PORT ADELAIDE defender Troy Chaplin says the Power will use this week’s ‘bye’ weekend to help prepare for the tough month of footy ahead.

The Power claimed their third successive win on Sunday night and jumped three spots on the AFL ladder to sit just outside of the eight, in ninth place.

Just one game, the Hall of Fame tribute match, will be played this weekend, giving the majority of the playing group a chance to freshen up before the round eight clash with the unbeaten Hawks in Launceston.

“I think the break is well deserved,” Chaplin said.

“It’s going to be a solid week on the track still but the weekend off is something we’ll really look forward to.

“We’ll use the time to get some extra run into our legs. We’ll probably do a bit of extra running, which is good because in the coming weeks we’ve got some solid games against Hawthorn and Sydney.

“It’s going to be a tough three weeks after the break, but it’s something we look forward to and it’s all going to start on the track.

“We’ll try and get a bit of extra fitness in so we can run out those games.”

Port Adelaide booted 24 goals on its way to a 64-point demolition of Essendon at the Telstra Dome, but perhaps the most promising sign for the Power forward line was the return of their trademark pressure.

Seven-goal star Daniel Motlop combined with Justin Westhoff to lay nine tackles, which directly translated into Port Adelaide goals.

“A lot of people talk about Motts’ [Motlop’s] marks and the goals he kicks, but his ability to chase and put pressure on the defence is unbelievable,” Chaplin said.

“It’s hard enough playing here against him out here at training, so I can imagine what it’s like for the opposition. Westy’s chasing was unbelievable in the first quarter too - it really got us going.

“It really was a good effort from the forwards yesterday.”

Motlop’s return of 7.2 was the highest of any Port Adelaide player since skipper Warren Tredrea achieved the same scorecard in round 11, 2003.

“Motts is one of those players who can just turn it on,” Chaplin said.

“I had a go at him yesterday because he was making a mockery of everyone else.

“He dropped a chest mark and then did a 360 to kick the goal. It was just his day and it was great for him. He’s got that confidence and Choco rewarded him with a place in the Dream Team.

“It’s fully deserved. The guy works so hard and he covers so much ground in the game with his forward pressure and chases.”

The Power, having disposed of St Kilda and cellar-dwellers Essendon and West Coast, are determined to strut their stuff against top teams Hawthorn and Sydney in the coming weeks.

“We didn’t start the year too well, but the last three games have been fantastic and we’ve played four quarters of footy,” Chaplin said.

“In saying that, we’ve got a really good challenge ahead of us in Hawthorn. They haven’t lost a game, have looked awesome all year and, along with Geelong, are the team to beat.

“We had a close one against Geelong in round one, which a few of us thought we should’ve won. We’ve got a good record in Tasmania and we look forward to playing the good sides - that’s what we pride ourselves on - our performance against good sides.”