Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley confident no changes required ahead of Richmond clash

An unchanged Port Adelaide will take on Richmond with coach Ken Hinkley confident his players showed enough in the loss against Brisbane, despite plenty of players knocking on the selection door.

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Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has defended his trust in his players as the Power goes into its match unchanged from its loss against Brisbane at the Gabba when it faces Richmond at Adelaide Oval.

There are players knocking on the door, with Jack Trengove chalking up big numbers in the SANFL and Matthew Broadbent and Jarrod Lienert on the cusp of returning from injuries.

Brisbane recruit Sam Mayes is the club’s emergency this week and another who appears close.

Hinkley put the plainly: the loss withstanding, Port Adelaide is playing good enough football to put itself in winning positions.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley with Major General Matthew Hall and Port chief Keith Thomas on the HMAS Adelaide on Friday. Picture: Sarah Reed

“Our form’s been pretty consistent through the first three weeks of the season so we’re comfortable enough to know that the players we’re putting out there are giving us the opportunities to win,” Hinkley said.

“Even last week we put ourselves in a position where we perhaps could have won the game.

“We didn’t, but we know the team is very capable.”

But Hinkley said there had still been debate at the selection table.

And he expected more pressure to come from underneath in the weeks to come.

“There’s always temptation, good players are handy to have back in your side,” Hinkley said. “But ‘Lieno’ is coming back from a knee so we’re making sure we’re a little bit cautious.

“Same with ‘Broady’. We’ve got a couple of players who are just about ready to go and we’re just being very careful with them.”

Port's Jarrod Lienert in the SANFL against Port Adelaide last week. Picture: Matt Loxton

Port's Matthew Broadbent, tackling West’s Brett Turner, is on the verge of an AFL return. Picture Dean Martin

Hinkley also stood by those who had quiet nights in Queensland.

He said players needed to be given a level of trust even if they had a down game.

“Every game is hard and difficult for the players to play at their best; they’re never ever going to be able to do that for a whole season,” Hinkley said. “But it’s nice to know that the team as a whole is getting it done pretty well.”

Hinkley’s trust came as warned his players Richmond is still a league heavyweight despite being hit by suspension and injuries.

The Tigers are without a rollcall of stars for Saturday’s Adelaide Oval match against the Power, including its top four Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt, Alex Rance and Trent Cotchin.

Port Adelaide players during the Captain's Run at Adelaide Oval on Friday. Picture: AAP Image/Kelly Barnes

Premiership star Bachar Houli, who was named on Thursday night, will also sit out another week with a hamstring complaint.

Port Adelaide will start a raging favourite but Hinkley cautioned against reading too much into what the side looked like on paper.

“It’s really challenging for us because there’s some expectation on what Richmond has got and what we’ve got, “ Hinkley said.

“But I think if you look at it in the whole picture of things we’ve got some players missing, they’ve got some players missing.

“It never counts for too much once the game starts.

“We respect them as one of the great clubs of the competition.”