Ill Port Adelaide midfielder Travis Boak will miss Saturday night's AFL match against the Western Bulldogs in Darwin.

Boak was named in Port's team but did not fly to the Northern Territory capital with his teammates on Friday morning due to a virus.

Trav got crook Tuesday, we thought he would get better, but he hasn't," Port's caretaker coach Matthew Primus said at Adelaide Airport.

"Scotty Harding will come into the team ... he's an extra onballer we can bring in with Travis out."

Primus has taken charge after Mark Williams quit as Port coach last Friday, amid the club's longest ever losing streak, which will swell to nine in a row with a loss to the Bulldogs at TIO Stadium.

Primus' task of turning Port's season around has been made more difficult by the absence of reliable fullback Alipate Carlile against the Dogs.

Carlile's absence with a back injury counters the Bulldogs' loss of full-forward Barry Hall to an ankle injury.

But Primus resisted a temptation to summon Chad Cornes after the veteran served a one-match suspension.

Instead, Chad Cornes will play in the SANFL for the first time since 1999 and will miss his brother Kane's 200th AFL match.

Primus was adamant Chad Cornes remained a valued player despite overlooking him.

"Chad hasn't been in the greatest form," Primus said.

"We just think, match-up wise, that we needed some more smalls down in defence if the Bulldogs go that way.

"Chad understands he wasn't in great form and I told him earlier in the week that he wouldn't be playing for us this weekend.

"If he goes back with a great attitude and gets back into some form with Glenelg then he's a big chance to come back into our team."

The Bulldogs, seeking a victory to keep them in touch with the top four, have recalled Nathan Eagleton and Andrejs Everitt to replace Hall and Brennan Stack (hamstring).

But controversial forward Jason Akermanis will spend at least one more week in the VFL despite having served a club-imposed senior suspension.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP