenous culture, the Sir Doug Nicholls round.

After a day off on Wednesday - and another series of COVID tests were all negative for Port Adelaide players and coaches - Amon and his team-mates pick up the pressing agenda left from Sunday's one-point win against Collingwood at the MCG.

"It is a bit of relief," Amon said at Alberton.

"We can move on now, looking forward to Sunday. It always is (concerning to be left in doubt by a COVID scare from the MCG exposure site) but that is what we live in these days. We are just fortunate that there was no positive case with us and we can move on.

"It has been a little bit of a distraction, but our day off was already scheduled for yesterday ... our schedule has not changed; we just had to be COVID tested and wait for the result."

So the agenda turns to Port Adelaide's false starts, contested football ... and a competitive and ambitious Fremantle unit that presents a serious challenge in the midfield while the Dockers chase their first win against Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

"Certainly we are not playing the footy that we'd like to be playing," Amon said of the 7-3, fifth-ranked Port Adelaide.

"It all contributes ... the starts, contested footy. We know we are a good team. It is about being a four-quarter performance because in the AFL today if you don't, then you will struggle to get the win because it is so even.

"They are factors that have been building and we certainly know about them and we certainly hope to rectify them this week."

Port Adelaide forwards coach Nathan Bassett on Monday noted each player needed to deal with the challenge of building a pre-match routine that would clear away the false starts.

"As players," responded Amon, "we have to recognise it first. We have. It is about switching on mentally and coming to play from the first bounce."

Amon, 25, will play his 89th AFL game on Sunday - and his 11th for the season. His numbers in Season 2021 are career-best figures with his disposal average at 22.9.

This reflects Amon spending more time in the midfield rotations where his work in creating quick breakaways from stoppages has played a significant part in setting up inside-50 entries.

"For me," said Amon of his focus, "it all comes back to the contest. It is my one-wood that I need to get right. And the other things will happen. If I can just focus on being strong in the contest and doing my part in that perspective then my running stuff will come off that.

"Playing consistent footy in AFL is not an easy task.

"We have Ollie (Wines) and Travis (Boak) in there doing a tremendous amount of work and I am just trying to complement them to the best of my ability."

Amon designed Port Adelaide's 2016 indigenous jumper, titled "Bambara".

His critique of this season's guernsey that is based on a painting by local artist Elle Campbell is filled with pride.

"It is really special story," Amon said of Campbell's 2019 painting. "The way Elle has conducted herself with the whole story is a credit to her. The whole meaning behind the guernsey is really special.

"Not only am I proud to wear it this weekend, I know all my other team-mates are honoured to wear it."

Fremantle will test Port Adelaide in the midfield, giving Amon and his fellow Port Adelaide on-ballers a genuine measure of their work.

"They're a good team with some good experience and a midfield with Mundy and Fyfe," Amon said. "They have a younger brigade in Cerra and Brayshaw, so we know in the midfield it is going to be a really good battle and we will need to be at our best for four quarters to get a result."

Port Adelaide on Thursday night will name a squad with the expectation Essendon recruit Orazio Fantasia will resume after a week's rest to ease a leg complaint and faith will remain in out-of-sorts young gun Connor Rozee.

"Connor certainly would not have had the start to the year that he would have liked," said Amon of Rozee who required foot surgery after the pre-season. "It started with those niggles in the pre-season and now it is about getting that continuity into his body and into his form.

"Whether we put Connor around the ball more ... he is not far away from his best form. We are trying to get the ball in his hands because he does some pretty special stuff."

Port Adelaide is listed with the bye after the weekend's game, but this is certain to be up for review with the AFL fixture subject to change with the COVID concerns in Melbourne.

The prospect of hubs and quick turnaround matches returns to the AFL agenda.

"What we went through last year, coming into this season we were prepared to do the same," Amon said. "Whether that be hubs, living with certain restrictions - the whole footy world is prepared to do that again to get a full season underway."