Port face venue demons and Saints: Hinkley

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says he has summoned more leg speed into his side to play St Kilda in a bid to break his AFL club's Etihad Stadium hoodoo.

Coach Ken Hinkley says Port Adelaide will play their Etihad Stadium demons as much as St Kilda in Saturday night's AFL match.

Port have lost their past eight games at the venue - their longest losing streak at any ground - and the roofed stadium looms large in Hinkley's selection against the Saints.

Hinkley purposely summoned players with renowned leg speed, recalling Kane Mitchell and Sam Colquhoun at the expense of plodders Matt Thomas and Tom Logan.

"We considered the venue a little bit more and got some genuine run into our side," Hinkley told reporters in Adelaide on Friday.

"We have played okay there this year against two reasonable sides ... but there is a difference between okay and winning - and we need to be able to win there."

The Power have suffered defeats to Essendon and Carlton at Etihad Stadium this season, a ground conducive to fast ball movement which makes defence tough.

"Etihad is a venue which is really much harder to defend on because the ball moves quite a bit quicker," he said.

"We need to defend really hard and we haven't been able to figure that out as well as we would like to over there."

Port, clinging to eighth place, also recalled utility Justin Westhoff from suspension while losing Kane Cornes to a one-match ban while the Saints also made three changes - dropping Terry Milera and Brodie Murdoch while losing Jarryn Geary to a leg injury.

St Kilda replaced the trio with Jimmy Webster, Tom Simpkin and debutant Tom Curren in what will be goalsneak Stephen Milne's second match back following a two-week absence after being charged with rape.

While Milne's presence has polarised fans, Hinkley said he wouldn't make mention to his players of Milne's criminal charges.

"We have got a respectful group, I reckon, and they will let due process take care of whatever has to happen for him," Hinkley said.

"We are out there to play football against the St Kilda Football Club and Stephen Milne is a part of their team and we'll treat him as a footballer."

Port will carry favouritism against the 16th-placed Saints, who have won just three games this season - but Hinkley said despite Port's significant improvement, the game was a line-ball fixture.

"No doubt we have made some steps forward as a football club this year," he said.

"But they disappear quick - that is what happens if you don't turn up to play again this week,. It does disappear."


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Source: AAP


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