TRAVIS BOAK will appreciate the theme American football superhero Tom Brady carried to the White House this week with his Super Bowl-winning team-mates from Tampa Bay.

It is a script Port Adelaide could embrace for its challenging finish to the AFL home-and-away series while there is external doubt on where Boak and his team-mates fit in the race to September (or October) glory.

Brady reflected on his new team's campaign in the NFL - with "an amazing group of men" - to deliver Tampa Bay's first Super Bowl title since 2002 and second crown in franchise history (sounds familiar doesn't it?).

"It didn't look great there at one point," Brady said this week at the White House. "We were 7 and 5, struggling a little bit ... But we found our rhythm, we got on a roll. 

"Not a lot of people thought that we could have won ... And in fact, I think about 40 per cent of the people still don't think we won ..."

Boak is to play his 300th AFL game on Friday night with Port Adelaide at 12-5 and seeking its rhythm to get on a roll with five qualifying games remaining before the top-eight play-offs. And more than 40 per cent of the pundits doubt how Port Adelaide can go deep through the top-eight finals series - after being preliminary finalists last year.

The Brady theme sits well with Boak who notes: "For us, our form has been building over the past month. It was a disappointing result against Melbourne (31-point loss at Adelaide Oval in round 17). But I feel like we are starting to get a few guys back, a few key guys back and that is going to make a huge difference for our game.

"The plan is to really build this back half of the year and obviously push for that top-four spot. There is no doubt we have not played our best footy yet. We know it is ahead of us and we know with these guys coming back into the side can help us.

"At the same time, we have to keep playing the same brand of footy and system we know we can. Our best system is good enough to beat the best sides - we just haven't been able to do it for sustained periods this year, which has been disappointing. 

"But the plan is to finish off the year really strong and push for a top-four spot."

Port Adelaide commands fourth spot in the lead-up to the "home" clash with 15th-ranked Collingwood in the Docklands of west Melbourne on Friday night - two months after overcoming a slow start and a defensive wall to beat Collingwood by one point at the MCG on May 23.

"This time," says Port Adelaide lead ruckman Scott Lycett who will work a two-ruck tandem with Peter Ladhams against Collingwood master Brodie Grundy after missing the earlier clash by suspension, "we are on a quick deck that suits our ball movement."

And there will be more flexibility in Port Adelaide's game plan with the return of tyros Connor Rozee, Xavier Duursma and Zak Butters who have recovered from knee injuries.

"They bring a lot of energy, enthusiasm and polish," Lycett said.

Senior coach Ken Hinkley notes "they make a difference because they add flexibility" to Port Adelaide's line-up - particularly in the midfield and in attack - after being restricted by a heavy injury list in the lead-up to the win against St Kilda.

"Zak and Connor gives us an opportunity through the midfield and Xavier can run up and back all day," Hinkley said. 

The major change since the last meeting with Collingwood - for a one-point win at the MCG in round 10 two months ago - is the departure of Nathan Buckley to leave fellow Brownlow Medallist Robert Harvey as acting senior coach.

The defensive ways of Buckley's playbook - that led to such a defensive game on May 23 - have changed under Harvey's watch.

Collingwood basketball convert Jack Madgen expects those changes to present a more attractive contest.

"Our defence always was strong with 'Bucks' and we don't want to change that," Madgen said. "The numbers suggest we are still a good defensive side. We are playing a little faster and more with ball in hand without compromising our defence.

"That is a big thing that 'Harvs' is trying to implement. It is a hard thing to implement on the run but we talk a bit more about offence now without compromising our defence. It is always a fine line, a tightrope."

The match will be about Boak - "And we have to do him proud," said Lycett who describes the determined midfielder as "an outstanding leader, a professional ... and I am proud to say I have him as a team-mate."

BIRD SEED

(the small stuff that matters most)

Where: Docklands, Melbourne

When: Friday, July 23, 2021 

Time: 6.40pm (SA time)

Last time: Port Adelaide 8.11 (59) d Collingwood 8.10 (58) at the MCG, round 10, May 23, 2021

Overall: Port Adelaide 17, Collingwood 16

Past five games (most recent first): W W L L W

Scoring average: Port Adelaide 83, Collingwood 90

Tightest margin - Port Adelaide by one point (88-87) at the MCG, round 14, July 2, 1999 and (59-58) at the MCG, round 10, May 23, 2021; Collingwood by two points (89-87) at Football Park, round 20, August 18, 2006.

Biggest margin - Port Adelaide by 67 points (125-58) at the MCG, round 11, June 5, 2016; Collingwood by 138 points (159-21) at Football Park, round 20, August 6, 2011.

By venues: Adelaide Oval (2-0), Football Park (7-6), MCG (7-5), Docklands (0-5), Gabba (1-0).

By States: South Australia (9-6), Victoria (7-10), Queensland 1-0.