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Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says Richmond still have a fear factor ahead of Thursday night's clash of the AFL clubs.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley describes playing Richmond at the MCG as a "scary proposition".
Hinkley is adamant the Tigers retain a fear factor forged from winning three flags from 2017 to 2020.
"They do," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"They're a fantastic football club and incredibly well coached.
"And they have got their personnel back, I think bar Tom Lynch, I'd say they're close to full strength.
"I would suggest everyone is watching Richmond at the moment and I have certainly been watching Richmond over the last two or three weeks very, very closely.
"And they're a scary proposition at the MCG. Your best is the only way you have got a chance."
The Power (12th - five wins, six losses) meet Richmond (10th - six wins, five losses) at the 'G on Thursday night in the opening challenge of a testing stretch for Hinkley's club.
After the Tigers, Port play Sydney, Gold Coast, Fremantle, GWS, Melbourne, Geelong, Collingwood and then Richmond again.
Hinkley said the next four weeks in particular was a "a real challenging little block".
"But ideally, and what we have done all the way through this year, is just stay focused on the next game and that is obviously Richmond tomorrow night," he said.
Port, rated pre-season as flag fancies, lost their initial five games but have since won five of their next six matches.
"We got some resilience when we didn't want it," he said of his club's 0-5 start.
"Because you have to. It's the only way through it, at 0-5 we had no choice but to stick to the course of each week and get better.
"Yeah, we have fought our way back.
"But I still don't sit here and get comfortable that from 0-5 it's a great result to get back to winning five or your next six.
"... We're still in the competition, that is what you do get some satisfaction out of, because you know how hard this competition is."
And Hinkley was demanding improvement in Port's contested possession output to continue their upward trend.
"Every team in the competition, when you drop off in any part of your game, it's quite simple, you have just got to keep working at it," he said.
"For us, we are not the only team in the competition when you get beat badly in contested possession you lose games.
"It's a pretty accurate stat."