PORT Adelaide's footy boss says Adelaide's jealousy of his club is a factor in the bitter rivalry between the AFL foes.

But the Power's football manager Chris Davies says his club's dislike of the Crows runs much deeper.

Ahead of Saturday night's clash of the South Australian clubs, Davis has given Port players a history lesson which he says is the core of Port's dislike of Adelaide.

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It dates back to 1990 when Port, a SANFL powerhouse, attempted to join the AFL - a failed bid which backfired and created the Crows.

Then, the 10 SANFL clubs including Port agreed that any South Australian entry to the national AFL would be overseen by SANFL hierarchy.

But Port secretly negotiated to join the AFL - when the other SANFL clubs found out, they took court action and blocked that bid.

Instead, the SANFL formed the Crows, who joined the AFL for the 1991 season.

Davies says Adelaide's reasons for disliking Port differ from his club's view on the rivalry.

"Their position is largely around being cross-town rivals and a whole heap of professional jealousy around what our club has been able to achieve over time," Davies told SEN on Friday.

"Whereas our meaning for disliking the Adelaide footy club is a little bit deeper.

"And that is largely my responsibility in this week, is to make sure that our players get an understanding of ... why we dislike Adelaide."

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Port entered the AFL in 1997 when a second licence was offered to SA, but only succeeded after other SANFL clubs also made bids to join the national competition.

"Our challenge this week has been ...to make sure our people know what the history is because we certainly don't want it to die with generations into the future," Davies said.

"We get that there is rivalry and there's neighbour versus neighbour and it splits families into who supports Adelaide and who supports Port Adelaide.

"I don't just want to turn around and say to our players that the rivalry exists between Adelaide and Port Adelaide and leave it at thinking that we only dislike what their clubs stands for on the basis of geographics.

"There's is a whole heap of deeper meaning."