Port Adelaide are getting defensive about their quest for respect, new captain Travis Boak says.

Port open their AFL premiership season against Melbourne on Sunday knowing their status has been battered by not playing finals since 2007.

And Boak says a Power revival is being underpinned by improving defensive actions under new coach Ken Hinkley.

“We have to go in earning that respect back from the competition and we do that by the physicality and the tackling and hunting the ball and getting the wins,” Boak told reporters on Thursday.

“We have worked on a lot of things in our game that weren’t there last year, with the tackling and the skills, just with the whole defensive side has really taken a step up.

“Most of the top four sides, top eight sides, are great defensive sides and that is what we’ve got to focus on.”

Under Hinkley and Boak, who replaced Dom Cassisi as captain, the Power beat Sydney, West Coast, St Kilda and Melbourne in the pre-season.

But Boak said those results were now irrelevant ahead of their MCG fixture against the lowly Demons.

“It’s important for us to get off to a good start to have a good year,” Boak said.

“And what a great challenge. It is against Melbourne at the MCG, our only game at the ‘G for the year.

“Their supporters are going to have great expectation on them and they’re going to go in confident, just as we are.”