FREMANTLE. Carlton. Gold Coast. The dance cards for Port Adelaide's final month of the 2025 AFL home-and-away season allow for Ken Hinkley's team to step on the toes of final aspirants.

More importantly, it sets up a month to build momentum - and new optimism - for a new era under Josh Carr in 2026.

"We have spoken this week of the importance of being a club that shows some real energy going into a new season," Hinkley said at Alberton on Wednesday as preparations continue for Saturday night's home fixture against Fremantle.

"There is freshness coming into the footy club. You can let the disappointment of this year become overbearing that it then turns one poor season into another. 

"That won't happen here. Our team will recover from injury, it will recover with the freshness from Josh. That is important for us to get some momentum going into the pre-season break.

"I expect this footy club to be really strong and a really good team in the AFL next year. I can see this group - fit and healthy and with newness at the club - bouncing pretty quick."

INJURY LIST: It takes the versatile Jase Burgoyne (ankle) and ruckman Ivan Soldo (concussion). It releases key forward Jack Lukosius (calf) and captain Connor Rozee (illness).

Burgoyne might not be part of the August push for momentum to 2026.

"It is not that bad (an ankle injury), but it is bad enough that he may not play again this year," Hinkley said. "It is minor, but it might need some intervention to fix."

Port Adelaide already has put Miles Bergman (shoulder) into surgery to ensure the midfielder-defender is best prepared for 2026. The same might apply with Burgoyne.

"And that would give us our 19th surgery for the year," noted Hinkley.

Lukosius' return could force first-game forward Jack Whitlock to return to the SANFL.

"Jack (Lukosius) has had a challenging year (with injury), but he is optimistic of playing well - and having an impact - in the final three games," Hinkley said. "His energy and want to play in the next three weeks is incredibly high. He has had to deal with disappointment, but what he can control now is how he plays for the next three weeks - and he is positive about that.

"Jack Whitlock had a great experience in his first game. With Lukosius returning, there is a chance Jack (Whitlock) could return to the SANFL. If need be, we can keep him in the AFL. Every experience he gets is a positive one."

ANCHOR DROPPED: Fremantle won first of these double-up games in Perth in round 11 when both clubs were seeking to be top-eight contenders. The return bout at Adelaide Oval has Port Adelaide out of contention for September, but still capable of influencing the shape of the final eight.

"Across the past five to six weeks we have faced each week one of the very good teams of the competition," Hinkley said. "We are at Adelaide Oval, we are in front of our crowd and if we get our game going a little bit we know our best footy - as we saw last week in the first quarter against Geelong - that we can match it.

"Clearly we have to do it for longer ...

"We now give ourselves a great opportunity to cause some disruption to Fremantle."

FINDING MORE: Port Adelaide's recent collapses in the Showdown and at Kardinia Park on Sunday challenge its players to find more when the scoreboard starts to work against the team.

"Our young players learn more each week," said Hinkley. "Joe Berry last week showed some positive stuff. You see growth. Now he has the opportunity to do it for a bit longer. Get two or three younger players learning more and more each week - first-year players such as Will Lorenz and Mani Liddy, you will be surprised how much they learn week after week."

BOAK'S FAREWELL: Former captain - and future Hall of Famer - Travis Boak will play his last two games at Adelaide Oval with emotion building inside and outside the field as team-mates and fans acknowledge his enormous contribution to the Port Adelaide Football Club since 2007.

"Our players will be doing everything to represent Travis in the right possible way," Hinkley said. "In the last round (against Gold Coast) there will be more to it. 

"Trav is looking forward to the opportunity in his last three games. Hopefully, there are moments in these games that we can celebrate with Trav. They are nice moments."

HOT BUTTERS: After being held to 10 possessions with a tight tag, Port Adelaide midfielder Zak Butters will again face the challenge of a shadow from Fremantle.

"Zak has had these challenges over the last couple of years," Hinkley said. "Any time he has a game like last week he has a big response. I expect that is what we will get from Zak this week. Like a young player learning, an elite midfielder will get tagged consistently - and they become more adaptable. They understand the challenge. They understand it is an opportunity to get better."

KEN'S OATH: As the "what next" question gets more meaningful with a coaching vacancy at Melbourne, Hinkley remains firm in his focus at Port Adelaide.

"My concentration will remain at Port Adelaide," Hinkley said. "I will not get drawn into anything other than helping these boys (at Port Adelaide)."

The match at Adelaide Oval begins at 7.40pm with special offers to celebrate Travis Boak's final appearances as a Port Adelaide player.