PORT ADELAIDE vice-captain Ollie Wines has checked the AFL premiership table - and his team's foundation for a solid run into September's top-eight finals has not crumbled.

"We are not in any way in a doom mindset," Wines said while Port Adelaide deals with questions on its merit as a top-four contender while being without a win against pacesetters Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs, Geelong and Brisbane this season.

"We are fifth on the ladder. We are well and truly in the hunt for a top-four finish. 

"We don't have to turn things around so much ... Yes, we have been off our game against the top-four sides. But we have still won 11 games this year and we think we have a bit of momentum for the last six games.

"We back ourselves to be a resilient group."

Round 18 puts Port Adelaide against the revived St Kilda - after an extended break to deal with the issues posed throughout last week's home loss to league leader Melbourne.

Port Adelaide walked away from the top-four test at Adelaide Oval with senior coach Ken Hinkley noting too much was being left to too few, in particular Wines, former captain Travis Boak and Karl Amon in the midfield.

A repeat of this theme would create more pain against an impressive St Kilda midfield unit this weekend. But Wines is focusing on technique as much as talent as a remedy.

"We can all still do more," Wines said. "Our ball use going forward is still a bit of a problem at times. We knew the weapons Melbourne had - (such as) their intercept ability, taking the ball off us. We were not good enough to adapt. There are little tweaks (that can be made to the game style).

"It is not the personnel we have out there. We have full trust in the team we put out on the park each week ... it is just executing (the game style)."

Port Adelaide is working to the challenge of finding a new edge to its game after being exposed by top-four teams - or rivals who have found answers to how Port Adelaide gains ascendancy in matches with quick transition from defence to attack.

"Particularly against those good sides, we are having lapses in games where we are getting tipped over and teams are running over us," Wines said. "It is still a technical thing of us not executing throughout a game.

"We have the cattle to get it done. It is about execution. We are doing an incredible amount of work - game education and game craft - to learn where we are going wrong and we just have to embrace we have to get better and there are another six weeks left in the regular season to improve.

"The team that gets the most improvement is the one that will be the best. We are trying to do that.

"Teams, obviously, figure you out after you have played a lot more games and there is a lot more vision to plan against you. The other thing is, we are still missing a few pieces - (specialist forwards) Orazio Fantasia, Robbie Gray, really important forward pieces that create that ball movement and create those options throughout the corridor and centre of the ground.

"So we just need to knuckle down and get through until those guys are ready to come back to add their best parts of their game."

The match against St Kilda is listed as a Saturday night event at the Melbourne Docklands starting at 6.55pm (SA time).

"The past 18 months," noted Wines, "everything has been moved around at the last minute. If that does happen (with this game) we will adapt. At the moment, we are playing St Kilda on Saturday night at Marvel Stadium. Whatever happens until then we will adjust.

"You plan to what you know ...

"From the very first time this started (with the COVID lockdown last season) we have made a point that we are going to be fluid and adjust to the situation - and we have done that and we are still open to that. We will do anything we can to keep the season running and give ourselves the best opportunity of having a crack at it in September. 

"If the call comes (to relocate to a hub) we will be more than happy to make the move."

Port Adelaide on Thursday evening will name its 22-man line-up with great anticipation on how senior coach Ken Hinkley will remodel his ruck battery. The expectation is Peter Ladhams will earn a recall to support Scott Lycett against the in-form St Kilda combination of Rowan Marshall and former Port Adelaide hero Patrick Ryder.

This would again spare All-Australian key forward Charlie Dixon from another battering in the centre circle.

Marshall and Ryder gave St Kilda a 32-24 advantage in hit-outs during the 32-point win against AFL pacesetter Brisbane in Queensland at the weekend.

"Having (defender) Aliir Aliir play that secondary role when his opponent went into the ruck probably threw us out a little bit," Wines said of last week's support plan for Lycett.

Ninth-ranked St Kilda (8-8) has returned to top-eight finals contention - and rebuilt its form line - with post-bye wins against Richmond (40 points), Collingwood (nine) and Brisbane.

Selection will have the forced change with the loss of midfielder-forward Zak Butters (right knee). The anticipated unforced changes will focus on tactical needs, form questions and players commanding attention in the SANFL, such as left-foot defender Joel Garner.

"Guys will come in to fill roles and play the best they can," Wines said. "We're pretty confident with the team we put out there each week. 

"There are a few guys who were getting managed this week," added Wines after the training session at Alberton on Thursday morning was notable for the limited work of midfielder-forward Connor Rozee. "We have had an extra few days after a Thursday game (against Melbourne) to do that, so there are a few guys who did not do much today who will play."

Port Adelaide's wish for the injury list to stop claiming key players delivered some encouraging signs at Alberton on Thursday with the return to field training of the much-needed Fantasia and Gray after knee surgery.

"Robbie was running for the first time (since surgery) as well as Orazio," Wines said. "Robbie is right on track to be three or four weeks away from playing. 

"Zak Butters - it is a bit more positive than first thought. I don't think he will be out for a month; it will be much less than that."

Port Adelaide has won nine of its past 10 matches against St Kilda, the most recent - a 54-point win at Adelaide Oval - in round 6 this season: The Anzac tribute match in which Wines won the Peter Badcoe VC Medal.

Wines' fine form in recent weeks has had him rewrite his personal best figures on the statistical sheets.

"Today was the best I have felt since I had a bit of an incident earlier in the year with my knee which is ongoing," Wines said. "Since then it is the best I have felt - and such a long break after a Thursday game helps. And as much as anything the mental refresher (of the long break) has helped."