Reilly will play his first game in almost eight months on Saturday when the Crows meet Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

Crows coach Brenton Sanderson says the Crows took extra precautions with Reilly, which delayed the 30-year-old's comeback.

"We just wanted to make sure for his own confidence that we avoided those situations where he put himself under unnecessary risks," Sanderson said.

"But he has said to me this week, and we have spoken to his surgeon, that shoulder is not going to pop out. They have really wound that tight."

Reilly's teammate Richard Douglas, who had surgery three weeks ago to stop bleeding in his groin, will also return to action in the Showdown.

Douglas copped a blow to the groin in Adelaide's last pre-season game and was initially expected to miss at least the first month of the premiership season.

"He is one of our nominated leaders but he also brings a lot of experience back into the side," Sanderson said.

"Along with Brent Reilly, there's about 325 games of AFL experience back into our team from last week.

"We can't get those guys better prepared. Douglas wouldn't have lost anything in those two weeks, so he'll be a really good inclusion for us as well."

Wary of Port Adelaide's ability to run the football from one end of the ground to the other, Sanderson said controlling the tempo was a pre-game focus. 

 

The Power enter the game as favourites on the back of an impressive first-up win against Carlton in round one, a victory that showcased the side's ability to run its opposition into the ground.

 

Sanderson said he didn't give the Crows much chance if the game turned into a shootout.

 

"This is a fit side, and Ken (Hinkley) said in his press conference post-game that you've got to pick runners against Port because at any time they can embarrass you with their ability to get outside the contest," Sanderson said.

 

"We've just got to stop the ball getting out to those guys

 

"We can't make it a game of basketball almost where it's just turnover, down one end, turnover, down the other end. Port probably wins that game against any team, let alone us.

 

"Our team defence and our ability to win the ball in contest situations needs to be at its peak."

Crowds flocked to Adelaide Oval on Friday morning for the final training sessions of both sides ahead of Saturday's Showdown, capping a build-up usually reserved for September.

 

Both Sanderson and his Power counterpart Ken Hinkley spoke of nerves on the eve of what promises to be an historic game for South Australian football.

 

Although the Power came home with vengeance in the final term against the Blues in the opening round of the season, their first quarter again proved troubling as they conceded four goals to one.

 

But Hinkley wasn't concerned by a slow start or change in momentum during a game as long as his side used the ball efficiently when in possession.

 

More importantly, he said, was what the Power did when it was the opposition's turn to control play.

 

"Our starts haven't been great, our finishes have been strong. Last year there were times where it was the opposite," Hinkley said.

 

"We've got to be damaging when we've got the ball, we've got to hold up really well defensively when we haven't got the ball, and that's the key message.

 

"How we're going to hold up when they've got the ball is more important to me than whether it's the first five minutes or whether it's the last five minutes."