Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley expects to discover if his AFL ladder leaders are genuine premiership contenders.

The Power meet reigning premier Richmond at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night with Hinkley in no doubt about the significance of the clash.

“They (Richmond) are the champs, let’s be honest,” Hinkley told reporters on Friday.

“They are the team everyone is trying to beat.

“We know nothing short of our absolute best is going to get the job done.

“We have got to be right up for this game and I think we’re ready to have a crack at it.”

Hinkley said the fixture would demonstrate whether Port’s daring style, which has returned eight wins and just two losses this season, could hold up against the best in the business.

“We are going to play our game, we are going to challenge them as best we possibly can,” he said.

“We need to find out against the best team in the competition over the last three years – and this is a great test.

“That is the challenge of any team when you’re trying to become a good team, you have to be able to stick to what you do.

“The teams that have been at the top along with Richmond – West Coast and Geelong, those types of teams – they just play their style.

“And we are going to try and play our style as much as we can.

“We’re not ignorant to the opposition though, we have to understand what they bring. But our challenge is to play our game.”

Hinkley will deploy two ruckmen against the Tigers, with Scott Lycett returning from a knee injury to partner the emerging Peter Ladhams.

Defender Jarrod Lienert will replace suspended backman Sam Mayes, with utility Justin Westhoff dropped.