As Port Adelaide continues to experiment with ruck options in the face of form and injury, Jeremy Finlayson has proven to be a handy addition to the stocks. Images: AFL Photos.

COULD Port Adelaide promote its second untried ruckman for his AFL debut in the space of eight days - and work its fifth lead ruck in the span of 10 weeks?

Dante Visentini, the 202cm ruckman claimed with call No. 56 in last year's AFL national draft, could be following mid-season rookie draftee Brynn Teakle in answering a big challenge as the newest Port Adelaide lead ruckman.

As Port Adelaide prepares to counter in-form, 208cm Gold Coast ruckman Jarrod Witts while Teakle and experienced ruckman Scott Lycett are on the injury list after shoulder surgery, the options for Sunday's home match are -

RECALL 205cm Sam Hayes after a two-game absence,

MAINTAIN 196cm key forward Jeremy Finlayson - with support from Sam Powell-Pepper, Charlie Dixon and Todd Marshall - with the prospect of losing on hit-outs but winning on clearances (as was the case against Richmond) from Finlayson's strong follow-up work, or

TRY Visentini - after working Lycett, Hayes, Finlayson and Teakle as lead ruckmen across 13 AFL games this season.

09:15

Nathan Bassett press conference - 20 June 2022 | PTV

Forwards coach Nathan Bassett speaks to the media at Alberton Oval

"Dante, we've liked what we have seen," said Port Adelaide forwards coach Nathan Bassett at Alberton on Monday. "He is good fun to watch. He plays tough. He is a really good young learner ...

"Sam Hayes is in that equation too.

"Jeremy did a great job for us in the ruck with Sam (Powell-Pepper) supporting him again," added Bassett of Finlayson's work against former Port Adelaide ruckman Peter Ladhams on Saturday.

"It is very much about the follow-up work on the ground (rather than just the hit-out count). If the midfielders can do a good job limiting the direct hits - that give the opposition those hit-outs to advantage and get out the front of a stoppage - then the follow-up around the ball becomes really important.

"It is a combination of what the ruckman can do with his hit-outs - and what the (midfielders) can do on the ground ... and how the ruckman can support that."

Selecting the right ruckman to work against Witts is part of a great puzzle in dealing with a sound Gold Coast midfield that exposed Port Adelade in the pre-season game at Metricon Stadium. From stoppage, the Gold Coast midfielders created space and drive with very clean handball movements from the clearances.

This might make Finlayson - a keen competitor at ground level after he works in ruck contests - the favoured candidate for lead ruck while Port Adelaide seeks to extend a 12-game winning run against Gold Coast.

Jeremy Finlayson battles with Peter Ladhams in the ruck, winning 14 hit outs for the match. Image: AFL Photos.

"Our work around stoppage was very good at the weekend," Bassett said. "We can call on our most recent work to see where we are going in our work from contest to contest. It is something we are looking to coach all the time to improve. Gold Coast do have some players who are particularly good there - high draft picks do get you access to players who are generally very good midfielders.

"We are seeing growth in our midfielders - and newer faces there.

"Gold Coast has been a tough, solid side for a good month," Bassett noted of the 11th-ranked Queensland unit. "They have had a good run of footy. They have probably not played (as a finals contender) this late into a season for a good half dozen years; the back halves of their years have not been as strong. It looks like they are maturing as a team."

Teakle's promotion to AFL ranks - 15 days after he was drafted - was designed to keep Port Adelaide's forwards in attack to answer the need for more scoring power.

Port Adelaide's scoring average this season is 74 points. It has broken the watershed 100-point barrier just twice this season - 117 points against West Coast at Adelaide Oval in round 6 and 115 points against North Melbourne at Hobart in round 9.

Teakle's injury - and the impressive work by Finlayson in ruck - puts more focus on how Port Adelaide will find more scoring power.

"On Saturday, we hit 80 points halfway through the third quarter - and then you see fatigue kick in a little bit in our team," Bassett said. "We were seven goals in front and not needing to score a whole heap from there to win.

"We defended well as a team; maybe missed a couple of opportunities ... but the more the guys (Dixon, Finlayson, Marshall and Mitch Georgiades) play together, the better off they will be. We are still scoring enough to win those games.

"There is more growth in us. Playing Todd closer to goal helps. Charlie looks like he is moving better. (Half-back) Lachie Jones as a forward applied some great pressure and we got some nice punch out of stoppage, particularly through Connor Rozee and Ollie Wines played his best game for the year."

Usual suspect Ollie Wines dominated in the centre against Sydney, recording a game-high 34 disposals and ten clearances. Images: AFL Photos.

Marshall is in his best season since making his AFL debut in 2017 - and delivering extraordinary efficiency in attack with his scoring count at 27.7 in 13 games this season.

"Todd is improving; I really like his footwork and the way he moved at the weekend," Bassett said. "And the way he was able to instigate body contact on a very good player in Dane Rampe. He won some important contests. His finishing is pretty well seen and regarded all season - and that has been a big improvement for him.

"Todd is growing nicely as a player and is getting closer to being that very good forward we are looking for. People get described as 'confidence players' (a label put on Marshall) when they don't play well often enough. The good thing now is Todd is playing well often enough and hopefully he will keep playing well.

"We are trying to put Todd in more important positions. He gets better one-on-one contests closer to goal because he is winning more than his fair share. He is finishing his work. That is what you are looking for from the player playing closest to goal - and that is what Todd is offering us at the moment."

Todd Marshall kicked a game-high four majors, adding to his efficient goal tally of 27.7 for the year. Image: AFL Photos.

While Marshall is leading the conversion rate, fellow forward Georgiades has lost his once highly regarded routine for accurate goalkicking.

"Mitch made some good adjustments just before he went out of the AFL side and he had more opportunities to kick goals at SANFL level than he did at AFL at the weekend when he had just one shot (that was missed from long distance)," Bassett said. "I am not as concerned about the goalkicking from Mitch. He will turn that around. He was not quite dropping it straight when he went through that patch.

"It is more about his overall game - and there were some good signs at the weekend. There were a few too many free kicks against (particularly in marking contests) that hurt his game."

Port Adelaide's need for goals can be answered by greater output from the midfielders.

"We're not looking for huge change, but a little bit here and a little bit there will add up to something significant," Bassett said.

On the injury front, Port Adelaide will:

LOSE midfielder Zak Butters who on Monday afternoon had scans for his suspected medial ligament damage to his left knee.

MISS Teakle - who was in hospital soon after his exit at the 14th minute mark of the second term on Saturday - for six to eight weeks, by which time Lycett will be back in the AFL line-up.

Brynn Teakle will miss 6-8 weeks with a broken collarbone. Image: AFL Photos.

"People were excited with what they saw," Bassett said. "We have seen so little of him - even the week before he rucked just 30 per cent of the (SANFL) game (against Central District at Elizabeth Oval). His ability to run and follow up and take the ball cleanly, he has some nice enthusiasm around the footy club and he is great size.

"There is certainly a positive future for Brynn in footy. If you are over 200cm, enthusiastic and want to learn, there is a good chance you are going to be around for a while. He is all those things.

"We saw 35 minutes (on Saturday) and half an hour at Elizabeth, but he has been great to have around the club. He is a good young man and I am sure he will do well."

REGAIN former captain Travis Boak who has not reported any major issue from his absence through the COVID protocols.

"I imagine we will see Travis later this week (in time to do some training before Sunday's game)," Bassett said.

HOLD on specialist forward Robbie Gray who was running laps at Alberton Oval on Monday as he seeks to build fitness and confidence with his right knee that was injured in the season-opener against Brisbane at the Gabba.

 "We are having conversations with Rob along the way in terms of his fitness - and when he feels better to play again," Bassett said.

The round 15 match against Gold Coast begins at 3.40pm on Sunday. It is the first time the two teams have met at Adelaide Oval since May 2019 - and will be just the third Port Adelaide-Gold Coast match at the Oval.