Saints star Max King on cusp of long-awaited AFL return

While the Crows belted them when they were last in Adelaide for round one, the Saints have since beaten Geelong and Richmond.

Captain Jack Steele could return for Port after being a late withdrawal from the Richmond win with a knee problem.

And King, who hasn't played an AFL match since round 17 of the 2024 season, is closing on a return after knee surgery sidelined him in February.

"We think he'll keep pushing for next week. He's done a power of work," said coach Ross Lyon before Friday morning's training session.

But the Power are set to regain top midfielder Zak Butters. Tall utility Jeremy Finlayson, who mauled the Saints in a pre-season game, is another potential inclusion.

"That's their absolute one-wood," Lyon said of Butters and the rest of the Port midfield.

"They really got hold of us here, pre-season - we'd like to think we've learned some lessons and improved. They'll feel in the same boat.

"It's another opportunity to improve our footy, fundamentally.

"He (Finlayson) was very good down back that day, wasn't he - he's played well against us in the ruck and forward."

Lyon said a few players and staff would return to Melbourne next week for family reasons, but otherwise they would treat it as a normal week.

He is pleased with what the Saints have shown over the past fortnight.

"We're excited in the improvement of our youth - the continued development of (Mitch) Owens, Milera (Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera) and (Darcy) Wilson - and our senior players are in good form," he said.

"(Tobie) Travaglia's debut flew under the radar a little bit - 11 contested possessions. He was in the starting midfield.

"But we have heaps of work to do."

The Power have been inconsistent so far this season and Lyon has no doubt his counterpart Ken Hinkley will have them primed.

"Kenny's going to have them wound up, we have a lot of respect for Kenny," he said.

"We're looking forward to the battle - you feel sick, that's where you want to be, in the fight.

"But we want to enjoy the grind of trying to get better. That's the real challenge."

Meanwhile, Lyon has mixed feelings about this week's tribunal verdict, which upheld the three-game ban for Richmond's Rhyan Mansell.

The forward was banned after an AFL memo last month warning players against pushing opponents into marking contests.

Mansell was banned after an incident where St Kilda's Liam O'Connell was concussed, with Lyon feeling that his player was also trying to intercept the mark.

"It's on both parties there - I'm not super-comfortable with that decision," he said.

"I feel for Mansell."