Out of contract Port Adelaide veteran Peter Burgoyne will hold a "gold pass" for the rest of the AFL season as he seeks to prove he deserves to stay at the Power.

On current form, exemplified by a string of horrid blunders in the Power's 31-point loss to Collingwood on Friday night, Burgoyne's often outstanding 223-game AFL career should probably be at an end.

In 2008 he has been wayward off the field, earning a ban for turning up to training in "an unfit manner", while also suffering from hamstring problems and faltering levels of skill and confidence on it.

At 30, and with Port heralding a significant list clean-out at year's end, his days appear numbered - but Power coach Mark Williams said Burgoyne would be given more opportunities than most to prove he should be on the list in 2009.

This extends to keeping him in the Power's 22 for the remaining two weeks of the season, despite the fact there are a host of others - Adam Thomson and Greg Bentley among them - clamouring for a last chance.

"(Burgoyne) is fully aware that we want to see something from him before the end of the year and him playing well in the SANFL isn't going to prove anything to us," Williams said.

"There's probably no one out there on the field that can do the things Peter can do.

"We'd rather spend time with a player like that rather than one that might never be capable of reaching those heights - that's our justification of it.

"If we can get Peter Burgoyne up and running before the end of the year, it will be great for Port Adelaide next year.

"We're just trying to learn that he's willing, able and wanting to play football for Port Adelaide.

"We've put it on him that we want to see something.

"His training has really picked up over the last couple of weeks and tonight was better than it has been and that's a fact.

"He made some massive blunders that caused goals to be kicked against us (by Collingwood), but we can see his effort.

"He's into the game and he wants to be here next year. I know that for a fact."

Earlier this year it had emerged that Burgoyne was seeking a contract more generous than the club was willing to offer, but at the current rate he is likely to accept anything.

The Power's search for 10 players to delist has meanwhile been made somewhat simpler by the off-field indiscretions of young tall Adam Cockshell.

Having made his debut early last year, Cockshell has wandered around in the SANFL ever since, and has now been banished from the Power for a series of off-field indiscretions.

He will finish the year at local club Norwood and then more than likely be off Port's list.

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