KEN HINKLEY is going to finish the season - and his tenure at Port Adelaide - with as many questions on the club's needs answered across the remaining two AFL home-and-away matches.

"I used the term with the boys," says Hinkley, "we are going to crash the car we built. We are going to play like that. And that is what you should expect from us in the last couple of weeks.

"The way we want to play is very clear. We need to embrace that way."

The finish is Carlton at the Docklands in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon and Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval in a Friday night farewell for Hinkley and former captain Travis Boak.

And before the debate begins on just what Port Adelaide needs for a rebound in 2026, Hinkley dismisses the suggestion there is a lack of depth at Alberton. Rather, a change of luck with injury and illness will reveal the true state of the Port Adelaide squad being left to Josh Carr.

"With a healthy list for a large part of the season is important to any football club, Hinkley said. 

"If you get injuries, you have trouble. 

"Our list is more than okay. It is just a matter of it being healthy.

"There is optimism around Port Adelaide (for 2026) when you consider the challenges we have faced this year and the improvement we have seen this year. Mitch Georgiades has had an outstanding season; Berry and Whitlock playing; Ollie Lord last week in defence as a different role. Mani Liddy in his first season ... Will Lorenz last week showed further improvement. There is plenty of optimism. There is some upside coming."

THE FINISH: Non-finalist Carlton followed by finals contender Gold Coast offers differing backdrops for Port Adelaide's finish to a frustrating home-and-away season. But the approach remains the same in both games.

"Pride," says Hinkley has emerged as the character-defining gain from challenging opponents with more on the line, as was the case with finals-bound Fremantle at Adelaide Oval last week.

"Pride from the way you keep at things and sticking at it. We want to continue to play like a Port Adelaide footy team. We had a couple of games that were not near that level, but for our boys to respond and bounce back last week, sticking together was real credit to the boys and the way they went about it.

"It does give you more pride in your performance.

"We want to see great energy and effort. We have real clarity - we are going to stick at it together, we are going to play our way as well as we possibly can."

SELECTION: No Jack Lukosius (calf) nor Jase Burgoyne (ankle) for the finale, but Hinkley says "we have enough" to consider at selection this week.

"We have a good volume of players who are available," adds Hinkley who can delve into a confident SANFL group that has put itself into State league finals contention.

"There is a good opportunity for players to continue to develop and learn in the last couple of games at AFL level."

SET UP: Long-term planning and short-term needs might not always align, as could be highlighted by where the magnet lands on the whiteboard with Ollie Lord this week.

"We have to come up with the right side to take on Carlton," said Hinkley to emphasise the eagerness to win is not diluted by looking at 2026.

"Last week against Fremantle we had to deal with four tall (forwards) so it was easy (to assign Lord to defence)," Hinkley said. "Carlton might have two talls. 

"Ollie's development is really important wherever that is. Any game of AFL football he gets to play is a real positive step for us as a football club."

THE BLUES: Hinkley faces his former assistant Michael Voss as a rival again while Carlton deals with the same challenge - building momentum for 2026.

"It is really important to finish the season strong when you have had a disappointing season," Hinkley said. "It helps you build momentum into the next pre-season. For players that is important. For us as a football club it always has been important to play every game like there is a reason to improve.

"Carlton's form also is on the up."

Despite the long friendship with Voss - and speculation of a reunion next season at Carlton - Hinkley says the two coaches will not speak "until after the game; that is normal practice for us".

"We are both trying to get our teams looking for a couple of wins at the back end of the season," Hinkley said.

LUKOSIUS: Ruled out for the rest of the season - a cursed start at Port Adelaide - by a calf strain, Jack Lukosius is starting his preparation for 2026 with strong purpose. 

"Jack is resilient enough to get past this challenging year," Hinkley said. "His first year at Port Adelaide is not exactly like he would have liked. But there is some upside.

"When he has played, we feel we are a much better team. That is the positive for Jack - and he knows that.

"Jack will attack this off season and we look to what next year looks like for him."

Hinkley insists Lukosius was not rushed before time in his return from an earlier calf strain.

"Jack told me yesterday he did not feel it once until the incident," Hinkley said. "He made it to three-quarter time not feeling it. That sounds like a sound decision (to play). We did not take an unnecessary risk. He has had one of those years."

RIOLI: Specialist forward Willie Rioli returned to AFL action at the weekend after working his fitness at SANFL level.

"And he is happy to be out there," said Hinkley of the premiership forward who has faced big challenges off the field this season. "Willie is well, a bit fitter, he scored a couple of goals for us. He has had a positive goalscoring year for us - and that is why he is in our team. We look forward to him doing that again this week.

"Willie is keen to go again next year. The club supports Willie incredibly well too."

The clash with Carlton will start at the Docklands at 12.50pm on Saturday.