The Power's story will unfold as much off the field as on it, while a new management fights to take the club out of financial and supporter-base doldrums that registered an operating loss of almost $1.5 million last year.
On-field, the Power appear in good shape, with a young list speckled by enough established talent to threaten most rivals.
And the benefits of an extended pre-season are likely to provide them with a similar kick to their 6-1 start to 2007 – momentum that carried them all the way to the grand final.
Port Adelaide will be fitter this year, better skilled and also able to make use of the additional grit provided by the returned Josh Carr, a player whose value will not be adequately quantified by mere statistics.
Yet the off-field concerns of president Brett Duncanson, chief executive Mark Haysman and a whole host of new office and support staff will remain at the forefront of everyone's minds.
Coach Mark Williams had little hesitation labelling a grim financial scenario as the club's most pressing issue.
"Certainly financially we're facing huge issues," Williams told AAP.
"Over the last five years our money spent in football per win is No.1 in the AFL, so we're very frugal. We don't have much money to spend and we win a lot of games.
"[But] it has been shown in recent times that the teams who spend the most have the most chance of winning, so that says financially we have to get things on an even keel.
"Our supporters have to know that we are a team that's under the pump financially all the time and even in disappointing times in terms of win/loss, we need them. We need them more than ever right now."
Williams has worked to build trust with Haysman over the pre-season.
"Obviously our relationship is very important for the continuity of the club," Williams said.
"Having been here for this length of time I have a lot of knowledge of what's happened before and my intimate knowledge of a football club, team and department is based on a lot of experience.
"All of those things take time, it doesn't matter who you are.
"The new person who comes in hasn't actually been in this employment before, in this field. It's difficult for him because he has to rely on other people to give him opinions and then he chooses what he wants."
The appointment of Domenic Cassisi as captain was somewhat contentious because Williams' first two choices to succeed Warren Tredrea were Chad Cornes and Shaun Burgoyne.
But early in his reign, it has become clear that the respect carried by Cassisi will serve him well.
The addition of Carr will add spine to the midfield, but Williams and his match committee have resisted the urge to reshuffle by sending Cornes back to help marshal an inexperienced defence.
Cornes was All-Australian centre half-back in 2004, something Williams argued was only possible because of the dour men around him.
The back third will be left to grow around Alipate Carlile, while the central and forward areas will be flush with talent.
Zones, of course, will also play a part in the Power's fortunes, and Williams took on a grave visage as he described the challenge of the game's cluttered future.
"We might be the smartest coaches in the world with the way to unlock it, but the players have to execute it," he said.
"So if we make it that difficult, or they're just not capable of doing it, it's going to be a long, long winter."
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
