COACH Todd Viney says Port Adelaide will be desperate for a win at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, considering it could avoid the wooden spoon.  

If the Power overcomes the Demons, and Gold Coast loses to Hawthorn at Metricon Stadium on Saturday, then Port Adelaide will finish second last and the Suns will claim the spoon.

Viney has already warned his team that Port Adelaide will be desperate to avoid 17th position.  

“They’re a really proud club and I’m an Adelaide boy, so I understand that Port Adelaide has a really proud tradition,” he said.

“They’d be despising thinking that they’d be finishing last.

“They’ll be trying to win this game, so they can get up off the bottom of the ladder.

“They were fantastic against Essendon last week - I’m not sure how Essendon got over the line. But Port was fantastic.”

Port Adelaide almost overcame Essendon last round, before the Bombers produced a stunning comeback. In-form young gun John Butcher again impressed with four goals.

Viney said Jared Rivers, James Frawley or Colin Garland could all spend time on Butcher, who has kicked 10 goals in his past two matches. He has played just three AFL matches so far.

Meanwhile, Viney said he would continue to look after senior coaching responsibilities after round 24.

“My role will continue after this game until probably the next three or four weeks or a month until we get our next senior coach,” he said.

“Decisions will be made with list management and recruiting that they’ll need some input from me, as the senior coach for this stand in period.

“I’ll still be pretty busy for the next month I reckon, or until the new coach comes on board.”

Viney said there were “numerous” candidates for Melbourne’s senior coaching position.

He also said skipper Brad Green had a key role to play at the club next year.

“Dean Bailey had been having conversations with Brad throughout the whole year. And I’ve been having conversations with Brad since I’ve been in the chair, about his future,” he said.

“We see that he’s still got a role to play within our club and he’ll be playing next year.”