SCOTT LYCETT is carrying a fair bit on his shoulders this week - and the Port Adelaide lead ruckman will appreciate having specialist support from Peter Ladhams in the finals-shaping game against Greater Western Sydney on Sunday.

This round 20 match - now confirmed on the Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium - will give further credence to the “Port Adelaide barometer” of all measures at contested football.

This season, wins in the key performance indicators of contested possessions and clearances have translated to victories on the scoreboard - and the fourth ranking on the AFL premiership leader with a 13-5 win-loss record.

The “compare the pair” numbers highlight the challenge Port Adelaide faces with top-eight rival Greater Western Sydney.

Contested possessions - Port Adelaide, 135.4 average; GWS, 139.3.

Clearances - Port Adelaide, 34; GWS, 37.4.

Centre clearances - Port Adelaide, 11.7; GWS, 11.8.

If the Champion Data numbers do not make a point, the team sheets certainly do with the talent Greater Western Sydney has in its midfield division - more so with the return, from COVID isolation, of Toby Greene.

This makes Lycett’s work at the ruck contests more critical with hit-outs to advantage vital for the Port Adelaide first-battery midfielders, Ollie Wines, Travis Boak, Karl Amon and Willem Drew.

Lycett will again work against GWS veteran Shane Mumford in a heavy duty duel of classic ruckmen.

The significant change from the last Port Adelaide-GWS clash - also at the Gold Coast more than a year ago - is Lycett’s support changing from Justin Westhoff and Charlie Dixon to Ladhams.

“It changes a lot,” Lycett said from Melbourne. “A lot can happen in 12 months. ‘Pisty’ is more of a ruckman than those two guys, so I am looking forward to working with him. 

“Mumford is a bash-and-crash player. He gave me a good one last year, whacking me in the back of the head once … so I do need to make sure I need to even up the score,” added Lycett who has found a new edge with his aggressive play this season.

“It is massive (to win the rucks this weekend); everyone knows the midfield GWS has - they are hard to stop, so we have to make sure they don’t get up and about. The ruck battle is a big part of that.”

Selection of the match 22 will be confirmed on Friday evening with the return of Orazio Fantasia (knee) already locked in.

“Orazio is a massive in,” said Lycett of the Essendon recruit who had corrective knee surgery during the mid-season bye. “Before he was out of the side he was our leading goalkicker, so he obviously knows where the goals are.

“He has proven to be quite a player in our line-up. Hopefully, he will build up match fitness in the next couple of weeks and get back to where he was before he was injured.”

Port Adelaide key forward Todd Marshall will play his 50th AFL game, charged with the confidence gained from his three-goal performance against Collingwood last Friday at the Docklands during Boak’s 300th match.

“Todd has been training pretty hard and it is good to see when you put the effort on the track that you get the reward,” Lycett said. “He has been doing that for most of the year. 

“Todd is a confidence player and kicking those goals and his work rate last week will do him the world of good. Hopefully, he can keep building off that game and have a big finish to the year.”

Almost four years have passed since Marshall made his AFL debut against the Western Bulldogs in round 22, 2017 at Ballarat.

The game against GWS will begin at 2.40pm SA time with Port Adelaide expected to travel to Queensland on the match day.

“We’re really embracing it,” Lycett said of the challenges imposed on the Port Adelaide players while they complete their second week on the road in Melbourne. “You adapt. We have won a lot of games in the past year and a half (while in hub settings).

“Our focus is to finish the home-and-away season in the top four. It is not on COVID and all the things we have to adapt to. It is about looking to the future. 

“We know this is a big game against GWS, we know they are a good team and they are up and about. 

“It will be one helluva long day (on Sunday) - leaving early in the morning from Melbourne to get to the Gold Coast and possibly finishing the day back in Adelaide. 

“I don’t mind it. You don’t want to do it every week, but we understand what we have to do to keep the game going with some sacrifices. We’re just looking forward to playing.”

Port Adelaide is seeking to return to Adelaide direct from Queensland to be back at base at Alberton to prepare for Showdown L at Adelaide Oval.