Retired Port Adelaide great Michael Wilson's parting gift is to offer his struggling club something to play for against Collingwood on Friday night.

Wilson will make his official farewell to football prior to the game when he is conveyed around AAMI Stadium in an open-topped car, and is also expected to address Port's 22 before the first bounce.

Since round 13, when Power coach Mark Williams officially called off the race to the finals, the club has lurched from one on-field disaster to the next, and will be sorely in need of some motivation against a Magpie side still straining to make the top eight.

"Over the last couple of months where I haven't been playing, you're always looking for ways to motivate your teammates to get us back up onto the winner's list," Wilson said.

"Hopefully Friday night I can be a bit of an inspiration to people, and gee, whatever it takes to get them up and winning I'm willing to do."

Wilson said his pre-match address to the players would home in on the message that he carried with him for much of his injury-riddle career - play each game as if it is your last.

"The thing that occurred to me before I went out during the year was play it like it could be your last game," he said.

"It's been well documented that I had a lot of injuries and each game I addressed like it could be my last game, and that'll be probably the main theme of it."

Alongside Wilson was committed youngster Mitch Farmer, who has drawn Wilson comparisons with a pair of gritty displays in his first two games.

"Everybody's pretty pumped up about the farewell, not only just for Michael, we want to prove a point that we're not chokers and that we can win games," Farmer said.

"Coming over here and seeing the way he trained, the way he played and how hard he went at the ball I just looked up to that and thought `I want to be him when I grow up'."

Port's attendances have been far from healthy this year, leading Wilson to make a plea for supporters to show up on Friday - if only to help him enjoy his lap around the stadium.

"I hope people are there because it's going to be a very cold, lonely night if I'm riding around in the car and it's pouring with rain," he said.

"But the supporters and fans have been fantastic for our club all through history and it's a chance for me to say thanks to them."

Wilson scotched suggestions he was being lined up for an assistant coaching role with Port next year, but admitted to a desire to be employed in some capacity by the club in 2009.

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