PORT Adelaide has summoned midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper for his first AFL game of the season as they enter "battle mode" against Brisbane.

Powell-Pepper, who took time away from the club for personal reasons, replaces ex-skipper Travis Boak (thigh) for Saturday night's clash against the Lions in Brisbane.

"It's disappointing to have Trav out but it's exciting to have Sam back in the side because we know he brings a different element," Power coach Ken Hinkley told reporters on Friday.

"Sam, the important part was to get himself in a good physical and mental health state - for him to get himself organised and be right and put himself on some really solid, stable ground was important.

"His footy was always going to be pretty simple, Sam plays footy pretty well when he is right.

"So once he got everything else under control, and we gave him the time to do that ... Sam has come back in a really good space.

"He has got great support of his teammates and we look forward to him supplying some of that support back to the team tomorrow night."

The Gabba fixture pits last year's two losing preliminary finalists against each other with Hinkley undaunted by forecasts of heavy rain in Brisbane.

"A physical battle, that is what it becomes - a physical battle and a mental battle," he said of the likely wet weather.

"We're capable of that and I'm sure Brisbane are capable of that too.

"We have just got to go into battle mode ... and we do that and we're capable of doing that, it (weather) won't worry us."

Port sits in third spot with just one loss ahead of the away match against the eighth-placed Lions, who will be without Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale because of an ankle injury.

But the Power haven't beaten Brisbane in their past three meetings.

"They're an outstanding team, a prelim final team like us last year," Hinkley said.

"It's going to be a great battle. We haven't beaten them for a while, they have been too good for us, too strong for us at times."