IT MIGHT be just a NAB Challenge match, but there will be no love lost when Port Adelaide tackles Fremantle at Hickinbotham Oval in Noarlunga on Saturday afternoon.

Games played between the two sides have been notoriously physical since Power premiership onballer Josh Carr left the club to go home to Western Australia to play alongside his brother, Matthew, at the Dockers.

Ruckman Brendon Lade said the hit-out against a near full-strength Fremantle would be a good final rehearsal before the round one clash with Geelong.

"Yeah it'll be good coming up against ‘Carry’ [Josh Carr] again - can't wait for that,” Lade said with a smile.

“There’s always a bit of niggle in our games and, obviously they don't like us and we probably don't like them, so its just one of those rivalries we've got and a game we love playing in.

“At the same time we've also got to be disciplined and not get in the melees and the fights and all that kind of stuff; we'll stay within the rules.”

Lade, who played his first pre-season game in the win over Collingwood last week, was one of a group of players at Alberton who have enjoyed modified pre-seasons.

But the All-Australian said the club’s senior players had been working just as hard as everyone else, despite having not played the first two games of the year.

"It’s probably not just myself, but three or four guys and Chad Cornes is one - we've been doing extra training, running, competitive drills, so match simulation stuff and we've been doing that for four or five weeks solid, so it was nice to play a game,” he said.

Lade played his junior career with South Adelaide and was looking forward to returning to the oval where it all began.

"Getting down to Noarlunga, back to the old stomping ground will be great,” he said.

“It’s supposed to get to 37 degrees so it'll be a bit of a test, but Fremantle will probably bring their best team over, and we'll put ours out there as well, so hopefully we can do a few more things we've been practising.”