Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams refuses to dwell on it.

Lose to Brisbane Saturday night and Port will record their worst start to any AFL season, winless after four rounds.

A defeat won't leave Port's finals aspirations in tatters, but certainly fraying - yet Williams maintains the clash against the Lions at AAMI Stadium isn't more important than any other game.

"You have to win 13 (to make the finals), so it's not a must-win game," he said.

"Each game is the same for us, it's worth four points, it's really important to us but not any more or any less."

Williams declared influential onballer Shaun Burgoyne a certain starter against the Lions despite lingering ankle soreness.

Burgoyne's recovery will result in Port fielding an unchanged lineup against Brisbane, who have dropped Robert Copeland and Albert Proud and recalled Cheynee Stiller and Troy Selwood.

Williams gave no inkling that his patience was wearing thin with his underperforming players - notably 2007 sensation Justin Westhoff, who hasn't kicked a goal this year.

Compounding Westhoff's scoring impotence is the lean trot of fellow forwards Brett Ebert (three goals), captain Warren Tredrea (four goals) and Danyle Pearce (no goals).

"Everyone needs to perform," Williams said.

"We take probably a more long term view on our players and understand the inconsistencies of young players or players who had no pre-season.

"We take that into account knowing that if we stick with them and give them enough time, they'll come good."

But how much was enough time?

"It's very difficult answer to give that because every person deserves different lengths of time," he said.

Brisbane have notched just one victory this year, a two-point triumph against Collingwood, but Williams was wary of the Lions' midfield headed by Nigel Lappin, Luke Power and Simon Black.

"We're not going to shut them all down," Williams said.

"We're going to shut one or two and, depending on who's hot, we'll try and shut them down.

"But they'll be trying to shut down Shaun (Burgoyne) and Chad (Cornes.

"We won't underestimate any of them, we won't take our eye off any of them, but at the same time we'll be trying to play our own game."

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