The growing trend of AFL teams failing on return from their mid-season byes has put Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley on edge.
The Power, sitting in second spot, are riding high on a club-record 11-game winning streak leading into Saturday's huge clash with sixth-placed Essendon at the MCG.
But they are wary of becoming yet another team to fall victim to the week off.
The dismal record of teams coming off byes against opponents who were active the week before stands at 0-8 so far this season.
"It has to (make you extra cautious). There is a bit of proof now that says that there's some issues with it for some sides," Hinkley told Fox Footy.
"I looked at a number of those games and the team that have come off the bye have actually started really well on a lot of occasions
"The reality is it's a number in front of us but there's lots of numbers in front of us in every part of the season.
"We've got to buck the trend and that's our opportunity this week."
Essendon are one of the eight sides who have failed the post-bye test to date, suffering a 32-point defeat to Fremantle last week.
It brought to an end the four-match winning streak the Bombers built before the bye.
"To put it down to attitude or mindset (not being) in the right place I don't think is right," Essendon coach Brad Scott told Fox Footy.
"We certainly analyse the game a bit closer than that, but it is a trend.
"It's a fact: 0-8. There's something to be said for continuity."
Scott said a simple solution to the bye dilemma would be for the entire AFL to have a week off at the same time.
He added a competition-wide bye would have a flow-on benefit of increasing the focus on state leagues and community football for a week.
If the mid-season bye rounds are to remain stretched over four weeks, teams could be scheduled to return to action against rivals who had their breaks in the same week.
But Scott said those remedies aren't preferable for the AFL, which he said puts a heavier focus on maximising ratings and attendance.
"We've got a 19th team come in and until we get to a 20th team and we can have a serious discussion about genuine equity across the competition, then we're always going to have these anomalies," Scott said.
"With everything you look at there's inequities and the AFL just try to do their best, but unfortunately equity and fairness is only one part of it."
