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AAP
AAP
Steve Larkin

Stalwart Boak tipped to return for confident Port

Travis Boak should be fit to return from injury for Port Adelaide in the big match with Collingwood. (Morgan Hancock/AAP PHOTOS)

Port Adelaide stalwart Travis Boak is tipped to return from injury for his club's highly-anticipated clash against Collingwood, coach Ken Hinkley says.

Boak missed Port's comeback three-point win over Fremantle on Saturday night at Adelaide Oval because of a back injury.

But Hinkley expects the veteran to be available for the MCG encounter next Saturday against the reigning premiers - a game which already excites the coach.

"The reigning premiers at the MCG in front of about 70,000 Magpie supporters - it will be good," Hinkley said after Port's 9.12 (66) to 9.9 (63) win over the Dockers.

"I look forward to it. 

"Playing against good teams at the MCG, we love the opportunity to go there and we take the challenge on head-first."

The Power, in second spot with a 4-1 record, meet the Pies with growing confidence after a gritty triumph over Freo by kicking the last two goals to snatch victory.

"You don't add them up by whether they're pretty or ugly - you add them up," Hinkley said.

"We do our scenario training through the week coming up against Fremantle and we practice the close finish because we know the close finishes, more often than not, are going to happen against Fremantle.

"We didn't get it perfect. But we got a lot of things right in that last bit."

The Dockers (seventh, 3-2) depart Adelaide with a pair of narrow losses - by 10 points to Carlton in a Gather Round game in Adelaide, and to Port.

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir had "mixed emotions" about his club's Adelaide stint.

"To go home from Adelaide being in front in both games with probably three or four minutes to go, yeah, it's flattening," Longmuir said.

"But I think our belief should have built in the last two weeks.

"We played two really good sides and mixed it with them really well and pushed them all the way.

"We just need to make sure we keep learning from it.

"In the back-end of both games we have lost too many critical moments."

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