PORT Adelaide vice-captain Kane Cornes says his side will be going 'flat out' against SANFL clubs Port Magpies and Sturt at Alberton Oval on Saturday afternoon.

The Power will play six 20-minute periods against the young line-ups and Cornes is expecting a physical encounter.

"We played a Sturt side a couple of years ago and they were competitive," he said on Wednesday. "The SANFL is great to watch and they play a different style to what we do in the AFL – really physical and hard at the footy, and that’s the main thing we’ll be expecting.

"Everyone here is pretty competitive. Once you get into real games and even at training going up against each other, as soon as there is opposition there it adds a different dimension.

"We all work together as a team instead of against each other."

Cornes will be one of 40 players to rotate through the Port Adelaide bench with Josh Carr, Shaun Burgoyne, Hamish Hartlett and Jackson Trengove the only players ruled out of Saturday's clash.

Burgoyne experienced some soreness after last weekend’s appearance for the Indigenous All-Stars in Darwin while draftees Harlett (shoulder reconstruction) and Trengove (knee) are still recovering from their injuries.

Cornes said the hit-out was a great opportunity to prepare for next weekend’s NAB Cup opener against the Swans in Canberra.

"It’s been a long pre-season and this time of the year is exciting. The training format has changed during the week and all we’re doing is preparing for games," he said.

"We’ve been training pretty hard, but you need to get yourself back into that game mode and make sure you’re hardened for proper games."

Coach Mark Williams said it had been a 'nightmare' trying to plan for 40 players in the rotations, but is looking forward to a strong showing from a variety of different players.

"In the first and fourth quarters, we’ll start with a real top line side for the first 10 or 15 minutes and then we’ll start to rotate," he said.

"Some of the players will play five quarters and Ebo (Brett Ebert) will only play two. Everyone else will play somewhere in between," Williams said.

"I’m thinking there will be great development in a lot of the players this season. Some seasoned players, who were injured at the end of last year like Chad (Cornes), want to get started. He’s ready to go and wants to get right back into his top form.

"Brendon Lade also had an indifferent year [in 2008]. He wants to get back to top form and looks great out on the track.

"Then there’s the development of players like Travis Boak, Justin Westhoff and Nick Salter. We’ve seen some really good things there and I think Marlon Motlop, Nathan Krakouer and those guys are going to shine a lot more than they have in the past as well.

"It should be great and with our new leadership group leading the way, the dynamics will be good for us."

Entry to Saturday's family day is a gold-coin donation for non-members of the three clubs. Those funds will then be forwarded to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal.

The game against Sturt kicks off at 4pm with the clash against the Magpies to follow at 5.15pm.