Port coach vows not to fall for top Cat's trickery

Scott is a modern master of AFL coaching, renowned for shrewd tactics that can mess with a rival's plans.

"We would rather play our game," Hinkley said ahead of the opening fixture of the AFL finals.

"If you watch them play, they do have a lot of tricks that they throw around at you.

"So we're going to make sure we do our best and not get distracted by it."

Top Cat Chris Scott is renowned as a master of modern coaching. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

Scott is the most experienced coach in these AFL finals with 13 wins, 15 losses and two premierships.

The top Cat has an 11-4 win-loss record against Hinkley, but the Power coach has won the past two clashes in the play-offs, in the 2021 and 2020 qualifying finals.

Scott this season has tinkered with team, including trump cards Jeremy Cameron and Tom Stewart.

The former has spent long periods roaming far upfield from his customary forward spot; the latter has been redeployed in the midfield instead of his usual defensive post.

Just how Scott uses the two greats will fascinate pundits but won't faze Hinkley.

"We don't singularly worry too much about any individual," said the 57-year-old, who has won five of his dozen finals as Power coach.

"We can't afford to do that because Geelong have got great flexibility in their team, they throw them around everywhere.

"So we won't go in there worrying too much around what their players will and won't do.

"We will have plans in place for certain parts of our game that we need to make sure we're right, and if that involves some of their players, we will take care of that.

"We can't determine where Geelong put their players. We have just got to put our players in the right spot."

Scott named an unchanged side but has a reputation for swinging late changes. Gary Rohan, Sam De Koning and Oisin Mullin have been named as emergencies.

Port recalled Charlie Dixon - he missed the last minor-round game because of illness - and Quinton Narkle to replace half-back Kane Farrell (hamstring) and ruckman Dante Visentini, who was dropped.

The finals continue on Friday night when the Western Bulldogs meet Hawthorn in an elimination final.

On Saturday afternoon, table-toppers Sydney host home-town rivals GWS in a qualifying final at the SCG, before Brisbane host Carlton at the Gabba in a night-time elimination final.