PUTTING the nail in Adelaide's season is of little concern to Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley heading into Showdown 45 at Adelaide Oval.
The Crows' already slim finals hopes – needing to win all four remaining games while hoping other results fall their way – will be extinguished if they lose to their cross-town rivals in Saturday's sold-out encounter.
More pressing to the fourth-placed Power (12-6) is the opportunity to keep themselves in the top four and avoid sliding down a congested ladder, with ninth-placed Sydney just four points in arrears.
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"Not one little bit (of extra motivation)," Hinkley said of ending Adelaide's finals chances.
"For us, we need to win. It's a massive game, let's not make any bones.
"We could be fourth, or we could be ninth or 10th. It could all turn on its head in one game."
Both sides will go in as selected after getting through their respective captain's run training sessions on Friday morning.
Crows' NAB AFL Rising Star contender Tom Doedee (concussion) and veteran winger David Mackay (ribs) were cleared to return after getting through a light Adelaide Oval run.
The Power trained indoors at Alberton Oval to avoid the wet and windy conditions, which are also expected come game time, but still a vast improvement on the arctic chill emanating from last Sunday's 44-point win against the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat.
"Nothing will prepare us for what Ballarat prepared us for," Hinkley said.
"It was quite different, not so much the wind, but the temperature was the biggest factor for us.
"At times it was minus-one, minus-two in the last quarter."
The Crows will be boosted by the return of dynamic half-back flanker Brodie Smith for his first senior game in 11 months after rupturing his ACL in last year's qualifying final against Greater Western Sydney.
"It's fair to say he penciled in the Showdown," Crows coach Don Pyke said.
"He's hit every marker and finds himself out here tomorrow.
"When we announced it (his comeback) the other day, you could feel the group was really happy for Brodie, and he's a well-liked player in the group.
"They'll probably feel better about themselves maybe tomorrow, but I don't know if it will be the difference.
"It'll be good to have Brodie back out, he's a good player."
Pyke dismissed a report on Channel Seven Adelaide earlier in the week that midfielder Bryce Gibbs – who will play his 250th game on Saturday – was on the cusp of being dropped.
"Everyone works on areas they need to improve, but I'm not sure where that's come from," Pyke said.
The overall Showdown ledger is 22-all after the Power's thrilling five-point win in round eight ended a streak of five straight Crows victories.
The Power go in as favourites, but Hinkley said that doesn't change his team's mindset.
"Don and I both know that Showdowns, more often than not, are tight and tough and they're a toss of the coin regardless of ladder position," Hinkley said.
"We don't expect it to be any different, whether we won the last Showdown or lost the previous five."
