Port Adelaide centreman Peter Burgoyne has been given the chance to revive his flagging AFL career after his recall for Sunday's pivotal encounter with Carlton at AAMI Stadium.

Burgoyne was demoted to the SANFL following a poor performance against Melbourne in round 15, which followed an extended run of mediocre games.

However he has shown signs of his old self in the past two weeks with Port Adelaide Magpies. Power coach Mark Williams said he believed Burgoyne, 31, could be a key performer as he seeks to outflank a white-hot Blues midfield.

Port must find a way to get out of the boom and bust cycle that has enveloped them this season, though on the form of the year last week's humiliating loss to Fremantle, the Power are suitably on edge for the Blues.

Joining Burgoyne in the side are Josh Carr - for his 200th game - Brett Ebert and Steven Salopek.

"He has had 30 (possessions) the last couple of weeks and we didn't play well last week," Williams said.

"We'd like to think Peter at his best is a fantastic player for us. We'd like to think he has still got it in him and it'll certainly be on him to show it.

"In his 13- to 14-year career he has never really been dropped, so to handle that disappointment is one thing, get over it and then get back on to showing the things he's always done over his career, winning clearances, chasing hard, tackling hard and hitting targets, so (improved form) would involve all those things.

"I've always thought it would take two to three weeks and at the end of that time we actually beat Hawthorn and looked pretty good and wanted to give our players the confidence that `yep we'll go with an unchanged line-up', but that backfired."

Williams said self-doubt had weighed heavily on Burgoyne's mind in the time leading up to his omission, meaning it was somewhat cathartic when he did actually turn out for the Magpies in local league games.

On the coaching front, Williams said it was now highly unlikely that experienced assistant Damien Hardwick would be at Alberton next year, given his desire for a senior job and the ongoing vacancies at Richmond and North Melbourne.

"The club has talked to Damien already and he's very qualified for that position, we'd love him at Port Adelaide," Williams said.

"So if the opportunity arose that would be great, but I'm thinking he's looking at senior coaching positions right now and, currently as I read it, this one's not available."

The future of ruckman Brendon Lade was also discussed by Williams, who said he expected Lade to walk into coaching whenever he decided to retire.

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