PORT Adelaide is wary of returning Collingwood spearhead Travis Cloke, anticipating the key forward will be "desperate" in his return to senior football.
Cloke was dropped after the Magpies' round four loss to Melbourne following a lean start to season 2016 and has worked his way back through the VFL.
Along with forwards Mason Cox and Jesse White, Cloke's return means Collingwood will field an enormous triple-threat attack and Port coach Ken Hinkley was well aware of the danger a fired-up Cloke could present.
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"I would say that would be significant in Travis' mind that he would be out there to try and get his spot back," Hinkley said.
"He'll be desperate to play really well and we'll be desperate to restrict him and control him but it won't be just Travis.
"I'm sure he'll be up and about for the game."
The Power were dealt an injury blow this week with important defender Jack Hombsch ruled out of the clash with a hamstring strain.
Taking his place will be debutant Logan Austin, who faces an almighty task of trying to help stop the Magpies' big forwards.
But despite Sunday being his AFL debut, Austin will provide a huge presence in defence for the Power and at 198cm has the size to hold his own against the likes of Cloke, Cox and White.
Hinkley said while Austin had been eventually picked to cover the loss of Hombsch, it was not a desperate selection.
The 20-year-old's form has been good enough at SANFL level for some time to warrant AFL selection.
"He's been ready for a while to be honest. It's been a challenge for us to keep him at bay," Hinkley said.
"His form's been good enough to play, Hombschy and our back six have been holding him out ... the opportunity was presented to him through injury but it was well-earned."
"Even at training this year I've seen him go back with he flight a couple of times and big Charlie's (Dixon) cleaned him up a couple of times and made a bit of a mess of him. But he jumps to his feet and goes again – you just know he's going to be hard enough."
Sunday's clash shapes as an important game for the Power, who sit just a win out of the to eight without having hit top form this year.
Over the past month they've enjoyed two big wins over the Brisbane Lions and Melbourne and suffered two close losses, losing to Carlton by two points in round eight and to West Coast by eight points a week later.
Hinkley believed his side was slowly finding its feet.
"I think we've been building reasonably solidly for the past four or five weeks," he said.
"Bar that four or five minutes against Carlton – Carlton's form's OK ... we should have put that game away ... (a) strong performance against a quality side in West Coast where again we failed when we had opportunities and at least week we were able to play a good, strong four quarters."
