Fremantle will be aiming to fight fire with fire when they take on Port Adelaide’s star-studded midfield at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

The Power were one of the biggest movers during this year’s trade period, recruiting the likes of Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts, Steven Motlop, and Jack Trengove to bolster an already strong list.

Port’s potent midfield, which includes skipper Travis Boak, Rockliff, Robbie Gray, Brad Ebert, and Sam Powell-Pepper, will be one of their major strengths this year.

But the Dockers also boast plenty of midfield power in the form of Nat Fyfe, David Mundy, Lachie Neale, Stephen Hill, Michael Walters, Bradley Hill, and ruckman Aaron Sandilands.

Fremantle will enter their round-one clash as underdogs, but Neale said the team was looking forward to testing themselves against Port Adelaide’s midfield.

“They’ve got a lot of depth through the midfield and a really good midfield,” Neale said.

“It’s going to be a tough challenge, but I feel we’ve got the midfield to match it and we look forward going head to head with them. It’s going to be a good battle.”

Both sides will enter the match without key players.

Stephen Hill (calf) and Harley Bennell (calf) have already been ruled out, while Brad Hill (quad) is facing a race against time to prove his fitness.

Port star Gray is suspended following his pre-season bump on Eagle Jeremy McGovern, but Boak (hamstring) and Rockliff (knee soreness) are set to play.

Dockers veteran Sandilands has played just 15 games over the past two seasons, but the 211cm ruckman is fit and raring to go following a strong pre-season campaign.

“I think he’s still one of the best, if not the best, ruckman going around when he’s up and about,” Neale said.

“It helps us midfielders be a bit more proactive. He can win most of the taps, (which gives us) a bit of predictability as to where the ball’s going to land around the stoppages.

“He’s a really good target to kick to down the ground. If he can play as many games as possible, that would be great for our side.”

Fremantle are being widely tipped to miss the finals for a third straight year.

But Neale isn’t one to buy into the outside perceptions.

“We’ve got a mantra – anything’s possible,” Neale said.

“You’ve seen it over the last couple of years with Richmond and the Bulldogs.”

Neale said a key to the club’s finals hopes would be making a strong start to the season.

It’s something they have been unable to do over the past two years,

They lost the first 10 games of 2016, and dropped the first two last year.