With the AFL minor premiership within touching distance, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is imploring his players to maintain their form across their remaining three regular-season games.

The Power are two points clear of Richmond, with games against North Melbourne on Saturday at Metricon Stadium, then Essendon and Collingwood to come.

Hinkley is yet to settle on a “lock-in” best 22 and says the upcoming games will help assess his team’s best make-up leading into finals.

“At the start of the year we set out about wanting to become a side that was going to be capable of challenging and right now we’ve put ourselves in a position where we’ve earned that opportunity,” Hinkley said on Friday.

“We’ve got to make sure we play really well; let’s just play well tomorrow and then we’ll worry about the week after.

“But we’ve got to keep playing well because the competition is so tight.”

Hinkley was wary of North, who have lost five games on the bounce, including a heavy loss to Gold Coast last Sunday.

The Power also copped an 86-point hiding from the Kangaroos late last year.

“We’ve got some pretty terrible memories of what North did to us last year late in the season and we respect their club and the way they play,” Hinkley said.

“I know Rhyce (Shaw) … we should expect a pretty angry and fired-up North Melbourne I suspect.

“We’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to play for and we’ve got to make sure we match that and get above them.”

Port recalled Dan Houston from his COVID-19 protocol breach suspension, Kane Farrell and Steven Motlop, with Justin Westhoff, Riley Bonner and Brad Ebert making way.

Former Power winger Jared Polec will return for North Melbourne after missing the past three games, having found form through scratch matches.

Polec’s omission – he was also dropped for round nine – has prompted trade speculation but Shaw said the 27-year-old was an “asset” to his side.

“Jared’s contracted to the North Melbourne footy club so that’s where it stands, I don’t see any reason to think otherwise,” Shaw said.

“Jared’s had a bad patch of form, he’s been out of the side and now he’s back in the side, so that’s where it sits for me.

“I’m really pleased because Jared makes us better, and he’s going to get that opportunity to show it this week.”

The Kangaroos will also welcome back skipper Jack Ziebell, while Flynn Perez will make his AFL debut.