PORT Adelaide coach Mark Williams says a starting role against Fremantle at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night might have helped put the career of premiership player Josh Carr back on track.

Carr, 29, played with North Adelaide reserves last week and was only recalled to the Power line-up when midfield pair Chad Cornes and Matt Thomas succumbed to injury.

On Saturday night, Carr – who left Fremantle at the end of last season – played like a man living on borrowed time, gathering 21 disposals (nine contested), five marks and laying five tackles.

Williams said Carr’s game against his former side was more what he hoped from the niggly West Australian.

"He (Carr) waltzed into my office during the week and talked about how he hadn’t started on the ground once this season. He thought he needed that sort of pressure on him," Williams said after the game.

"I nailed him before the start of the game [and said], 'You better make the most of this opportunity'. He knew what the stakes were and it was good that he delivered."

Williams also praised the form of defenders Toby Thurstans and Troy Chaplin and forward Justin Westhoff.

Westhoff, who hadn’t played football at any level since breaking his foot against West Coast in round two, was a late replacement for livewire Robbie Gray.

The lanky 22-year-old finished with 16 possessions, 10 marks and two goals.

"Justin Westhoff was a key to our game coming back in having missed eight weeks. It was a brilliant return for him," Williams said.

"We were really unsure as to who was going to play and who wasn’t. In fact if it had been pouring with rain Justin wouldn’t have played. We weren’t too underhanded, that’s for sure."

Gray is expected to be available next week along with enigmatic forward Daniel Motlop, who has missed two weeks with an ankle injury.

However, the Power will be without young midfielder Travis Boak, who strained his medial ligament in the game, for up to six weeks.

Hamish Hartlett (hamstring) is also likely to miss another week.

The 24-point win over Fremantle should see the Power move back into the top eight and Williams said the victory was an important one in the context of his side’s season.

"Obviously, having lost the last two there was a bit of pressure on everyone and I thought the players really delivered on their efforts,” he said.

"We’re in amongst the group [on the premiership ladder]. We’ve got some massive games coming up in Darwin and down in Geelong and we knew that this period of time would be difficult for us."