Port Adelaide captain Tom Jonas will remain in the reserves for another week despite coach Ken Hinkley saying the defender was best-on-ground in his recent SANFL appearance.
Jonas will spend a third-straight game with the Port Adelaide Magpies as the Power seek to extend their club record 10-game winning streak in a blockbuster clash with Geelong on Thursday night.
The 32-year-old has been a victim of Hinkley's ruthless approach to selection this year.
But dropping the captain has not backfired, with Port able to temporarily replace Collingwood on top of the ladder if they defeat the Cats.
Hinkley said he did not consider picking Jonas for the Geelong clash, despite the player's impressive performance in Port's win against Central District.
"Not this week, no ... we think the team's playing really well with the balance that we had," Hinkley said on Wednesday.
"He played really, really well in the SANFL last week. If anyone saw the SANFL last week, Tom was our best player.
"Tom's fine. The commentary around Tom I get, he's captain of the club.
"He knows exactly where he's at and knows exactly what the team's doing. He's quite proud of the team."
Hinkley confirmed Ryan Burton would be recalled for the injured Lachie Jones (jaw) after the former Hawthorn player was also surprisingly axed for last week's win against the Western Bulldogs.
Port's mid-season recruit Quinton Narkle is closing in on a debut for the club after starring with 33 possessions in the SANFL.
Hinkley said the former Geelong midfielder was close to selection but said Narkle was still adapting to Port's style of play.
Narkle played 41 games for the Cats from 2018 before he was delisted at the end of last season.
Geelong will head to the South Australian capital buoyed by the inclusion of captain Patrick Dangerfield, dual premiership veteran Mitch Duncan and speedy midfielder Max Holmes.
The Cats have struggled to find consistency in their premiership defence, but can take confidence after beating the Bulldogs to snap a three-game losing streak before their bye.
Geelong (6-6) sit ninth but will jump back inside the top-eight if they can end Port's winning streak.
Defender Oisin Mullin will miss the clash with the Power due to an adductor injury.
Geelong have infamously performed poorly after having a bye, but did rectify those issues last season.
"They are to bring in three high-quality players - at least three - fresh; it is going to be a challenge," Hinkley said of the Cats.
"It looks like they will have their best seven or eight forwards available for the first time this year."
